Benfica secured a thrilling 3-3 draw against Monaco on Tuesday, advancing to the Champions League last 16 with a 4-3 aggregate win in their play-off round clash.
Monaco twice took the lead on the night and came agonizingly close to forcing extra time, but Orkun Kökçü’s 84th-minute equaliser proved crucial, allowing Benfica to edge through in Lisbon. They now await either Barcelona or Liverpool in the next round.
Kerem Aktürkoğlu gave the hosts the lead against the run of play, but Monaco responded with Takumi Minamino’s equalizer in the 32nd minute. Eliesse Ben Seghir put the visitors ahead, only for Vangelis Pavlidis to convert a penalty and level the score.
In the 81st minute, French youngster George Ilenikhena gave Monaco the lead once again, but Kökçü quickly struck back to ensure Benfica’s progress to the next stage.
