MX23RW : Tuesday, March 19 08:00:20| >> :600:206547:206547:
[monks data]
Leverkusen logo
Champions League | Group Stage
Oct 1, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Benfica

3-1

Kiessling (25'), Son (34'), Calhanoglu (64' pen.)
FT(HT: 2-0)
Salvio (61')

Match Analysis: Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Benfica

Sports Mole analyses the Group C Champions League clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica at the BayArena.

Bayer Leverkusen picked up their first points in Group C with a 3-1 win over Benfica in the Champions League this evening.

Stefan Kiessling, Son Heung-Min and Hakan Calhanoglu were on the scoresheet for the hosts.

Eduardo Salvio briefly gave the Portuguese champions some hope with a second-half strike, but the home side soon restored their two-goal advantage.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the outcome.

Match statistics

Bayer Leverkusen
Shots: 22
On target: 10
Possession: 44%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 18

Benfica
Shots: 6
On target: 1
Possession: 56%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 11

Was the result fair?

The result was absolutely fair. Bayer Leverkusen were by far the better side right from the start, creating chance after chance early on before breaking the deadlock 25 minutes in. By contrast, Benfica created little to try to get themselves back into the tie, having just one shot on target all night, allowing Leverkusen to easily wrap up their first win in the group stage of the competition this season.

Bayer Leverkusen's performance

The hosts played positive, attacking football from kickoff, immediately looking to exploit an out-of-sorts Julio Cesar in the Benfica goal. Stefan Kiessling and Karim Bellarabi caused problems for the visitors throughout the match, while Son Heung-Min always looked dangerous. At the back, Emir Spahic led a well-organised back four to ensure that Benfica's opportunities remained limited and that Bernd Leno had a quiet night in goal.

Benfica's performance

The Portuguese champions were played off the pitch this evening, barely getting a touch inside the Leverkusen half, and having just one shot on target all night, although it did result in a goal. The visitors' defenders struggled to cope with the relentless pace of the Leverkusen attack, while they struggled to create anything for their strikers. Discipline was also a problem for Benfica, as they picked up five yellow cards over the course of the evening.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Son Heung-Min: The Benfica defenders seemed to focus on trying to stop Kiessling and Bellarabi early on, allowing Son Heung-Min to really get into his stride. The South Korea international proved a menace down the left wing with bags of pace and fantastic footwork. The midfielder set up the opening goal for Kiessling after Cesar parried his shot to the striker before he added the second with a well-taken finish, and could have had another just before half time.

Biggest gaffe

Hakan Calhanoglu will certainly not want to relive his second-half miss at the far post when the home side were leading 2-0. The midfielder was left with a simple tap-in from just a couple of yards out when a perfectly-weighted cross fell to him, but somehow he managed to slice the ball wide. Luckily for him, the miss did not prove too costly, and he made amends shortly after when he scored from the penalty spot.

Referee performance

There were not that many big decisions for Englishman Martin Atkinson to make, but it was a pretty competent display from the referee. He let the game flow, not awarding too many free kicks early on, but was prepared to reach for the cards when the tackles started flying in after the break. Atkinson did award a penalty in the second half, but it was actually the additional assistant referee behind the goal that gave the spot kick after consulting with the Premier League official.

What next?

Bayer Leverkusen: Leverkusen are at home again in the Bundesliga this weekend as they host Paderborn, and face a trip away to Stuttgart before their next Champions League outing against Zenit St Petersburg.

Benfica: The Portuguese champions host Arouca in the Primeira Liga this weekend, before travelling to AS Monaco in the Champions League later this month.

ID:180181: cacheID:180181:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:6528:No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Leverkusen's midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and Leverkusen's forward Stefan Kiessling celebrate during the first leg UEFA Champions League Group C football match Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs SL Benfica in Leverkusen, western Germany on October 1, 2014
Read Next:
Leverkusen stroll to Benfica win
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

Group A

TeamPWDLPTS
QBayern651016
QCopenhagen62228
3Galatasaray61235
4Man Utd61144

Group B

TeamPWDLPTS
QArsenal641113
QPSV62319
3Lens62228
4Sevilla60242

Group C

TeamPWDLPTS
QReal Madrid660018
QNapoli631210
3Braga61144
4Union Berlin60242

Group D

TeamPWDLPTS
QReal Sociedad633012
QInter Milan633012
3Benfica61144
4Salzburg61144

Group E

TeamPWDLPTS
QAtletico642014
QLazio631210
3Feyenoord62046
4Celtic61144

Group F

TeamPWDLPTS
QDortmund632111
QPSG62228
3AC Milan62228
4Newcastle61235

Group G

TeamPWDLPTS
QMan City660018
QRB Leipzig640212
3Young Boys61144
4Red Star60151

Group H

TeamPWDLPTS
QBarcelona640212
QPorto640212
3Shakhtar63039
4Antwerp61053

Subscribe to our newsletter


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!