Benfica

Germany international Musiala scored with a bullet header from close range in the 67th minute with Bayern dominating and missing several chances before eventually breaking the deadlock.

Musiala’s chance was set up when Harry Kane headed Leroy Sane’s cross back across the face of goal.

The result was much needed to get Bayern’s campaign back on track, with the win seeing them bounce back from suffering two consecutive defeats in the competition – against Aston Villa and Barcelona – for the first time since 2017.

A win lifted the Germans to six points from four matches and into 17th place with Benfica, who were toothless in attack, also on six points in 19th place.

Europe's top club competition has switched from a group stage to a league phase this season, where 36 teams play eight matches each. The top eight in the table progress directly to the next round, while the next 16 teams enter a two-legged playoff.

Bayern have a crunch clash against Paris Saint-Germain next in the competition on November 26.
 

Data Debrief: Unlucky 13 for Benfica

Benfica have now played 13 major European matches against Bayern and have never tasted victory, collecting only three draws and suffering 10 defeats.

That trend rarely showed signs of ending in this match, with Benfica not threatening. The visitors failed to register a shot on target for the first time in 45 Champions League matches. The last time they did not trouble the goalkeeper in this competition was in October 2017 against Manchester United. Bayern, by comparison, racked up 10 attempts on target.

Benfica also only had four touches in the opposition box, their lowest tally on record since Opta started recording that data in the Champions League in 2007-08, with Bayern tallying 51.

As for Kane, the assist means he has now been directly involved in 80 goals across all competitions (61 goals, 19 assists) since the start of last season. That is 16 more than any other player across Europe’s biggest five leagues in this period.

The stalemate at Estadio da Luz left the Serie A side on two points after their opening six matches, and six points adrift of the play-off places.

Benfica thought they had taken the lead after just two minutes, but Vangelis Pavlidis saw his effort ruled out for offside following a VAR review.

Bruno Lage's side continued to carry the greater attacking threat, registering 15 shots to their opponents' six.

Skorupski made a superb reflex save to deny Pavlidis after the break, and the hosts' profligacy later on meant they had to settle for a share of the spoils. 

Data Debrief: Bologna draw another blank

There were 10 yellow cards brandished during the game, the most in any match in this season's Champions League.

In drawing another blank, Bologna are the third time in Champions League history to score as few as one goal across their first six games in the competition, after Galatasaray in 1993-94 and Levski Sofia in 2006-07 (both also one).

Meanwhile, Benfica recorded a 0-0 draw on home soil in the Champions League for the first time since December 2014, and have now failed to score in four of their last seven games in the competition at Estadio da Luz.

Ayase Ueda was also on target for the Eredivisie side, who moved level with their opponents on six points after the opening three matchdays.

Feyenoord broke through in the 12th minute when Igor Paixao cut the ball back for Ueda to slot home.

The Japan international had a second goal chalked off following a VAR review before the visitors doubled their lead on 33 minutes, when Milambo cleverly skipped away from Nicolas Otamendi before finishing.

Benfica, who opened their campaign with back-to-back wins, pulled a goal back at the midway point in the second half, with Timon Wellenreuther parrying Jan-Niklas Beste's effort straight to Kerem Akturkoglu, who made no mistake from close range.

Wellenreuther made smart saves to deny the hosts as they pushed for an equaliser, before Milambo sealed the points with his second goal of the game in stoppage time.

Data Debrief: Milambo matches Tomasson as Feyenoord halt Benfica streak

Benfica had won each of their last six matches in all competitions, but Bruno Lage's side could not prevent Feyenoord from winning successive away games in Europe's premier club competition for the first time since 1971.

Ueda broke the deadlock in the 12th minute with what was the Eredivisie side's earliest goal (excluding own-goals) in a Champions League away game since Sebastian Pardo netted just four minutes into their victory over Newcastle United in September 2002.

Milambo then took centre stage, becoming the first Feyenoord player to score twice in a Champions League away game since Jon Dahl Tomasson against Lazio in February 2000.

Bruno Lage's side ran riot in Lisbon as Kerem Akturkoglu, Angel Di Maria, Alexander Bah and Orkun Kokcu all got on the scoresheet against a shell-shocked Atleti team.

