Everton 0-2 Benfica
Everton manager David Moyes: defeat again
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By Darren Plant. |  |
Thursday, 05, Nov 2009 09:55
By James Christie
Everton slumped to a second successive Europa League defeat against their Portuguese bogey side Benfica on a foggy floodlit fireworks night at Goodison Park.
Two second-half goals and a sparkling performance from the visitors thwarted the Toffees' ambitions to avenge the 5-0 thrashing they suffered when the teams met a fortnight ago.
Despite defeat on Guy Fawkes night, the Merseyside club's Europa ambitions are not up in smoke just yet as they remain in second place in Group I, two points clear of third-placed Bate Borisov.
With Portuguese World Cup legend Eusebio watching from the stands the Goodison crowd enjoyed a lively first half in which both sides engineered chances to score.
Just before the half-hour mark a shot disguised as a cross from Ayegbeni Yakubu seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before being tipped over the bar by Benfica keeper Julio Cesar.
And five minutes before half time, a flurry of Benfica action resulted in a glancing header from Nascimento Ramires hitting the left post, with Everton goalkeeper Tim Howard recovering superbly to keep out the fierce follow-up shot from Javier Saviola.
Eleven minutes into the second half a pass from the centre circle carved open the home defence but when flying winger Angel Di Maria hit the ball from inside the penalty area it sailed harmlessly over the bar.
Di Maria, who has been linked with a seven-figure move to Manchester United, did rather better a few minutes later when only Howard's fingertips prevented him from scoring from a position most players would only consider crossing from.
The Argentinean can also pass the ball. With 62 minutes on the clock he proved an able foil for Saviola as the Benfica danger men, outnumbered by blue shirts, played a one-two on the edge of the Everton penalty area. When Saviola applied the finishing touch it was 1-0 to Benfica.
Quick, short passing in the penalty area also proved to be Everton's undoing 15 minutes from time. With the ball being pinged about at pinball-pace Oscar Cardozo reacted quickly to a deflection to volley a first-time shot past Howard.
Everton could have had a late consolation goal had Cesar not made a smart save from Sylvain Distin's shot-on-the-turn and Diniyar Bilyaletdinov's fine long-range shot not swerved just wide.