Brace, Pizzi, brace!

The tie remains wide open! Benfica and Fenerbahçe drew 0-0 in the first leg of the Champions League play-off, played at the Sükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium in Istanbul. The 2nd leg  is scheduled for Wednesday, September 27, at 8 pm, and will decide everything at the Estádio da Luz.

The day started early for SL Benfica's professional football team! It was still dawn when the Eagles arrived at Lisbon Airport, from where they flew to Istanbul, Turkey. Ahead of the challenge against Fenerbahçe, in the 1st leg of the Champions League, group stage play-off, already on Turkish soil, right after the previews by coach Bruno Lage and the defender António Silva, the reds trained at Sükrü Saraçoğlu Stadium, the venue for Wednesday's match, August 20, scheduled for 8:00 pm in mainland Portugal. The day didn't end without birthday celebrant Florentino receiving the affection of the group... Watch everything here.

This Thursday, April 18, Benfica faced Marseille in the 2nd leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, and was knocked out of the competition in a penalty shootout (4-2), after the French team won 1-0 at the end of the 120 minutes (the two sides drew 2-2 on aggregate). See the images here...

In France, in the 2nd leg of the Europa League quarter-finals, Benfica lost by 1-0 at the Marseille Stadium. At 2-2 on aggregate, the game went to extra time and, with the tie still level, a penalty shoot-out was held. At that point, the Marseille side came out on top (4-2).