A mistake by Atletico's defence led to Akturkoglu taking in Fredrik Aursnes' pass unmarked in the area to slot home a 13th-minute opener, while Vangelis Pavildis missed a huge chance to double Benfica's advantage in first-half stoppage time.

However, Conor Gallagher's 50th-minute foul on Pavildis granted the hosts another chance to go 2-0 up from the spot, and Argentina great Di Maria made no mistake against Jan Oblak from 12 yards.

Di Maria was then denied by Oblak from a tight angle as Benfica continued to press for more goals, and they were out of sight in the 75th minute as Bah headed Jan-Niklas Beste's corner home.

The rout was complete eight minutes from time as Reinildo fouled substitute Zewki Amdouni to grant Benfica another penalty, which Kokcu blasted into the top-left corner.

Benfica are flying high in third in the competition's new league phase, behind Borussia Dortmund and Brest only on goal difference, while Atleti are a lowly 23rd on three points.

Data Debrief: Atleti's road struggles continue

Diego Simeone will be furious with Atleti's defending after they conceded four goals in a Champions League game for the first time in four years, since a 4-0 loss at Bayern Munich in October 2020.

It was Benfica's joint-biggest margin of victory in a home Champions League game (alongside a 5-1 thrashing of Club Brugge in March 2023), and Atleti's heaviest-ever defeat to Portuguese opposition in the competition.

On their travels, Atleti have now won just one of their last 10 Champions League matches (two draws, seven losses). With their next continental road trip taking them to Paris Saint-Germain on matchday four, that record simply must improve.

Sanches suffered a hamstring injury in training last month and missed Benfica's last six matches, including their wins over Red Star Belgrade and Atletico Madrid in their opening two Champions League matches.

"Let's be very clear about this, because we have nothing to hide. Renato has been doing a lot of work. We had predicted that he could return a little earlier, then a little later, but I can confirm that Renato will be involved for the game against Feyenoord," Lage said.

Sanches, who was a teenage prodigy at Benfica, has struggled for consistency since his record transfer to Bayern Munich aged 18 in 2016.

He has since played for Swansea City, Lille, Paris Saint-Germain and Roma before the French giants loaned him back to Benfica this campaign.

Lage said only defensive midfielder Leandro Barreiro would be missing from the Benfica lineup for the match due to a thigh injury.

Benfica are on a run of six successive victories, with their 4-0 home win over Atletico earlier this month one of the surprise results of the early stages of the new-look Champions League competition.

"It is important to highlight that the work we did ahead of the Atletico match happens for every game," Lage said.

"First, we understand what we did well in our previous game, and we study the opponent in detail. We define the strategy, practise it and look to instil confidence in the players. That's what we do for every game, be it in the championship, in the Champions League or in the cup.

"We are confident, we've prepared very well and our confidence comes from the fact that when we transmit our ideas to the players, they feel confident that they can play a good game," added Lage, who returned to coach Benfica last month after Roger Schmidt was fired.

Lage was Wolves manager in the Premier League in the 2021-22 season and briefly into the next campaign, before losing his job after a run of poor results.

"My time in the Premier League gave me experience that I didn't have before, but that's part of any coach's experience," he told reporters.

"The more experience we have, the more we will learn. The way I work, we learn a lot from the assessments we make of our opponents, but above all from our own team."

Fresh from his move to Camp Nou in the transfer window, Lewandowski will return to familiar surroundings with Barcelona and Bayern Munich – who boast 11 Champions League titles between them – drawn in a tough Group C along with Inter.

And another reunion will see Haaland come up against Borussia Dortmund, whom he left to join Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. They find themselves in Group G alongside Sevilla and Copenhagen.

Another heavyweight clash will take place in Group H, with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus set to lock horns.

The Reds are 25 points clear at the top of the Premier League, needing only two more wins to clinch the title, yet the season has been suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Jurgen Klopp's dominant side should have been sealing silverware on Saturday in their match against Crystal Palace but now instead must wait to see if the campaign can be completed at all.

Liverpool supporters might well feel they are cursed, and former goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar agreed last year as he splashed urine on the Anfield goalposts in an attempt to lift an apparent hex.

