Arsenal vs Benfica (Europa League) (25/02/2021) - Live Commentary & Match Updates

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Arsenal vs Benfica (Europa League) (25/02/2021)

ARSENAL

Mikel Arteta


First Eleven
19 Bernd Leno
24 HĂ©ctor BellerĂ­n  
23 David Luiz
06 Gabriel MagalhĂŁes
03 Kieran Tierney  
8 Dani Ceballos  
29 Granit Xhaka
87 Bukayo Saka
11 Martin Ødegaard
55 Emile Smith Rowe  
14 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang   
Substitutes
33 Mat Ryan
44 K. Hein
17 CĂ©dric Soares
21 Calum Chambers
22 Pablo MarĂ­
35 Mohamed Elneny
18 Thomas Partey  
12 Willian  
19 Nicolas Pépé
62 Edward Nketiah
35 Gabriel Martinelli
9 Alexandre Lacazette  

Georgios Karaiskakis Stadium


3
End of Match 		2
21' Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
67'' Kieran Tierney
87'' Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 		43' Diogo Gonçalves
61' Rafa Silva
LIVE COMMENTARY
F-T
Arsenal 3-2 Benfica
90+1'
4' of stoppage time.
⚜ 87'
GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! AUBAMEYANG SCORES!
ARSENAL HAVE DONE IT! WHAT A COMEBACK!
Arsenal 3-2 Benfica
87'
GOAL! ARSENAL 3-2 BENFICA (4-3 AGG) (Aubameyang, 87')
🔄 84'
Nuno Tavares is on for Grimaldo.
83'
Arsenal look to slip Lacazette in down the left channel but the pass from Tierney is over-hit and travels through to Helton.
🔄 78'
Lacazette replaces Bellerin.
77'
Helton handing possession to Saka with a poor clearance, but the Gunners winger is unable to punish him with a near-post drive which sails over.
74'
Close!
Nunez holds up the ball really well, shrugging off Gabriel before shooting just wide from 20 yards. Good effort.
72'
SHOT!
Willian tries to pick out Aubameyang with a deep cross to the back post. Benfica clear as far as David Luiz, who tries his luck from distance, but the shot is always veering wide.
⚜ 67'
GOAL! ARSENAL 2-2 BENFICA (Tierney, 67')
⚜ 61'
GOAL! ARSENAL 1-2 BENFICA (Rafa Silva, 61')
🔄 58'
Nunez, Gabriel and Everton replace Seferovic, Pizzi and Taarabt.
57'
Bellerin sends a cross in from the right which Otamendi makes a right hash of clearing. The ball is quickly worked back to Bellerin but Verissimo is on hand to clear at the second attempt.
54'
Arsenal continuing to press well and high. It's them putting them pressure on at the moment.
50'
NO GOAL!
Aubameyang has the ball in the Benfica net for the second time in almost identical circumstances to the first. Odegaard slips the pass through on this occasions and Aubameyang lifts the ball over the Benfica goalkeeper but the flag is up.
46'
Second Half begins..
H-T
ARSENAL 1-1 BENFICA
⚜ 43'
GOAL! ARSENAL 1-1 BENFICA (Goncalves, 43')
38'
Saka cuts inside on his left and plays a pass to Smith Rowe, who had the opportunity to return the favour, only to go backwards and waste a good chance to get Saka through on goal.
36'
Xhaka attempts to thread a pass down the line. It is cut out, but Smith Rowe leads the counter-press, preventing Benfica from breaking.
34'
CHANCE!
Benfica take the free-kick short before Pizzi eventually delivers. His cross reaches the head of former Spurs defender Jan Vertonghen, but his effort is always rising.
32'
Pizzi lures a foul from Smith Rowe wide on the right, handing Benfica the chance to send everybody up from the back.
27'
Aubameyang has scored in seven of his last eight cup matches for Arsenal (nine goals – five in the FA Cup, three in the Europa League and one in the Community Shield).
23'
Another chance for Arsenal, as Verissimo makes a mess of his attempted clearance. Aubameyang tries to pounce on it, but can’t get enough on his header.
⚜ 21'
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Benfica (Aubameyang 21')
Superb finish!
It's Saka who creates it, cutting in from the right before sliding a a great ball into the path of Aubameyang, who lifts the ball over the keeper with a delightful finish.
20'
Chance.
Tierney picks up the ball in a dangerous position just outside the box on the left. He looks up and picks out Smith Rowe with a cut back but the midfielder's shot is blocked.
18'
Benfica showing they no how to pass the ball nicely but the gunners are looking comfortable at the back.
15'
A half chance for Seferovic as he latches on to a through ball down the left but he snatches at the shot and barely makes contact with the ball.
14'
Both teams are struggling to find any real space when they do have the ball. The intensity is high and it looks like it could be one of few clear chances.
9'
Saka attempts a cross, but can’t find a team-mate.
8'
Xhaka plays a brilliant long ball through to Aubameyang on the left. He performs a couple of step-overs before getting a cross in but it's easily claimed by the goalkeeper.
7'
Tierney bursts down the left and manages to attempt a cross. However, Goncalves followed the left-back all the way and got a foot on it, allowing Leite to collect under no pressure.
🟹 5'
Yellow Card to A. Taarabt.
1'
First Half begins..
Big game for Bernd Leno who makes his 100th appearance in goal for Arsenal.
Arsenal Starting XI To Face Benfica: Leno; Bellerín, David Luiz, Gabriel, Tierney; Ceballos, Xhaka; Saka, Ødegaard, Smith Rowe; Aubameyang.

