MX23RW : Sunday, February 2 13:15:05| >> :120:49529:49529:
[monks data]
Benfica
Champions League | Group Stage
Dec 9, 2014 at 7.45pm UK
 
Leverkusen logo

0-0

FT

Bayer Leverkusen finish second after Benfica draw

Bayer Leverkusen finish second in Group C after drawing their Champions League clash with Benfica.

Bayer Leverkusen have lost top spot in Group C after being held in their Champions League encounter with Benfica.

The Bundesliga club were beaten to first place by Monaco, who defeated Zenit St Petersburg 2-0 in France.

Benfica's Dutch midfielder Ola John (C) vies with Leverkusen's defender Roberto Hilbert (L) and midfielder Karim Bellarabi during the UEFA Champions League football match on December 9, 2014© Getty Images

Bayer tried to make a fast start through Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu, but his shot was met by a crucial block by the hosts' backline.

Benfica, who were knocked out of the competition before the final round of fixtures, tried to show adventure in attack and were nearly rewarded as Ola John saw his early effort saved before having another strike blocked.

Calhanoglu looked to give the Bundesliga side an advantage on 18 minutes with a free kick on the edge of the box, but his effort was wayward.

Roger Schmidt's side tried to force the issue as Simon Rolfes played in Roberto Hilbert, but the Bayer defender dragged his effort wide of the post.

Leverkusen struggled to force a decisive goal and could have conceded a late winner when Anderson Talisca's strike needed a strong hand from Bernd Leno.

Karim Bellarabi tried willfully to earn the visitors a dramatic winner, but his effort was turned away by Artur.

Bayer's frustrating evening was made worse when Omer Toprak was dismissed in stoppage time for a second bookable offence as the German club were forced to settle for second spot.

ID:192777: cacheID:192777:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:3813:
Written by
Chris O'Keefe
No Data Analysis info
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Benfica's Dutch midfielder Ola John (C) vies with Leverkusen's defender Roberto Hilbert (L) and midfielder Karim Bellarabi during the UEFA Champions League football match on December 9, 2014
Read Next:
Half-Time Report: Bayer level with Benfica
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS

League Phase

TeamPWDLPTS
QLiverpool870121
QInter Milan861119
QBarcelona861119
QArsenal861119
QAtletico860218
QB. Leverkusen851216
QAston Villa851216
QLille851216
9Real Madrid850315
10AC Milan850315
11Atalanta843115
12Dortmund850315
13Bayern850315
14PSV842214
15Benfica841313
16Feyenoord841313
17PSG841313
18Monaco841313
19Brest841313
20Juventus833212
21Celtic833212
22Man City832311
23Sporting Lisbon832311
24Brugge832311
25Dinamo Zagreb832311
26Stuttgart831410
27Shakhtar82157
28Bologna81346
29Red Star82066
30Sturm Graz82066
31Sparta Prague81164
32RB Leipzig81073
33Girona81073
34Salzburg81073
35Slovan Bratislava80080
36Young Boys80080


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!