Schjelderup Strikes Early, Trubin Shuts the Door
It started with a classic Benfica move. Fredrik Aursnes whipped in a low ball from the right in the 13th minute. Andreas Schjelderup was there to guide it home with ice-cold precision. Just like that, Bayern were behind. The starting pressure from Benfica helped them gain the lead that just could not get overturned.
And then the real show began.
Anatolii Trubin put on gloves and a cape. He denied Leroy Sane in not one but two one-on-one situations. He blocked Aleksandar Pavlovic from close range in the 75th minute. He even got help from the offside flag, when Kimmich’s goal was chalked off because Harry Kane stood in the keeper’s line of vision. Slightly offside, totally annoying.
Bayern’s Chances? Plenty. Goals? Zero.
Manuel Neuer did his bit early on, stopping Angel Di Maria, but from there, Bayern’s finishing boots went missing. They dominated the second half. They fired shots. They racked up numbers. But Trubin turned into a wall.
Sane alone had 1.18 xG, but the ball refused to go in. Even in the dying seconds, Kane had one last shot in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Missed.
Final score: Benfica 1, Bayern 0.
Data Debrief: Curse Lifted, Group Won
Let’s just say Benfica fans have been waiting for this. In 13 previous competitive meetings against Bayern, they had never won. Ten losses. Thirty-six goals conceded. Pure pain.
But this time? Bruno Lage’s team flipped the narrative. They went shot-for-shot with Bayern in the first half and hit the target three times while Bayern hit none.
The Germans dominated after the break, but Trubin’s four saves and some serious wastefulness from Bayern’s front line meant the hoodoo is finally over.
Benfica now move on as group winners. Bayern settle for second place and potentially a much tougher last-16 tie.
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