VAR Drama Turns Benfica's 2-Goal Lead into Casa Pia Stunner

Benfica supporters left Estádio da Luz with a cocktail of disbelief and anger. Their side appeared to be cruising at 2-0 midway through the second half thanks to goals from Rafa Silva and João Mário, yet the scoreboard eventually froze at 2-2. A late equaliser and, above all, a debatable penalty call allowed a resilient Casa Pia to steal a point, a twist that reshapes the early narrative of this Liga Betclic season and rekindles concerns about the Eagles’ ability to manage leads.

A night that slipped away at Luz

For close to an hour, Benfica delivered the dominance the crowd had come to expect: quick one-touch combinations, constant pressure and, after Mário converted a 27th-minute spot-kick and Rafa drilled home just before the break, a seemingly comfortable cushion. The stadium’s new light show flashed red as the ball hit the net for the second time, signalling what looked like another routine home victory in Lisbon. Five minutes after the restart, however, reality intruded. An own goal by youngster Tomás Araújo, turned in after goalkeeper Ricardo Batista parried a penalty off the post, halved the deficit. When substitute Clayton rose highest to head home in the 90+2 minute, the roar that once belonged to the hosts was replaced by stunned silence. Two-goal advantages are beginning to look fragile in this corner of the capital.

Controversial penalty rekindles the VAR debate

Referee Gustavo Correia pointed to the spot after the ball brushed António Silva’s torso and then struck his arm at close range. The defender argued his limb was in what the law calls a “natural position”. The video assistant referee (VAR), after a brief check, chose not to intervene. Benfica president Rui Costa later told BTV that episodes like this “feed an illness afflicting Portuguese football”, while head coach Roger Schmidt called the decision “very harsh” but stopped short of accusing the officials of bias. Across the city, pundits once again questioned whether Portugal’s VAR protocols provide the clarity promised when the technology was introduced. The Portuguese Football Federation has yet to announce whether the footage will be made public, a silence that only fuels suspicion.

Old habits resurface: Benfica and the two-goal curse

Wednesday’s collapse was the second time in as many months that Benfica have let a two-goal margin slip at home; they surrendered a 3-0 lead to Inter in November’s Champions League encounter, which also ended 3-3. A similar meltdown occurred against Portimonense in 2020. Coaches change and line-ups evolve, but the statistics suggest a recurring lapse in concentration once the margin feels safe. Sports psychologist Inês Gonçalves told RTP that a side built to dominate finds it harder “to recalibrate its tempo when protecting an advantage”. The issue is not merely academic; Benfica have already dropped five points from winning positions this term, equalling last season’s total.

Title-race arithmetic shifts again

The draw leaves Benfica third on 34 points, six behind leaders FC Porto and three adrift of Sporting. The calendar offers no respite: a derby with Sporting looms in a fortnight, followed by December trips to Braga and a crucial Champions League tie in Turin. The Eagles have little margin left if they wish to reach Christmas still within striking distance. Conversely, Casa Pia, now fifteenth, treasure every point; survival often hinges on nights like this. Coach Filipe Martins described the result as “proof that belief can trump budgets”.

Fractured dressing rooms speak out

Inside the tunnel, emotions diverged. João Mário admitted the team “switched off after the second goal”, while goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin insisted “no side should need a referee’s help to defend a lead”. Casa Pia’s match-winner Clayton, a 25-year-old Brazilian winger, called it “the biggest moment of my career” and dedicated the goal to his family watching in Goiás. Meanwhile, veteran defender Nicolás Otamendi urged team-mates to “remember how long a match lasts” before marching past reporters.

What lies ahead for the Eagles and the Gansos

At the Seixal training complex, Schmidt is expected to drill defensive restarts and late-game concentration. The medical staff will monitor Ángel Di María, who limped off with muscle tightness, although early assessments suggest only precaution. Casa Pia, buoyed by their point, prepare for a relegation six-pointer against Chaves. Portuguese television audiences are likely to tune in; the underdogs’ resilience has become one of the league’s most compelling subplots. For Benfica, every fixture now doubles as a credibility test. Another slip, and the title chase could become a procession they can only watch from afar.