Maccabi Haifa 1-6 Benfica: Portuguese side pip PSG to top spot in their Champions League group

Benfica stunned Paris Saint-Germain after sending them to the top of the Champions League on the final day of play after beating Maccabi Haifa 6-1.

The Portuguese side scored twice in the final phase, with Joao Mario’s strike in the second minute of stoppage time enough to secure the top spot through away goals against the much-acclaimed French champions.

This is despite PSG winning their last group game by beating Juventus 2-1 in Turin.

Benfica players celebrate after stunning 6-1 win over Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League

The win was enough to take Paris Saint-Germain to first place in the group by away goals

The result will have a huge knock-on effect on the other Champions League group winners, including Premier League clubs Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, who can now face the French side in the last-16, which ends on Monday. drawn.

Goals from Goncalo Ramos, Petar Musa, Alex Grimaldo, Rafa Silva, Henrique Araujo and Joao Mario lifted Benfica to 14 points, level with Paris St Germain on points and goal difference, but ahead of the French champions who scored more away goals.

The result earned the Portuguese side two points more than their previous best campaign 11 years ago.

Joao Mario struck two minutes into stoppage time to dramatically secure first place

Mario’s goal was one of two late Benfica goals, the other coming in the 88th minute

Joao Mario’s low long-range shot in stoppage time proved to be crucial as Benfica and PSG even faced each other on points, as well as tied in goals scored and goals conceded in general.

Benfica had already secured a place in the next round in advance.

The win over Haifa also extended Benfica’s unbeaten run to 22 consecutive games this season.

Goncalo Ramos gave the visitors the lead with a header in the 20th, and Haifa equalized with Tjaronn Chery who converted a penalty awarded after a lengthy video review of a handball by Benfica defender Alexander Bah in the area.

Petar Musa put Benfica ahead with another header in the 59th, Alejandro Grimaldo extended the lead by converting a free kick 10 minutes later, Rafa Silva scored the fourth from the inside in the 73rd and Henrique Araujo added a fifth in the 88th.

Benfica only pimped PSG to the top of the group on away goals after a list of tiebreakers

The win means that Benfica will now go as a seeded team with a big boost to Monday’s last 16 draw

Benfica had already beaten Haifa at home and also defeated Juventus twice in both games against PSG, both at home and away.

Last-placed Haifa, whose only group stage win this season was against Juventus, came from a 7-2 defeat at PSG in the previous round.

Benfica’s last defeat on the road was exactly a year ago when they lost 5-2 to Bayern Munich. His unbeaten run on the road was the longest of all 32 teams this season.

Benfica reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League last season and were eliminated by Liverpool.