Such hoodoos are relatively commonplace in sport, though. We take a look at some notable examples.
 

LIVERPOOL (1990-present)

It seemed inconceivable when Liverpool won their 18th title in 1990 – an 11th in 18 seasons – that number 19 would not swiftly follow. But when Reds supporters mocked rivals Manchester United after their eighth success in 1993, with a banner that read, 'Come back when you've won 18', they were made to eat their words.

The Old Trafford club had 20 championships by the time manager Alex Ferguson departed, a 2009 United banner teasing: 'You told us to come back when we've won 18 – we are back'.

Indeed, Liverpool were runners-up to United in 2008-09, as Rafael Benitez infamously went public with criticism of Ferguson. Even when the Scot retired and United slumped in 2013-14, Liverpool collapsed on the home straight and were pipped by Manchester City, who denied them again last season.

This is surely now their year – as long as the campaign does indeed resume.

BOSTON RED SOX (1918-2004)

Liverpool might find some comfort in the knowledge their owner has experience in ending curses for sporting giants.

John W Henry took over the Boston Red Sox in 2002 with the aim of finally ending the Curse of the Bambino, which stemmed from the team's sale of star player Babe Ruth to rivals the New York Yankees some 83 years earlier.

Ruth had featured in three of Boston's five World Series triumphs and went on to win four more with the Yankees. Meanwhile, the Red Sox remarkably did not claim baseball's greatest prize again until 2004.

That miserable run was finally ended under Henry, though, after Boston had overturned a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees in the American League Championship Series.
 

ATLANTA, GEORGIA (1995-2018)

The city of Boston could at least be comforted by titles for the Patriots, the Celtics or the Bruins. Atlanta's distress crossed several sports in increasingly spectacular fashion.

The Atlanta Braves won the World Series just once in 1995 within a stretch that returned 15 straight division titles. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Falcons lost two Super Bowls, including a record-breaking collapse against Tom Brady's New England Patriots after leading 28-3. Even the University of Georgia ceded a big advantage to lose the College Football Playoff National Championship.

Atlanta United finally provided some respite with MLS Cup glory in 2018, and president Darren Eales told Stats Perform: "It was great to break the curse.

"It's been a long time since 1995 when the Braves won a championship. I'd heard so much in the week up to the game about Atlanta's curse in sport. I didn't get too excited until the referee blew his whistle."
 

DRAKE (2013-2019)

One of the more bizarre apparent curses of recent years related not to a team or a city but to a sole individual: Drake.

The Canadian rapper found an awful knack for backing athletes before big defeats. Serena Williams suffered a huge upset against Roberta Vinci at the US Open, where she had his support, while Anthony Joshua was pictured with Drake prior to his shock loss to Andy Ruiz Jr.

The Toronto Raptors fan came up with a solution for the 2019 NBA playoffs, however. Drake turned out in Philadelphia 76ers shorts as they dramatically lost to the Raptors, seemingly reversing the curse, before Toronto went on to beat the Golden State Warriors in the Finals.
 

BENFICA (1962-present)

Liverpool's is not the only ongoing 'curse' – and Benfica's is not set to end for another 42 years!

Head coach Bela Guttmann led the Portuguese giants to back-to-back European Cup successes in 1961 and 1962 but then left the club after reportedly asking for a pay rise. It is alleged he declared "not in a hundred years from now will Benfica ever be European champion".

So it has proven, as Benfica lost European Cup finals in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1988 and 1990 and then came up short in successive Europa League finals in 2013 and 2014.

Fernandez was one of the stars of Argentina's World Cup success in Qatar, earning interest from a host of big clubs.

Chelsea were thought to be close to his signing at one stage this week, but the Blues' reported refusal to meet the 21-year-old's release clause, said to be a huge £106million (€120m), provided a stumbling block.

Schmidt said Chelsea's approach showed "a lack of respect" to his club, suggesting the Premier League side were trying to "drive the player crazy", and Fernandez was missing from his Benfica side against Portimonense.

But with Schmidt also adamant Benfica were not looking to sell Fernandez, the World Cup winner appears set to continue his career in Portugal from Saturday.

Speaking after a 1-0 Benfica win, the coach said: "We have a clean slate today.

