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Paris Saint-Germain's (PSG) away trip to Benfica in the UEFA Champions League ended in a 1-1 draw on Wednesday (October 5). Lionel Messi's opener was canceled out by an own goal from Danilo Pereira at the Estadio da Luz.
Benfica's Goncalo Ramos found a pocket of space behind PSG's backline. He made a run to put himself in a 1v1 situation with Gianluigi Donnarumma, only for the Italian shot-stopper to keep out a strong effort in the eighth minute.
The hosts kept applying pressure and came close to taking the lead again. However, Donnarumma had other plans. The former AC Milan custodian saved a chipped shot from David Neres to keep the scoreline intact.
Messi scored his first goal against Benfica in his career with a sublime shot to find the top corner following a quick passage of play in the 22nd minute. In the process, he created a record for being the only player to score against 40 different teams in the competition.
Benfica kept knocking on the door and eventually found the equalizer when Danilo diverted the ball into his own net in the 41st minute via an Enzo Fernandez cross.
PSG started the second half on the front foot with Neymar smashing the crossbar from a spectacular bicycle kick effort. Benfica's defense was often exposed, but goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos kept Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappe at bay with fantastic saves in the second half.
This draw leaves PSG and Benfica level on points (7) in the Champions League group stage with three games to be played.
We shall look at five talking points from a frantic game in Lisbon.
#5 Danilo Pereira struggled in the backline
Christophe Galtier started with Marquinhos, Sergio Ramos and Pereira in the backline. Pereira, playing out of his conventional midfield position, struggled to handle Goncalo Ramos and Neres right from the kick-off. Donnarumma bailed him out when he was caught out of position on a couple of occasions.
However, Goncalo Ramos found space in front of Pereira and blocked his opponents' vision. The cross took a slight deflection from Pereira and found the back of the net. It was unfortunate, but Danilo was completely unaware of his surroundings and let the Benfica attacker take the ascendency.
#4 Moment of magic by Messi as he extends Champions League record
Benfica pushed PSG on the backfoot from the kick-off until Messi scored the opener against the run of play. A quick passing exchange between Mbappe, Neymar and Messi caused immediate havoc when the Argentine found the top corner with a sublime strike. It was all Benfica up until that point.
It was Messi's first-ever goal against Benfica and he also became the first player to score against 40 different teams in the Champions League, extending his record of 39 games.
#3 Both teams were wasteful in front of the goal
It's not too often you would point fingers at PSG's forwards for poor finishing. After being thumped down in the first half except for the moment of sweet play that led to the goal, Galtier's team talk propelled them to find space in Benfica's defense. Poor finishing from Neymar and Hakimi didn't help their course.
Benfica, on the other hand, sent shockwaves through the PSG defense at the start of the game. They should have scored a couple of goals before Messi steered PSG to the lead. Rafa Silva was presented with a great chance in the second half, but the Portuguese forward failed to hit the target.
#2 Goalkeepers were at the top of their game
In a game where the margin of error was nil, Vlachodimos (7 saves) and Donnarumma (6 saves) saved everything that was within their reach. The PSG shot-stopper made a few outstanding saves in the first half. The Benfica goalkeeper replicated the same, including a phenomenal save off Kylian Mbappe at full stretch to keep the scoreline down to 1-1.
This game will be a confidence booster for both the keepers, who helped their side procure a point from a frantic fixture.
#1 Goncalo Ramos - One for the future
The Portuguese top flight has produced quality forwards, including Joao Felix, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz in recent years. Goncalo Ramos' career trajectory seems to be on the rise after impressing in the Champions League last campaign.
The 21-year-old was a constant threat to Sergio Ramos and Pereira, and didn't give a moment of peace by closing them down and making runs behind them. His movement blinded Pereira, who diverted the ball into his own net and helped Benfica draw level. According to The Express, Manchester United are keeping tabs on Goncalo Ramos to reinforce their attacking department.
