Benfica's Dramatic Late Win in Madeira Boosts Title Quest

Benfica supporters who switched off their televisions in frustration midway through the second half woke up to a pleasant surprise: their visit to Choupana ended with a high-octane 2-1 comeback, keeping the Lisbon side welded to the Primeira Liga title chase and extending Roger Schmidt’s unbeaten run in domestic competition. The result hinged on two late strikes, but the evening offered a fuller story of territorial dominance, wasted chances and the psychological grip that a hostile hillside stadium can exert on any heavyweight.

Late Drama on the Madeira SlopeFor more than an hour the Estádio da Madeira resembled a trap. Despite near-constant pressure, the visitors were stunned on the hour mark when Jesús Ramírez threaded a low shot past stranded goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin, capitalising on a rare lapse by the otherwise tidy pairing of Otamendi and Morato. The cheers of the home crowd were still echoing when Schmidt shuffled his deck, pushing Andreas Schjelderup into a roaming role and unleashing teenager Gianluca Prestianni down the right. Those adjustments flipped the script. At 88 minutes Prestianni cannoned an angled drive beyond Kaique to level, and deep into stoppage time Schjelderup bent a pass behind the tiring Nacional back line for Evangelos Pavlidis to slide home the winner. In one breath the stadium went from volcanic to silent, the visitors from anxious to euphoric, the island slope from fortress to footnote.

Tactical Threads and Telling NumbersThe scoreboard hides the volume of Benfica’s initiative. The visitors commanded roughly 70% possession, sprayed 21 attempted shots and forced 11 corners, while Nacional were limited to isolated counters and just 2 efforts on target. Still, the Madeirans made every transition count, harrying João Neves in midfield and daring the Eagles to find a way through an organised low block. Schmidt’s response was to overload the flanks, using David Jurásek as an auxiliary winger and asking Fredrik Aursnes to tuck inside as a third play-maker. That pattern yielded territorial supremacy but no breakthrough until the late substitutions injected fresh pace. Crucially, neither of Benfica’s goals arrived from set-pieces, underscoring how relentless circulation rather than dead-ball prowess ultimately broke Nacional’s resistance.

Schmidt’s Verdict and Machado’s Resignation to FateRoger Schmidt emerged from the tunnel sounding more relieved than triumphant. He insisted the victory was “dramatic yet fully deserved,” praised the “extraordinary mental strength” of his squad and admitted that, in defeat, he would have spared them public criticism. Still, he could not resist lamenting an unwhistled penalty on Arthur Cabral shortly after the interval. Across the corridor, Manuel Machado offered a curt summary: once Pavlidis scored, “the match has no more story.” His side have now gone four league fixtures without a win, and the veteran coach hinted that January reinforcements may be required if the Alvinegros are to avoid being sucked toward the relegation places.

Implications for a Crowded SummitThe three points pull Benfica level with Sporting on 28, albeit still three behind leaders FC Porto, all while maintaining a game in hand over the Dragões. With the Lisbon derby looming and a Champions League fixture against Leverkusen wedged between, Schmidt must navigate workload management without forfeiting domestic momentum. Nacional, parked in the lower half with eleven points, face a daunting holiday stretch that includes away trips to Braga and Famalicão; Machado openly admitted that the Madeiran outfit “cannot keep conceding late” if it hopes to steer clear of the drop zone. Title races are rarely decided on windswept evenings in November, yet history may recall these dying-minute goals on the island as a catalytic moment in Benfica’s campaign.

Looking Down the RoadFor supporters on mainland Portugal planning festive travel, the next chance to see the Eagles up close arrives when they host Estrela da Amadora at Luz. Schmidt is expected to continue rotating young talents such as Prestianni, Schjelderup and João Tomé, banking on their spontaneity to offset fatigue. Meanwhile, Nacional return to the Choupana with bruised pride but an otherwise encouraging defensive structure; if they can replicate Saturday’s discipline for a full ninety, survival remains attainable. What the match ultimately reaffirmed is that in the Primeira Liga, dominance alone does not guarantee comfort, and no advantage is ever safe until the referee’s final whistle echoes across the Atlantic breeze.