"In the news conference yesterday, I clearly said that Enzo had not been well in the last week. That is why he was not in the team.

"But tomorrow I will be very happy to see him back in training. He is our player. I count on him to win games and titles. We need him to be champions. Now we can focus on football."

Fernandez had played in last week's 3-0 defeat to Braga – Benfica's first loss of the season – but missed their first home match since the World Cup.

He therefore did not enjoy the same tribute as Benfica and Argentina team-mate Nicolas Otamendi on Friday.

"[The tribute] was very important for me and my family," said Otamendi, speaking to Benfica TV.

"Enzo couldn't be there, but he will also have his tribute, because he is also part of what we [Argentina] achieved as a team.

"It is a tribute in our stadium, with our fans, who I will remember for the rest of my life, because I won a very important title in my career and obviously they are part of that title."

Antoni Milambo scored twice, becoming the first Feyenoord player to net an away Champions League brace since 2000, while Ayase Ueda was also on target in a 3-1 victory for the Eredivisie side in Lisbon.

It was a second successive away win for Feyenoord in the competition's new-look league phase, and they are up to 16th in the 36-team table.

"This is certainly a great victory. I don't know if we realise how great it is until the heart rate drops a bit and we can enjoy it," said Priske, who was appointed after Arne Slot left for Liverpool.

He struggled initially but has now seen them to four successive wins in all competitions.

"This [Benfica] is a very big club in Europe, with top quality players and a great stadium. This is really a great achievement," said the Danish-born coach.

"The mentality of these boys is incredible. I am very proud of them, how we kept fighting after they pulled one goal back and were mentally strong enough to pull the match over the line with the 3-1 win."

Hailing his players' defensive work, Priske continued: "First of all, you have to work hard, suffer, take on some pain when they have the ball, sacrifice yourself for the team and defend really well. 

"And then offensively we also needed to take moments to outnumber them in the midfield, see if we could outplay them and create some danger.

"Credit to the players. I think they showed all the elements that I talk about here. It's a massive result, but also a performance that shows everyone in our dressing room that we were capable of a lot of things."

Feyenoord’s next Champions League game is at home to Austria's Salzburg, who have lost their opening three games, on November 6.

The Serie A winners announced on Monday they had freed up Joao Mario, whom they signed from Sporting five years ago.

Joao Mario spent last season back on loan with Sporting, helping the team end an 19-year wait for the Primeira Liga title, and had a year remaining on his Inter contract when he was cut free from that deal.

However, rather than return to Sporting on a permanent basis, he has joined their Lisbon rivals Benfica, signing a five-year deal.

Crucially, Sporting say they were due a further €30million from the initial deal that took Joao Mario to San Siro, in the event of him moving on to a rival Portuguese club.

Benfica announced his arrival on Tuesday, with Joao Mario signing as a free agent rather than moving directly from Inter, meaning the compensation clause was not triggered.

Sporting also claimed to have made an offer of their own to Inter for Joao Mario.

"It is the conviction of the board of directors... that a contractual expedient was used, through which Inter and Joao Mario sought to bypass the terms of the agreement signed with Sporting... in 2016," the statement from Sporting added.

"This expedient only illustrates that all parties knew the obligations they assumed in 2016 and which, after five years, they have now intended to avoid."

Sporting said they would hold "the intervening parties responsible for the damages caused and for the non-fulfilment of the agreed obligations".

Inter denied the accusations, saying there were no grounds for Sporting to make such claims.

In a statement, Inter said: "FC Internazionale Milano has taken note of what Sporting Lisbon has said to the press. These are unacceptable, very serious and above all unfounded statements. The company will protect its image and reputation in the appropriate places."

Joao Mario struggled to make an impact at Inter and had a loan spell with West Ham in 2018, with a stint at Lokomotiv Moscow preluding his return to Sporting.

Bayern welcome Benfica to the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, hoping to recover from defeats to Aston Villa and Barcelona, the first time they have failed to win consecutive games in the competition since April 2017. 

Kompany's started their Champions League campaign with a 9-2 thrashing of Dinamo Zagreb, but have since plummeted down the new league table. 

