Benfica comes back to beat ElPozo 3-2 as Sporting routs Étoile Lavalloise 5-1

Benfica comes back from two goals down

Benfica beat ElPozo Murcia 3-2 on Thursday, 29 October, at the Sporthal Jo Gerrishal in Roermond, Netherlands, in the second matchday of Group 4 in the main round of the Futsal Champions League. ElPozo led twice inside the first four minutes, with Ricardinho scoring in the second minute after a mistake by Silvestre Ferreira and Marcel Marques adding a second in the fourth. Benfica pulled one back when André Coelho scored in the 10th minute, and Cléber Souza levelled at 2-2 in the 17th, so the teams went into half-time level. Coelho completed the turnaround in the 25th minute, finishing a counterattack set up by Arthur. Arthur and Pany Varela returned from suspensions, having missed the 4-4 draw with HIT Kiev on Wednesday. In the closing minutes ElPozo played Marcel as an advanced goalkeeper, but Benfica's defence held.

Sporting wins in Croatia and secures qualification

Sporting beat Étoile Lavalloise 5-1 in Omis, Croatia, on the same day, a result that confirmed their place in the round of 16. Rúben Teixeira opened his account in the eighth minute from a pass by Felipe Valério, after Tomás Paçó had given the Lisbon side an early lead. Alex Merlim scored twice in the 12th and 13th minutes, sending the reigning European champion into half-time 4-0 up. Naoufel Aberkan pulled one back for the French side in the 25th minute, before Rúben Teixeira completed his brace in the 29th. Sporting have six points from two matches and top the group alone, while Étoile Lavalloise and Olmissum have one point each and Stalitsa Minsk has none. Sporting opened with a 5-1 win over Stalitsa Minsk on Wednesday and are seeking a fourth futsal Champions League title, after triumphs in 2018/19, 2020/21 and 2025/26.

Group standings and the knockout round

After two matchdays Benfica sit provisionally first in Group 4 with four points, ahead of ElPozo Murcia on three, HIT Kiev on one and the hosts Tigers Roermond on none.

Benfica4

ElPozo Murcia3

HIT Kiev1

Tigers Roermond0

Benfica

4 points

ElPozo Murcia

3 points

HIT Kiev

1 points

Tigers Roermond

0 points

Data from the article text

HIT Kiev play Tigers Roermond at 19:30 on Thursday, and a Ukrainian win would still leave Benfica at least third, a place the club has already secured according to the reporting. Benfica finish the main round on Saturday, 31 October, against Tigers Roermond. Benfica, winners of the competition in 2009/10, join Sporting among the qualified Portuguese sides. The round of 16 is played over two legs, on 23 November and 4 December, before the quarter-finals. The top two sides in each group will be seeded in the draw.