Tottenham Hotspur 1 Benfica 3

In the end this was another reminder to Tim Sherwood of just how brutal life can feel among the elite. Benfica did not provoke in Tottenham Hotspur the same capitulation as that endured on their visit to Chelsea on Saturday, but they still stamped such authority on this last-16 tie to render the task of mounting a recovery in next week’s return in Portugal feeling something akin to an impossible job.

This was an evening when quality told, Spurs’ industry and commitment very evident but their quality eclipsed by that on show from the visitors. Sherwood would presumably accept that some opponents are simply better, a repeat of his very public dressing down of his players at the weekend hardly required here despite a first reverse in 12 European games at White Hart Lane. The Europa League jaunt may be drawing to a close.

In the context of recent traumas, this had always felt a daunting tie. Benfica, beaten by Chelsea in stoppage time at the end of last season’s final at the Amsterdam Arena, arrived comfortably top of the Portuguese top flight and, more worryingly, have been steamrolling all-comers over recent months. Jorge Jesus’s side had won 18 of their previous 20 fixtures in all competitions, and not tasted defeat since Olympiakos beat them in a Champions League group fixture back on Bonfire Night. Lengthy, heated team meetings are all well and good in terms of steeling resolve for the challenges ahead, but the fear in the buildup here was the Portuguese would simply have too much quality for Spurs to exorcise the memories of Saturday.

Certainly, when Benfica were allowed time on the ball, their quality was clear. In Lazar Markovic, the 20-year-old Serbian international coveted by Chelsea, they boast a rapid runner who galloped menacingly upfield on the counterattack, invariably with Rodrigo and Miralem Sulejmani in support. The hosts were never more vulnerable than when they surrendered possession on the edge of the Benfica penalty area with Tottenham players committed to attack. There had been mild scares already, Sandro forced into a foul to deny one break at the expense of a booking, but for all the home side’s attempts to stay strong, they were breached before the half-hour.

The opportunity was Benfica’s first clear sight of goal, Spurs opened up ruthlessly by Rúben Amorim’s pass through the middle for Rodrigo, ghosting in behind Kyle Naughton and inside Jan Vertonghen, to collect at pace. The Spaniard’s first touch was assured, the former Bolton loanee opening up his body to curl a left-footed shot gloriously across Hugo Lloris and into the corner of the net. Jesus, an anxious figure in the technical area, broke away from his regular squabbles with Sherwood to dance a little jig of delight on the spot. “The way it’s going,” tweeted Gary Lineker, “Tim Sherwood may need to rely on those he doesn’t feel he can rely on.” The former Tottenham striker has made a habit of questioning the current head coach’s approach in recent weeks.

There was grumbling discontent at the break, Spurs having failed to dent compact opponents with Christian Eriksen peripheral and becalmed and their midfield flustered and overworked. The visitors’ back-line had been vaguely discomforted when diagonal passes were pumped towards Harry Kane and Emmanuel Adebayor, the front players competing ruggedly against Ezequiel Garay and the man-mountain Luisão. Yet only once had Aaron Lennon wriggled to the byline beyond Guilherme Siqueira to clip a cross into the six-yard box, Garay stretching his neck muscles to intercept before Adebayor could connect in front of goal.

The Togolese was better placed just after the restart, when Spurs appeared more urgent in pursuit of parity, with Eriksen’s dribble and pass finding the striker in space and played onside by Luisão. Yet the finish was weak, dragged across goal to dribble wide of the far post as Jan Oblak dived, and the majority in the arena groaned their disapproval. There was more energy to the Tottenham display, driving forward with more regularity and their manager urging them on from the sidelines, but they still yearned for accurate creation and bite as they swarmed into enemy territory.

Those qualities were demonstrated more regularly by the visitors. Kane’s mistake, losing possession to Amorim, handed back the initiative with the midfielder exchanging passes with Oscar Cardozo before forcing Lloris into a fine fingertip save as he spat a shot goalwards form outside the area. Spurs breathed again but, from the same midfielder’s corner, Luisão was ignored, easing off Younès Kaboul, to nod down and in. Sherwood puffed his cheeks and slumped back on to his chair in the dugout.

The tie already felt irretrievable, the away goals so critical, even if hope flared almost immediately as Benfica momentarily lost their discipline on the edge of the area and conceded a free-kick which Eriksen whipped viciously over the wall and beyond Oblak. Yet that was the extent of the revival and Luisão scored a second, following up after Lloris parried a header. Spurs will have to conjure something remarkable at the Estádio da Luz next week if their European campaign is to be prolonged.

Guardian Service

TOTTENHAM: Lloris, Walker (Rose 76), Kaboul, Vertonghen, Naughton, Lennon, Paulinho, Sandro (Bentaleb 82), Eriksen, Adebayor, Kane (Soldado 75). Subs not used: Friedel, Townsend, Chadli, Fryers. Booked: Sandro, Vertonghen.
BENFICA: Benfica: Oblak, Silvio, Luisao, Garay, Siqueira, Fejsa, Ruben Amorim, Sulejmani (Perez 66), Rodrigo (Lima 87), Cardozo (Gaitan 65), Markovic. Subs not used: Artur Moraes, Djuricic, Jardel, Andre Almeida. Booked: Silvio, Ruben Amorim.
Referee: Jonas Eriksson (Sweden).
Attendance: 35, 000