They find themselves 23rd after three matches. However, they have fared better in the Bundesliga, sitting three points clear at the top of the table after nine games. 

"What we know is you have to win around six (of eight) games to reach the top eight," Kompany said. 

"You have to win three games and that should be enough for the playoffs. My goal is to reach the top eight."

Bayern last failed to reach the Champions League knockout stages in 2002-03, finishing bottom of a group that featured Deportivo La Coruna, Lens and Milan. 

But despite their stuttering start in the competition so far, Kompany said the new format plays no role in the team's planning. 

"I don't want to think too far ahead because we have enough games," Kompany said.

"We have to win against Benfica. I don't want to spend too much time thinking about what could happen in January.

"No one knows how it will work. We only know we want to win tomorrow. We play at home. That is my only goal."

Bayern, however, have every confidence of getting their European campaign back on track, with the German outfit boasting an impressive record against Benfica. 

They have played 12 major European matches against Benfica and have never lost (W9 D3). 

But Bruno Lage's side will be looking to buck that trend, having beaten Atletico Madrid and Red Star Belgrade so far, but they did lose to Feyenoord last time out. 

"We have a lot of confidence going into this game. We will always adapt and take the steps that are right for the team," Kompany said. 

"But to say we will change everything is not serious. We just want to win again at home. 

The victory ended a run of back-to-back defeats for the German team in the competition, leaving them 17th in the league with six points from four matches. 

"It's important for us to win a game this way. In the past, we always scored three, four or five goals, but today we stayed calm," Kompany told the official club website.

"We had 24 shots on goal and the opposition had one. Not every finish was dangerous, but we controlled the game. There are games in which the last pass just isn't as precise as necessary.

"We know we can decide matches within the first five minutes if we're on good form. That didn't happen today. But in the end, it's the Champions League. It was a good game and a good win."

Midfielder Jamal Musiala scored the only goal of the game in the 67th minute, turning home Harry Kane's knockdown after Leroy Sane had played the ball across the box.

Sane is yet to start a game in any competition for Bayern this season, coming on in the 56th minute on Wednesday, but his contribution was not lost on Kompany.

"Obviously, I'm really happy to have the quality of Leroy Sane and Michael Olise in the same position - not to forget Kingsley Coman and Serge Gnabry. You can say Leroy turned this game around today," he said.

The goalscorer Musiala, meanwhile, was pleased after scoring his fifth goal in all competitions for the club this season.

“We had good moments, but the opposition played and defended well. Of course, there are still things we can improve, but it's important to have won the three points," he said.

"I don't know what's going on with me scoring headers at the moment. The ball dropped nicely for me a few times and I just keep trying to get into good positions I can score easy goals from.

"We all knew we had to win tonight and we did a good job. We had a tough time settling into the game, but we can't win by four or five goals every time. Sometimes a 1-0 win has to be enough.”

The Brazil international netted a second-half brace for the Reds, who will play Villarreal in the last four later this month.

Ibrahima Konate opened the scoring in the first half at Anfield, but Goncalo Ramos replied to keep Benfica's hopes alive.

Firmino's double put the Reds back in control and despite Roman Yaremchuk and Darwin Nunez setting up a nervy finish, Jurgen Klopp's side secured a third Champions League semi-final appearance since the German took charge in 2015.

Seeking successive away wins in the competition for the first time since 2011, Benfica went close in the 13th minute as Everton whipped a vicious 25-yard effort just wide of the post.

But Liverpool extended their aggregate advantage eight minutes later. Just like at Estadio da Luz eight days earlier, Konate broke the deadlock with a fine header from Konstantinos Tsimikas' corner.

The visitors levelled the second leg in the 32nd minute when a kind ricochet off James Milner sent Ramos clear, and the Portugal under-21 international clinically swept past Alisson.

The hosts almost restored their three-goal buffer, with Alejandro Grimaldo's outstanding last-ditch intervention denying Luis Diaz a certain tap-in from Firmino's square ball.

Liverpool did regain that cushion 10 minutes after the restart; Diogo Jota's attempted shot was drifting wide until Firmino tucked home from six yards after Jan Vertonghen's hurried clearance went straight to the Portugal international.

The Brazil international doubled his tally in the 65th minute as he beat the offside trap to volley home Tsimikas' inviting free-kick.

