Benfica defeats Juventus to advance to the Champions League

Juventus has failed to move from the Champions League group stage for the first time in over ten years. Benfica defeated Juventus 4-3 on Tuesday to go to the round of 16 and inflict their fourth loss in five games. Rafa Silva scored twice in the victory. In a chaotic first half, Benfica scored three goals—Antonio Silva, Joao Mário, and Rafa Silva—while Juventus could only muster Moise Kean's fleeting equalizer.

Early in the second half, Silva scored another goal and also struck the post in the 86th. Silva just announced his retirement from Portugal's national team and will not participate in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The home team has now gone 20 games without a loss in all competitions this season, and it is simple to understand why given that they were creative with the ball and may have been in complete control at the break before a late Juve revival forced a tense conclusion.