Hapoel beat Benfica

Almost all the pressure at the Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv came from Benfica, but they became victims of a shock Group B smash and grab operation from manager Eli Gutman’s inspired team.

Benfica could point to two dubious decisions from Luxembourg referee Alain Hamer in the first half, denying them a ‘goal’ through offside and a possible penalty after David Luiz was fouled by Dedi Ben Dayan – who was even booked for the incident.

But the visitors also failed to convert any one of a host of good chances, with Brazilian striker Alan Kardec the worst culprit with a first-half miss, and then a horribly wayward second-half header when it looked easier to score.

And striker Zahavi was the man who wrote himself into Tel Aviv folklore with a goal in each half, sandwiching another from defender Da Silva to leave Benfica and manager Jorge Jesus shattered.

Hapoel Tel Aviv lost the first game against Benfica 2-0, but after claiming their first ever point in the competition against Schalke were hoping to do even better in Israel.

Already with no hope of progressing into the last 16 and knockout stages, they did still retain at kick-off a faint hope of snatching a Europa League place.

For Benfica, two wins from their final two games and they would definitely be in the last 16 for the first time in five years, whatever happened elsewhere.

Anything less than victory in Tel Aviv and the mathematics looked more complicated, but the Portuguese sprang out of the traps seeking an early goal.

Argentinian Pablo Aimar, part of Benfica’s all-South American front three, twice found Brazilian Luisao with free-kicks but the visitors could not capitalise.

Javier Saviola and Nicolas Gaitan tried their luck from distance, but in no way troubled Hapoel’s Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.

The Benfica pressure hardly wavered, although Hapoel captain Gil Vermouth did have one good shot that skidded just wide of Roberto’s right-hand post.

News filtering through that Schalke were leading against Lyon should have been a wake-up call for Benfica. Instead, Hapoel grabbed a shock lead.

A routine-looking free-kick from the right taken by Shay Abutbul should have been meat and drink for the Benfica defence.

But Zahavi rose highest, and deserved the small bit of fortune he got with a deflection of the head of defender Luiz as the ball flashed past Roberto.

Brazilian striker Kardec squandered an excellent chance to equalise, and Benfica were on the wrong end of two huge refereeing decisions before the break.

First a Saviola ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside after a flowing move involving Gaitan and Kardec.

And then what appeared a foul by Ben Dayan on Luiz in the area waiting for a corner saw him receive a yellow card, but no penalty awarded to Benfica.

Jesus threw on Oscar Cardozo, just back from a knee ligament injury, at the break for Saviola in a bid to boost his uninspired team.

But he could not shine with an early free-kick, and he was then denied by a wonderful tackle from South African Bevan Fransman as he was set to shoot.

Kardec incredibly headed wide with the goal gaping after good work by Maxi Pereira down the right as the Benfica nightmare deepened.

And Benfica paid dearly for that miss, as from Hapoel’s first corner after 74 minutes Brazilian defender Da Silva bundled the ball in from close range.

Zahavi provided the piece de resistance in injury time to send the crowd wild and Benfica slinking away into the night.