Benfica finally have a home win to show for their Women's Champions League campaign. The Portuguese champions beat Austria Wien 3-1 in Lisbon on Thursday night, a first home victory in the competition since December 2023 that lifts them to ninth in the league phase on six points.
It took only five minutes to settle any nerves. Andreia Norton swept home the opener, assisted by Nycole Raysla, and Benfica looked in control — even if, as UEFA reported, it was Austria Wien who carved out the better chances for the rest of the first half without finding a way past Lena Pauels.
Wien fight back, then Moller decides it
The visitors' pressure finally told early in the second half. Visiting captain Carina Wenninger converted a penalty on 53 minutes to level at 1-1, after Pauels had fouled Valentina Potzl and been shown a yellow card, and for a spell the game was genuinely in the balance.
The turning point came from the bench. Nigeria forward Flourish Sabastine, introduced on 69 minutes, was fouled by Austria Wien goalkeeper Jasmin Pal four minutes later — and Pal was shown a straight red card. Against ten players, Benfica struck almost immediately: Caroline Moller headed home on 76 minutes from a Norton corner to restore the lead, then turned provider deep into added time, setting up Nycole Raysla for a left-footed finish on 90+3 minutes that sealed the points, as Sky Sports recorded. Moller, a goal and an assist, was named player of the match.
What this means for the league phase
Six points from four matches puts Benfica ninth — inside the play-off places and within reach of the teams chasing the automatic quarter-final spots. On the same night, holders Barcelona were held by Arsenal at Camp Nou in the other Thursday fixture covered in our Barcelona report, while OL Lyonnes had already sealed qualification with their 6-0 win at Juventus earlier in the week.
For Austria Wien, the maths is now brutal: bottom of the league phase on a single point, they almost certainly need to win both remaining fixtures to have any play-off hope at all. Benfica, by contrast, go into matchday five knowing a win would put knockout football firmly in their own hands.
Beyond the Final Whistle: This is the kind of night Benfica's European project has been promising and not quite delivering — a fast start, a wobble, and then the composure to finish the job, with a Nigerian substitute changing the game and Moller, the best player on the pitch, settling it. A first home win since December 2023 is more than a statistic; it is proof this squad can close games in Europe.
Can Benfica turn ninth place into a knockout spot, or will the play-off round be their ceiling this season? Let us know in the comments.
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