Benfica secured his presence in the Women’s Champions League group stage on Wednesday after beating Rangers 2-1 after extra time, but got scared before celebrating in Seixal.
The Reds, too wasteful, were forced to take extra time which the Scots barely deserved, but which they captured with an accidental and opportune goal from Emma Watson (87 minutes), freezing the well-composed stands of Benfica Campus. .
However, the goals of Cloé Lacasse (93 minutes) and Jéssica Silva (119), already in extra time, ensured fairness on the scoreboard, in the equalizer and placed Benfica among the top 16 women’s teams in Europe for the second consecutive year.
Despite the minimal advantage (3-2) gained in Glasgow, Benfica launched into the Scottish goal in the first leg and Cloé Lacasse (38 minutes) had the most egregious opportunity of the first half, hitting the post, but Ana Vitória ( 13 and 17), Nycole Raysla (21) and Valéria Cantuário (32) had already forced goalkeeper Victoria Esson into service.
The Scot’s first shot came from Emma Wartson in the 76th minute and it was more of a pass to the red goalkeeper than anything else, but the truth is that Benfica also lost intensity and sharpness in the second half.
Ana Vitória (49 minutes) tried to take advantage of Victoria Esson’s lead, but shot over, and Cloé Lacasse (56 and 83), in a couple of individual shots, didn’t fail and shot towards the opposing goalkeeper both times .
Rangers, despite ineffectiveness, began to believe in the wing shot, which even came close to the end, when Emma Watson (87) took advantage of a mistake by Rute Costa, in a corner, to go into the net in the middle in the confusion.
The extra time was a heavy penalty for the Portuguese side, but Cloé Lacasse finally hit the opposing team’s nets in the 93rd minute, already on the edge of the small area, after another solo run from the left wing.
Despite being numerically outnumbered in the final minutes, it was even the Reds who scored again, through Jéssica Silva (119), after the exclusion of Lúcia Alves (111) and a draw that lasted 30 minutes longer.
The Reds, who finished third in Group D in their debut season in the Champions League, behind champions Lyon and Bayern Munich and ahead of BK Häcken, will meet their opponents in the group stage on Monday in a draw scheduled for Nyon.
game sheet
Match at Benfica Campus, in Seixal.
Referee: Marina Zivkovic (Serbia).
– Benfica: Rute Costa, Ana Seiça, Carole Costa, Lúcia Alves, Valéria Cantuário (Maria Negrão, 74), Pauleta, Andreia Faria (Christy Ucheibe, 109), Andreia Norton (Jéssica Silva, 109), Ana Vitória, Cloé Lacasse and Nycole Raysla ( Martha Cintra, 59).
Coach: Filipa Patao.
– Rangers: Victoria Esson, Rachel McLauchlan (Dina Orschmann, 98), Tessel Middag, Lisa Martínez, Nicola Docherty, Chelsea Cornet, Kirsty Maclean (Emma Watson, 57), Brogan Hay (Kirsty Howat, 78), Samantha Kerr, Elizabeth Arnot (Maddie Nolf ), 57) and Kayla McCoy (Jodi Mcleary, 98).
Coach: Malcolm Thomson.
Scorers: 0-1, Emma Watson, 87 minutes. 1-1, Cloe Lacasse, 93. 2-1, Jessica Silva 119.
Discipline: yellow card for Valéria Cantuário (74), Lúcia Alves (80 and 111), Lisa Martínez (107) and Samantha Kerr (111). Red card for accumulation of yellow cards for Lúcia Alves (111).
Attendance: about 1000 spectators.
Source: DN
