Champions League: Benfica Achieves Away Victory Against Nice While Fenerbahce Faces Late Loss To Feyenoord

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Benfica secured a significant advantage in their Champions League qualifier by defeating Nice 2-0 away. Franjo Ivanovic and Florentino scored in the second half, giving Bruno Lage's team a two-goal cushion for the return leg. Despite Nice goalkeeper Yehvann Diouf's three crucial saves in the first half, Benfica broke through after halftime.

Ivanovic capitalised on Fredrik Aursnes' cross to score in the 53rd minute. Florentino then sealed the win with a powerful long-range shot five minutes before full-time. Nice attempted to respond, with Terem Moffi leading their attack, but they couldn't find the net. Benfica's dominance was reflected in their expected goals (xG) of 1.87 compared to Nice's 0.67.

In another match, Fenerbahce faced a late setback against Feyenoord. Anis Hadj Moussa scored a last-minute winner for Robin van Persie's team after Sofyan Amrabat had equalised for Fenerbahce in the 86th minute. Quinten Timber initially put Feyenoord ahead with a deflected shot past Irfan Can Egribayat.

The match was closely contested, with Fenerbahce slightly edging Feyenoord on xG at 0.8 to 0.78. Amrabat's goal seemed to secure a draw until Moussa headed home from Jordan Bos' cross, securing victory for Feyenoord despite Jhon Duran's late chance for Fenerbahce.

Impactful Performances from New Signings

This summer, Ivanovic joined Benfica from Union SG in Belgium and has quickly made an impact in the Champions League. He led his team with ten touches in the box, four shots inside it, two on target, and shared the most duels won (seven). Meanwhile, Tsuyoshi Watanabe has also impressed since joining Feyenoord.

Watanabe completed fifty passes and won ten duels for his new team. He also achieved ten final third entries and made seven clearances, showcasing his defensive capabilities early on.

The results set up intriguing second-leg encounters as both Benfica and Feyenoord look to build on their first-leg performances.