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UEFA Champions League: Benfica beat Lille thanks to injury-time winner [Thu Sep 15th, 2005]
Lisbon (Reuters) - An injury-time goal by striker Fabrizio Miccoli gave Benfica a 1-0 win over Lille in UEFA Champions League Group D, to give the Lisbon team a big boost after their worst domestic start ever.
Miccoli, who joined the Lisbon club two weeks ago on loan from Juventus, headed home a cross from the left by substitute Pedro Mantorras two minutes into injury time.
"It was a good goal, really difficult," the Italian international said.
The win was a welcome boost for Benfica, the defending Portuguese league champions. The side are close to the bottom of the table with just one point and one goal from their opening three matches of the sesason.
Dutch manager Ronald Koeman abandoned his system of three central defenders and went back to the 4-4-2 scheme that Benfica used in winning the title last season.
"This is a good start to the Champions League. We're going to have more confidence," Koeman said.
"I think in the second half we had more control of the game, we created opportunities by sending four, five players up front. I believe because of that we won the game."
Benfica kept pressure on the French team, but some spectacular saves by Senegalese goalkeeper Tony Sylva kept the home side at bay until Miccoli scored as many of the 32,000 spectators at the Stadium of Light were leaving.
Lille, who qualified for Europe's elite competition by surprisingly finishing runners-up to Olympique Lyon in Ligue 1 last season, played their usual counter-attacking game.
The visitors had their best chance after 25 minutes when striker Matt Moussilou failed to tap in a cross from the left by Daniel Gygax.
Lille coach Claude Puel said afterwards: "We folded in stoppage time with the lot of accumulated fatigue and I've got nothing to reproach my players for. It was a good match in which to learn before moving on.
"We were really close to getting a point. Before we began this competition, we were the little guys. Tonight we showed we are capable of doing something."
Lille midfielder Matthieu Bodmer added: "That's the worst scenario. We thought we could take a point here and in the end we're leaving with none. But we've still got matches to play and we learnt a lot tonight. We weren't used to matches like this."
Benfica, trophy winners in 1961 and 1962, returned to the group phase of the tournament after a seven-year absence. They have not been beaten at home in European tournaments since 1999.
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