Lisbon’s response to the setback in the O Clássico arrived with a controlled 2-0 home victory over Vitória de Guimarães, sending Benfica back into second place in Portugal’s Primeira Liga.
Beaten 3-1 by Porto before the international break, Benfica returned with clear urgency for the eighth round. Their first-half pressure kept Vitória pinned back and produced the opening goal after 24 minutes, when Swedish defender Samuel Dahl finished a move involving Greece forward Vangelis Pavlidis.
The hosts were less forceful after the interval, allowing the visitors from Guimarães to spend more time in advanced areas. Vitória, however, did not create a genuine threat to Benfica’s goal.
Sudakov seals Benfica’s return to winning ways
The result remained in the balance until the 75th minute, when Georgiy Sudakov scored his first goal of the campaign. The Ukrainian midfielder completed a move built down the left by Gianluca Prestianni, whose pass found Claudio Echeverri before the Argentine supplied Sudakov for a low finish.
The win takes Benfica to 19 points and restores them to second in the table. Porto, the reigning champions and current leaders, are five points ahead, while Sporting sit third, one point behind Benfica.
