Late goals send Benfica into Champions League quarter-finals

Zenit St Petersburg 1 Benfica 2 (Benfica win 3-1 on agg)

Nicolas Gaitan and Anderson Talisca scored in the last five minutes to give Benfica a dramatic 2-1 win at Zenit St Petersburg on Wednesday which sent them into the Champions League quarter-finals.

Benfica, leading 1-0 from the first leg of the round of 16 tie and fielding a makeshift defence, fell behind in the 69th minute to a Zenit goal scored by Brazilian striker Hulk.

With Zenit pressing for a second, however, Benfica snatched an 85th-minute equaliser when Gaitan was first to react after Raul Jimenez’s long-range drive hit the bar and he headed in from the rebound.

Substitute Anderson Talisca scored with the last kick of the game to leave Zenit waiting for their first ever quarter-final place. Twice former European champions Benfica reached the last eight for the first time since 2012.