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CRISIS MODE: ANALYTICAL BREAKDOWN OF NAPOLI'S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE DEFEAT TO BENFICA
Napoli appeared fatigued and uninspired in their 2-0 loss to Benfica, highlighting the crucial absence of Stanislav Lobotka and Billy Gilmour in midfield.
Napoli's Champions League hopes took a hit as they fell 2-0 to Benfica, managed by Jose Mourinho. They appeared tired and lacked energy.
Missing key players like Stanislav Lobotka and Billy Gilmour, Napoli fielded the same lineup that defeated Juventus in Serie A on Sunday. Benfica, after losing their first four games, had previously beaten Ajax. They were without Dodi Lukebakio and Henrique Araujo, but surprisingly, star striker Vangelis Pavlidis started on the bench.
Early on, Benfica's Leandro Barreiro appealed for a penalty, but VAR confirmed the referee's decision that Eljif Elmas made a clean tackle on the ball first.
Benfica then had a good chance as Fredrik Aursnes broke the offside trap and passed to Franjo Ivanovic, but Vanja Milinkovic-Savic made an excellent save. Aursnes' attempt on the rebound went just wide.
Napoli was lucky when Milinkovic-Savic's poor pass went straight to Aursnes, who then missed the target.
Soon after, Benfica took the lead when Ivanovic headed down a cross, and Richard Rios scored.
Giovanni Di Lorenzo headed a ball across the goal, and later, Scott McTominay and Matias Olivera collided while trying to head the ball.
An attempt by Nicolas Otamendi was blocked, and his rebound shot went over the bar. In response, Antonio Conte made two substitutions at halftime, switching to a 4-4-2 formation.
After Alessandro Buongiorno's easy header for the goalkeeper, Benfica scored again after a good play on the right side. Rios crossed the ball, and Barreiro scored from close range.
Napoli's confidence seemed to vanish, and they struggled to create chances in Lisbon.
David Neres forced a save from Anatoliy Trubin, and McTominay couldn't connect with a cross from Matteo Politano.
Milinkovic-Savic kept the score down with saves from substitute Pavlidis late in the game.
Napoli has now lost their last five Champions League away matches.
LEAGUE UPDATE: MAN UNITED’S CHAMPIONS LEAGUE HOPES BOOSTED BY COEFFICIENT POINTS SURGE
Manchester United move into fourth place as England's dominant UEFA coefficient makes a fifth Champions League spot almost certain.
Manchester United just got a real shot in the arm for their Champions League hopes this season. After knocking off Manchester City and Arsenal in back-to-back games, they’ve climbed into fourth place in the Premier League. It’s been a struggle for United to make the Champions League in recent years—their last run was in the 2023/24 season.
These days, finishing in the top four isn’t always enough for Premier League teams. UEFA now hands out extra spots, and it all depends on how clubs from each country perform across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League.
So, how does it work? UEFA takes each league’s overall coefficient score—basically, a measure of how well their teams do in Europe—and divides it by the number of clubs they have in these competitions.
This season, Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham, Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle all joined the European fight. Out of those six, only Newcastle had to go through the play-offs; the rest sailed straight into the knockouts.
Now that the Champions League group stage is done, you can really see which countries are in line for those bonus spots next year. Right now, England is out in front with 180,625 points. Germany follows with 107,000. Portugal sits in third with 14,700, and Spain is just behind on 14,375.
Here’s the key thing: the two countries whose teams rack up the best results across all three competitions this season each get a European Performance Spot—an extra Champions League place.
With England leading the pack, even a fifth-place finish in the Premier League could send United back into the Champions League instead of the Europa League. Newcastle took advantage of this last season.
If United hold onto fourth, they’re in. But there’s still a lot of football left. Interim boss Michael Carrick isn’t letting anyone get ahead of themselves—he’s already told his players to stay sharp.
Next up, United face Fulham at Old Trafford. They'll be chasing a third straight win and looking to keep Carrick’s perfect record going since he stepped in for Darren Fletcher.
JUST IN: PEP GUARDIOLA THANKS JOSE MOURINHO AFTER WILD NIGHT OF EUROPEAN DRAMA
Pep Guardiola thanks Jose Mourinho as Benfica’s last-gasp winner against Real Madrid sends City straight into the Last-16.
Pep Guardiola had a smile on his face and a message for Jose Mourinho after his old rival did him a huge favour, helping Manchester City sneak into the Champions League knockout rounds.
City took care of their own business, beating Galatasaray 2-0 at the Etihad. Haaland and Cherki got the goals, but the real drama was happening elsewhere. City’s spot in the last eight still hung in the balance because Real Madrid needed to equalise against Benfica. If they had, Guardiola’s squad would have been bumped into the play-offs instead.
That’s when Benfica’s goalkeeper, Anatoliy Trubin, pulled off something wild. He left his box, charged forward for a late free kick, and scored a brilliant goal. Benfica won 4-2. That goal kept Benfica alive in the competition—and, as it turned out, saved City too.
Guardiola admitted he and his players were glued to the screen in the dressing room, completely confused when they saw Trubin running up for that last free kick. “We were all in there, watching, and none of us realised Benfica still needed a goal to qualify,” Guardiola said. “So when their keeper went up, we’re all thinking, ‘What are you doing?’ But Jose knew. It was a smart move. Finishing in the top eight, with how tough the Champions League has become, feels really good for us. Now we can focus on being at our best by March.”
Bernardo Silva didn’t hide how relieved he felt. Skipping those extra play-off games really matters, especially when you’re chasing a quadruple. “A bit of drama, but we did it. We’re very happy because we avoid two more matches,” he said. “With all the injuries we’ve got and the crazy schedule, having those two weeks free to rest, get players back, and focus on the other competitions is huge for us.”
As for Mourinho, he looked proud after Benfica’s wild finish. He’s won this tournament twice before, and he believed his side deserved to stay in. “That was a fantastic goal, a historic moment—almost blew the roof off the stadium,” Mourinho said. “Honestly, for Benfica to beat Real Madrid, that’s massive.”
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