Islamabad, Aug 7, 2025: Benfica took a major stride towards reaching the Champions League play-offs after beating Ligue 1 side Nice 2-0 in their away fixture. In this Nice vs Benfica encounter, the Portuguese giants showcased their strength, scoring twice in the second half to gain a valuable advantage ahead of next week’s return leg.
Franjo Ivanovic opened the scoring in the 53rd minute by sliding in to finish off a pinpoint cross from Fredrik Aursnes. The hosts reacted positively to conceding, but five minutes from full-time, Florentino sealed the result with a thunderous strike from distance, doubling Benfica’s cushion.
During the first half, Nice keeper Yehvann Diouf kept the score level with three solid stops, particularly as Vangelis Pavlidis posed the biggest danger for the visitors. However, the second half belonged to Benfica, who controlled possession and took their chances well.
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Despite a few late efforts by Nice, including pressure from forward Terem Moffi, they couldn’t find a way past Benfica’s defense. The Nice vs Benfica tie now moves to Lisbon, where Bruno Lage’s men will defend their two-goal advantage.
Elsewhere, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce fell 2-1 to Feyenoord in the Netherlands. Quinten Timber struck early, Amrabat equalized late, but Anis Hadj Moussa’s header in injury time gave Feyenoord the win.
