Scott Parker’s Champions League debut as manager of Belgian champions Club Brugge ended on a bad note as Benfica got a two-nil advantage in the first-leg tie.
Joao Mario scored a penalty despite his shot being pushed on to the underside of the bar by Simon Mignolet after Jack Hendry tripped Goncalo Ramos in the area with David Neres doubling the visitors’ lead late on after a defensive error with Benfica’s 18th Champions League goal this season.
Parker, who took charge of Club Brugge in December, now faces an uphill task to guide his side into the quarter-finals having won only one of his eight games in charge.
The second leg of the last-16 tie takes place in Lisbon on 7 March.
Club Brugge are making their debut in the Champions League knockouts and were outclassed by the Portuguese side, who topped Group H ahead of Paris St-Germain and Juventus.