The visitors had the last word when Yaremchuk neatly rounded Alisson before slotting home from Grimaldo's throughball, before Nunez sprung the offside trap to set up a nervy finish at Anfield.

The six-time European champions advanced to the last four of the competition for the 12th time in their history after a 3-3 draw sealed a 6-4 aggregate victory over the Primeira Liga side.

The German coach made seven changes to the side that started the entertaining 2-2 draw with Manchester City on Sunday.

Nevertheless, the hosts established a 3-1 lead on the day thanks to Roberto Firmino's brace, after Goncalo Ramos cancelled out Ibrahima Konate's first-half header.

Late goals from Roman Yaremchuk and Darwin Nunez set up a nervy climax at Anfield, but it was not enough to deny the Reds a third Champions League semi-final appearance under Klopp.

He told BT Sport: "The day we qualify for the Champions League semi-final, and I'm not happy, please come and knock me out!

"We made seven changes. The situation was the last line had never played together, and it was about details, staying 100 per cent concentrated.

"It was not exactly what we wanted, but it is absolutely not important because if we played the best game of the season tonight, it wouldn't have made it more likely to get to the final. 

"We are through and that's all that matters, and I'm really happy."

Liverpool, who won the EFL Cup earlier this season, set up a semi-final showdown with Villarreal as they remained on course to complete a quadruple.

Still a point behind Premier League leaders Man City with seven games remaining, the Reds also face Pep Guardiola’s side in the FA Cup semi-finals this weekend.

Skipper Jordan Henderson added: "We did well, but we're disappointed with the goals we conceded.

"[Villarreal have] knocked out good sides [Juventus and Bayern Munich]. They're a very good team, and it will be a difficult tie. 

"We need to be ready to give it everything and hopefully, we can progress to the final.

"We want to do our best in every competition. We want to give a big push to compete in all of them."

Monaco's Eliesse Ben Seghir got his side off to a great start, breaking the deadlock in the 13th minute by ghosting into the box to rifle home Aleksandr Golovin's cutback pass after a superb counter-attack.

Benfica took control and should have equalised in the 37th minute when Angel Di Maria was denied by Radoslaw Majecki, and Nicolas Otamendi's header from the resulting corner flew just wide.

Breel Embolo smacked a shot off a post in the second half, and that miss proved costly when Vangelis Pavlidis made the most of Monaco defender Caio Henrique's weak header to steal the ball and equalise.

The chaos continued as both sides had goals ruled out for offside by the VAR before Monaco centre-back Wilfried Singo was dismissed just before the hour mark for two yellow cards.

Soungoutou Magassa picked the perfect time to score his first goal for the club, charging on to Christian Mawissa's angled pass and drilling it low into the corner to restore Monaco's lead in the 67th minute.

However, Di Maria produced a superb cross for Arthur Cabral to level in the 84th minute, and four minutes later the Argentina forward crossed for Zeki Amdouni to head home the winner.

Data Debrief: Diamond Di Maria

Di Maria's late creative heroics moved him onto 38 assists in the Champions League, taking him clear of Manchester United and England great David Beckham (36).

Only Ryan Giggs (41), Cristiano Ronaldo (40) and Lionel Messi (39) have provided more assists in the competition than him, with all of them either retired or no longer playing in Europe.

It capped a memorable outing for Di Maria, who made his 112th appearance in UEFA's top competition – Messi (163) and Roberto Carlos (120) are the only South American players to have featured more.

Pavlidis also scored his first for Benfica, and the Greek forward now has 13 goals in 26 matches in major European competition – an average of a goal every other game.

The former Selecao star, widely considered one of the greatest to ever play the game, passed away on Thursday following a battle with colon cancer.

Pele's status as one of football's most recognised figures has drawn the sport together in mourning, with clubs across the globe honouring the late forward.

LaLiga and Champions League holders Real Madrid offered their condolences to the player's family, while paying tribute to the legacy he leaves behind.

"The legend of Pele will remain forever in the memory of all those who love this sport and his legacy makes him one of the great myths of world football," Los Blancos issued in a statement.