Benfica

Jorge Jesus


First Eleven
77 Helton Leite
05 Jan Vertonghen
30 NicolĂĄs Otamendi
04 Lucas VerĂ­ssimo
03 Álex Grimaldo  
27 Rafa Silva  
28 Julian Weigl
49 Adel Taarabt   
17 Diogo Gonçalves  
21 Pizzi  
14 Haris Seferović  
Substitutes
08 Gabriel Pires  
11 Franco Cervi
38 Pedrinho
19 Chiquinho
02 Gilberto Moraes
09 Darwin NĂșñez  
88 Gonçalo Ramos
07 Everton Soares  
01 Mile Svilar
71 Nuno Tavares  
99 Odysseas Vlachodimos
10 Luca Waldschmidt

ARSENAL - Lineup

First Eleven
19 Bernd Leno
24 HĂ©ctor BellerĂ­n  
23 David Luiz
06 Gabriel MagalhĂŁes
03 Kieran Tierney  
8 Dani Ceballos  
29 Granit Xhaka
87 Bukayo Saka
11 Martin Ødegaard
55 Emile Smith Rowe  
14 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang   
Substitutes
33 Mat Ryan
44 K. Hein
17 CĂ©dric Soares
21 Calum Chambers
22 Pablo MarĂ­
35 Mohamed Elneny
18 Thomas Partey  
12 Willian  
19 Nicolas Pépé
62 Edward Nketiah
35 Gabriel Martinelli
9 Alexandre Lacazette  

Benfica - Lineup

First Eleven
77 Helton Leite
05 Jan Vertonghen
30 NicolĂĄs Otamendi
04 Lucas VerĂ­ssimo
03 Álex Grimaldo  
27 Rafa Silva  
28 Julian Weigl
49 Adel Taarabt   
17 Diogo Gonçalves  
21 Pizzi  
14 Haris Seferović  
Substitutes
08 Gabriel Pires  
11 Franco Cervi
38 Pedrinho
19 Chiquinho
02 Gilberto Moraes
09 Darwin NĂșñez  
88 Gonçalo Ramos
07 Everton Soares  
01 Mile Svilar
71 Nuno Tavares  
99 Odysseas Vlachodimos
10 Luca Waldschmidt