Portuguese side Benfica prevailed over Belgian club Brugge in the opening leg of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, a continental clash that set the stage for a compelling return scheduled a few weeks later. The game unfolded in Bruges on February 15, with the Portuguese outfit taking a 2-0 win back to Portugal. The decisive first goal arrived from the penalty spot when Joao Mario converted in the 51st minute, followed by a late strike from Brazilian forward David Neres in the 88th minute that sealed the result for the visitors.
The second leg is slated for March 7 in Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, with kickoff planned for 23:00 Moscow time. The aggregate standings will determine which side advances to the quarterfinals as the two-leg tie concludes in front of a home crowd for Benfica.
Meanwhile, the football governing bodies FIFA and UEFA have maintained a policy that excludes the Russian national team and all Russian clubs from participation in competitions under their control. This stance has left Russian clubs out of European tournaments, a decision that affected the 2022 season in European cups. With the exception of Zenit, Russian teams did not participate in any European Cup matches in 2022. Zenit Petersburg faced a 2-3 defeat to Real Betis in their Europa League round-of-16 tie on aggregate, while Spartak Moscow had to navigate a playoff round after advancing from the group stage, a path shaped by the evolving landscape of continental competition governance.
In related sports news, Vladislav Tretyak, who previously led the Russian Ice Hockey Federation, spoke on the passing of Mikhail Ovechkin, father of Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin, highlighting the personal connections that cross into broader athletic communities and the sense of loss felt across generations of athletes.