Benfica secured a smooth 3-0 win against Casa Pia on their own field. Joao Mario scored twice before halftime, while twenty minutes before time Alexander Bah provided the final decision.
Casa Pia is having a strong season and occupies a handsome fifth place, behind big tenors Benfica, Porto, Braga and Sporting Lisbon. However, the visitors had to suffer the law of the strongest. Benfica had 74 percent ball possession over the entire match and also saw that superiority translated into a double lead at halftime. Coach Roger Schmidt's team took the lead after just over half an hour when Joao Mario's cleverly infiltrating pass back from David Neres paid off. On the stroke of halftime, the same Joao Mario doubled the lead after he was able to slide in a cross from left back Grimaldo at the far post.
In the second half, Benfica also dominated. The final decision came twenty minutes before time. Right back Alexander Bah took advantage of a long rush and scored the 3-0 with his left hand. Benfica continues to lead the Portuguese league. Of the twenty league games, it won seventeen. Only once did it go down. (SF)
Benfica: Vlachodimos, Bah (93' Moraes Junior), Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo, Florentino (86' Rafa Silva), Chiquinho, Mario (92' Neves), Neres (73' Musa), Aursnes, Guedes (73' Draxler).
Goals: 35' Joao Mario (1-0), 43' Joao Mario (2-0), 71' Alexander Bah (3-0).