Benfica Secures 1-0 Victory Over 10-Man Monaco in Champions League Playoff

Vangelis Pavlidis' decisive goal and Al-Musrati's red card leave Monaco facing a challenging second leg in Lisbon.

Vangelis Pavlidis scored in the 48th minute, marking his sixth goal in this season's Champions League, to secure Benfica's win in the first leg of the playoff.
Monaco's Moatasem al-Musrati was sent off in the 52nd minute after receiving a second yellow card for dissent, further complicating his team's comeback efforts.
Monaco will also be without captain Denis Zakaria in the second leg due to suspension, adding to their challenges in overturning the deficit.
The return leg is set for Tuesday at Benfica's Estadio da Luz, with the winner advancing to face either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last 16.
Benfica remains unbeaten against Monaco in European competitions, having also defeated them 3-2 in the group stage last November.