Brazilian striker Alan Kardec scored in injury time as Benfica beat
Marseille 2-1 to reach the quarterfinals of the Europa League.
Marseille looked to be heading to victory when Senegal
striker Mamadou Niang put the home side ahead at Stade Velodrome
after 70 minutes, giving the French team a 2-1 aggregate lead.
Poor defending let Benfica in to equalize through Maxi
Pereira, who also scored in the 1-1 draw in the first leg. After
Angel Di Maria and Oscar Cardozo went close, Kardec thumped home
the winner from a narrow angle after Marseille failed to clear
another loose ball to earn Benfica a 3-2 aggregate victory.
"From what we saw tonight, this Benfica team is strong in
every department. We had qualification in our hands and then they
grabbed it at the end," Marseille coach Didier Deschamps said. "We
struggled to keep the ball (in the second half) and they had many
chances."
Deschamps, who captained Marseille to its Champions League
win in 1993, thinks Benfica can win the Europa League.
"When you look at the Benfica players individually, then they
can go all the way in this competition," he said. "I'm not saying
that because they beat us, but they are one of the very top teams."
Moments after coming off the bench, Marseille substitute
Hatem Ben Arfa was shown a straight red card in the 90th minute.
Benfica looked the better team in the second half, and
Marseille defender Stephane M'Bia had to be alert to cut out a
cross before it fell to Javier Saviola in the 62nd.
Marseille had another lucky escape moments later when a loose
ball bounced in the penalty area, goalkeeper Steve Mandanda fumbled
it and defender Souleymane Diawara hacked it clear just in time.
Marseille took the lead against the run of play when Niang
thumped home from close range after Brazilian striker Brandao
pulled the ball back.
But Benfica leveled soon after when Pereira's shot from 20
yards (meters) took a slight deflection and flew past Mandanda into
the bottom corner.
Di Maria then broke through down the left but pulled his shot
wide of the target.
Cardozo almost scored in the 90th minute when Diawara tried
to head the ball clear but it bounced off the Benfica striker's
thigh. Diawara tracked back and forced Cardozo to hurry his shot,
which was off target.
Benfica finally made its pressure count when Marseille
midfielder Edouard Cisse failed to clear a cross from the left,
Kardec gathered the ball just inside the right of the penalty area
and smacked it into the opposite corner.
