Benfica have beaten Kazakhstan side Astana 2-0 in their opening Champions League Group C game thanks to goals from Nicolas Gaitan and Konstantinos Mitroglou.
The home side began positively, with Brazil international Talisca looking to find the net from outside the box early on, only to see his attempt dealt with by visiting keeper Nenad Eric.
With five minutes gone, 18-year-old Benfica forward Goncalo Guedes saw his shot go wide of the left post, while full-back Eliseu followed suit 10 minutes later.
Foxi Kethevoama had a first glance of Benfica's goal from 35 yards, but his shot was too high to worry goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
The former Brazil international keeper was called into action just before the 20-minute mark, however, when Kethevoama's second attempt from outside the box was hit on target and required a save at the top right corner.
With 15 minutes to go until the break, Talisca saw another shot from range go wide before Baurzhan Dzolchiev came close for the visitors with an attempt slightly high and wide of the Benfica goal.
Jonas had his first attempt of the game with just one minute of time remaining before the break, but Eric did well to get down to the low shot as things finished level at half time.
Benfica went ahead five minutes into the second half when Gaitan drove into the Astana box and fired his team into the lead with a low shot.
Jonas had a right-footed attempt saved moments later, but Benfica went 2-0 up with 62 minutes on the clock thanks to Fuham loanee Mitroglou, who passed the ball into the back of Eric's net after some impressive wing play from Eliseu.
Abzal Beysebekov and Kethevoama again had half-chances to get Astana back into the game as things came to a close, but it ultimately finished a comfortable night for the Portuguese side.
Miles Jolliffe
