Benfica 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen: Schick clinches visitors' first Champions League victory
Kasper Hjulmand has his first Champions League win since taking over at Bayer Leverkusen, but they had to work hard to beat Benfica.
Patrik Schick’s second-half header secured Bayer Leverkusen’s first win in the Champions League this season as they edged to a 1-0 victory over Benfica.
There was little to split the sides at the Estadio da Luz, but Leverkusen’s substitute got the all-important goal to ensure they bounced back from their 7-2 drubbing to Paris Saint-Germain last time out.
Benfica, who remain without a Champions League win this term, started strongly, with Dodi Lukebakio striking the corner of the goal frame with a lovely dink 11 minutes in.
The Belgian continued to cause problems but forced Mark Flekken into comfortable saves before Nicolas Otamendi’s looping header rebounded off the crossbar.
Vangelis Pavlidis’ low strike was deflected over the crossbar by a relieved Loic Bade before the break, and Benfica were made to rue those missed chances.
Schick came off the bench in the 57th minute and grabbed his goal in the 65th; his drilled effort was parried by Anatoliy Trubin, but Arthur’s pressure got it back to the striker, who looped a header over the sprawling goalkeeper.
Lukebakio had more chances to try and salvage a draw, but could only direct his strikes straight at Flekken, as Leverkusen took home a much-needed win.
Data Debrief: Hjulmand off the mark
While Kasper Hjulmand immediately settled into life in the Bundesliga, wins in the Champions League proved much harder to come by.
But they ended a three-match winless streak against Portuguese sides with Wednesday's victory, with this their first since beating Sporting CP 2-0 in October 1997.
Benfica, and Jose Mourinho, will be wondering how they left empty-handed, though. The hosts had 21 shots to Leverkusen's seven, and accumulated 1.42 expected goals (xG), while their visitors only mustered seven.
Benfica have now lost their last six matches in Europe's premier competition, with 2025 only the third calendar year in which they have lost 6+ times in Europe after 2017 (seven) and 2008 (six).