Fellow Spanish giants Barcelona said the Brazilian "made football greater than ever", while last season's Champions League finalists Liverpool called him an "icon" of football.

Several teams paid tribute to Pele with statements incorporating some of the game's other greats, such as Benfica, who posted a picture of him alongside late Portugal star Eusebio.

West Ham included former England captain Bobby Moore in their image after their famous battle at the 1970 World Cup, while Ajax featured Johan Cruyff, another of the game's great players, alongside the Brazilian.

Premier League trio Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City recalled their memories of Pele, with the Gunners reflecting on his visit for an encounter over four decades ago following his retirement.

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich paid tribute to "one of the all-time greats" while Serie A champions Milan also offered condolences.

CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation, also issued a tribute to the late star, saying: "Thank you for putting South America on top."

B-SAD were forced to face Benfica on Saturday with just nine players - including two goalkeepers - after positive tests for 13 members of the squad.

Benfica went into half-time 7-0 up and B-SAD were forced to forfeit shortly after the restart due to insufficient players as injuries reduced the hosts - who were without any substitutes - to six men.

Among the B-SAD players to miss out was Cafu Phete, who had recently spent time in South Africa - where the Omicron variant was first detected - and it now appears that he and the other 12 members of the squad have tested positive for this new strain of coronavirus. 

"Preliminary tests carried out at INSA strongly suggest that all 13 cases associated with players of Belenenses SAD are linked to the variant of concern Omicron," INSA's statement to Publico read.

"The predictive value of the tests carried out is already very high."

Benfica's players are set to be tested as Portuguese authorities respond to the Omicron variant being found inside the country's borders.

"We'll have more proactive isolation and a more intensive testing of contacts," Graca Freitas - Portugal's Director-General for Health - told TSF. 

Flights into Portugal from Mozambique have now been banned, while two positive cases were discovered among the 218 people to have arrived on the last such flight on Saturday.

Madrid – led by Los Blancos icon Raul – went ahead in the 26th minute when Pablo Rodriguez headed home Sergio Arribas' teasing cross from six yards. 

Rodriguez hobbled off soon after but it did little to quell Madrid's attacking threat, the Spanish side doubling their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Henrique Jocu turned Arribas' cross into his own net. 

Benfica pulled one back in the 49th minute, Goncalo Ramos netting from close range, but Madrid restored their two-goal advantage just a minute later courtesy of Miguel Gutierrez's low finish at the back post. 

Ramos headed home from a corner in the 57th minute to reduce the deficit once again.

The Portuguese side were handed a golden opportunity to draw level in the 68th minute but Madrid goalkeeper Luis Lopez pawed away Tiago Dantas' penalty, ensuring the title went back to Spain. 

Akturkoglu opened the scoring for the Portuguese side in the ninth minute, converting a cross from close range at the back post.

His compatriot Kokcu then doubled their advantage just before the half-hour mark with a meticulously placed free-kick from 25 yards out, picking out the top-right corner.

Red Star reduced the deficit when Felicio Milson was played through and scored from close range four minutes from time, but they were unable to find an equaliser at the death.

Data Debrief: Turkish first for Benfica

Goals from Akturkoglu and Kokcu ensured this was the first time two Turkish players had ever scored for a non-Turkish club in a Champions League match.

Kokcu, meanwhile, is on his way to earning a reputation as a dead-ball specialist. 

Since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, no player has scored more direct free-kick goals in major European competitions than Kokcu's two, with this his first in the Champions League.

The former Florida State University standout, officially announced her move on her social media on Thursday, as she expressed delight about her transition to the professional realm.

"Becoming a professional players has been my dream since i started playing soccer as a kid in Jamaica, and I can't wait to win many titles with this club," Brown posted on her Instagram account.

"I am proud and honoured to sign my first professional contract for such a big institution as Benfica. I would like to thank my family, MVA [Montverde Academy], FSU, Hue Menzies and everyone who helped me get to this point," she added.

Brown, 22, has represented Jamaica at every level, including at two FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments and has scored 12 goals for Jamaica at the senior level.

She recently assisted Florida State University to the NCAA Division 1 Women's Championship and their retention of the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship title last season. Benfica are the current champions of Portugal and have also secured Champions League football for next season.

More to come.