Benfica late show snatches quarter-final slot at Zenit

Zenit 1-2 Benfica (agg: 1-3)

The tie was heading for extra time when Nicolás Gaitán headed in a decisive equaliser, Talisca's 96th-minute winner adding insult to Zenit injury.

 

• Nicolás Gaitán strikes five minutes from time to decide the tie
• Benfica through to the quarter-finals for the first time since 2012
• The Portuguese side have won 15 of their last 16 games
• Hulk's 69th-minute header briefly levels matters on aggregate
• Quarter-final draw at 12.00CET on 18 March in Nyon

Nicolás Gaitán nodded in the rebound after a fantastic effort from Raúl Jiménez five minutes from time as Benfica booked a return to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of hosts Zenit.
The round of 16 tie was set for extra time after Hulk's header cancelled out the first-leg deficit, with Artem Dzyuba almost grabbing a second for André Villas-Boas's men following a mazy run, being denied by the excellent Ederson.
Instead Raúl turned his marker and unleashed a shot that Yuri Lodygin did well to tip onto the bar. Benfica captain Gaitán was on hand to turn the ball in and six minutes into added time Talisca rubbed salt into Zenit wounds.