Benfica ease past Club Brugge

LISBON, Portugal (AP):

Benfica made it look easy again.

The Portuguese team continued its good run with a comfortable 5-1 win over Club Brugge yesterday to seal its spot in the quarterfinals of the Champions League for the second straight season.

Benfica advanced 7-1 on aggregate following its 2-0 win in the first leg in Belgium.

Rafa Silva, Joao Mario and David Neres scored a goal each, and Goncalo Ramos found the net twice for Benfica, who had not made it to the last eight in consecutive seasons in more than five decades. They were eliminated by eventual runners-up Liverpool last year.

"The team has been working hard and things have been going well for us," Silva said.

Brugge, making their debut in the knockout stage of the Champions League, plunged deeper into crisis under coach Scott Parker. The team has won only twice in 12 matches since the English manager took over in December.

Parker admitted his job was in jeopardy after the "humbling defeat."

"For me it's been challenging, but the players have been brilliant and wanting to do everything they can to turn this around," he said. "I understand people now doubt (me), I'm not naive enough to not (think that). All I can say is that I'm trying to turn this around and create a team that will start winning again."

The Belgian champions were one of the surprises of the group stage, finishing second to Porto and ahead of Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid.

Benfica were another surprise after finishing first in a group that included Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. They entered the knockout stage in great form, enjoying a 12-game unbeaten run in all competitions with 10 wins in those matches. They have lost only once in 42 matches this season and are unbeaten in their 19 homes games.

Benfica were in control from the start at the Stadium of Light, with Silva opened the scoring from inside the area in the 38th minute. Ramos added to the lead with close-range goals in first-half stoppage time and early after halftime, becoming the youngest Portuguese player,at age 21, to score twice in a match in the knockout stage. Mario scored the fourth by converting a 71st-minute penalty kick, and David Neres closed the scoring for the hosts from the box in the 77th.