Benfica 5-1 Club Brugge (7-1 agg): Ramos at the double in Champions League rout

A rampant Benfica eased into the Champions League quarter-finals as Goncalo Ramos’ double helped secure a 5-1 second-leg home win over Club Brugge.

Rafa Silva, Joao Mario and David Neres were also on target as Benfica ruthlessly stamped out any hopes of a Brugge comeback with a sparkling display at the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday, sealing a 7-1 aggregate victory.

Scott Parker’s side faced a daunting task after suffering a 2-0 defeat in the first leg, and their goal lived a charmed life early on when Joao Mario’s flick was disallowed for offside.

Brugge’s resistance was broken when Silva’s clever footwork gave him the space to nudge into the far corner, before Ramos lashed home a second.

Ramos doubled his tally to make it 3-0 and Joao Mario added a fourth from the penalty spot after Gilberto was felled by Abakar Sylla.

Neres slotted past Simon Mignolet to complete the rout, with Bjorn Meijer’s excellent consolation strike the only blemish on Benfica’s copybook.

21 -SL Benfica’s Gonçalo Ramos (21 years, 260 days) is the second-youngest player to have being involved in 3+ goals in a knock-out stage match in the UEFA Champions League since 2003/04, after Erling Haaland (20 years and 211 days v Sevilla, 17 February 2021). Light. #SLBBRU pic.twitter.com/lrmLeaCDe3

— OptaJoao (@OptaJoao) March 7, 2023