LISBON :Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick came off the bench to grab the only goal of the game in a 1-0 away win over Benfica on Wednesday that condemned Jose Mourinho’s side to their fourth straight defeat in this season’s Champions League group stage.
The Portuguese hosts dominated the first half, hitting the woodwork twice through Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Ottamendi as they racked up chance after chance, and they came to rue their wasteful finishing in the 65th minute.
Benfica thought they had averted the danger when keeper Anatoliy Trubin parried Schick’s initial shot, but defender Samuel Dahl inexplicably headed the ball back across the goal to the Leverkusen substitute striker who broke the deadlock with a looping header.
The defensive error provoked an angry response from Mourinho, and three minutes later he made a triple substitution to shake things up, with Dahl replaced by Norwegian winger Andreas Schjelderup.
The switch gave a much-needed boost to the left side of the Benfica attack and Schjelderup teed up Lukebakio for another excellent chance in the 86th minute, but the Belgian completely mistimed his effort and it was easily saved.
A first win of the campaign for the Bundesliga side lifted Leverkusen to 21st in the table on five points, while Benfica are second from bottom having failed to earn a point, with only goal difference keeping them above Dutch side Ajax Amsterdam.
