SL Benfica beat SC Braga,2-1, Jorge Jesus confident of progressing through to Europa League Final
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/SC-Braga-c40460 in the first leg of the UEFA Europa League semi-final at the Estadio da Luz on Thursday,
April 28.
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jorge-c19120 Jesus, Benfica’s manager, praised his side’s performance on the field in front of their home crowd. He admitted that his troops’ should have won the match with relatively better margin,
but he remains confident about his side reaching the Europe’s secondary club competition final.
Jesus said, “We have won the first match. It was like against PSG and Stuttgart, so this result at home is nothing new for us. We deserved more, at least to end with a two-goal advantage.
Braga did not create any chances to score. Their goal was from a set-piece situation and they didn't create many difficulties for us. We go to Braga better than we started the tie. Of course, I believe that I will go to Dublin, the result gives us that faith”,
he concluded.
Both sides started the match nervously, as it was the first-ever all Portuguese European semi-final. The opening 45 minutes of the action were full of passion, but without any side managing
to break the dead-lock. The visitors spent much of the first-half living dangerously, despite the fact that, they came close in taking an early lead through Lima, but his long-range effort flew just inches wide past the post.
However, the second-half proved to be packed with intense action from the start. The home side took the lead in the 50th minute through http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Jardel-c17889, when Cardozo's header hit the post
and the versatile defender made no mistake in netting home the rebound.
The visitors were quick to respond and the lead lasted only for three minutes, as the Archbishops managed to claim their valuable away goal when Vandinho perfect header found the back of
the net on http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Hugo-Viana-c16425 free-kick.
However, it took only six minutes for the Eagles to take the lead again, when Cardozo netted through a powered free-kick in the 59th minute to read the score-line 2-1. After gaining
the lead, Benfica packed their back-line and lessened the visitors’ chances to find an equaliser.
Jesus was ecstatic after the referee blew the final whistle to end the match 2-1 in favour of the home side. The Eagles' tactician was pleased with his troops’ efforts on the field.
Jesus is confident that his side has now a better chance of progressing through to the final of the Europe’s secondary club competition.
The Eagles will take a slight advantage into the second-leg following a well-deserved victory over the fellow Portuguese Liga outfit. Benfica will face Braga in the second leg of the semi-final
at the Estadio AXA on Thursday, May 5.
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