Their 29-year-old forward Patrik Schick came off the bench to grab the decisive goal, marking just his second Champions League strike in 29 appearances.
With both sides having failed to win any of their first three group games, Leverkusen came into Lisbon under pressure and left with their first three points, while Benfica remain pointless after four matches.
Benfica dominated early proceedings. They had more of the ball, more corners and even found the woodwork through Nicolas Otamendi, yet could not take a lead.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen’s striker remained quiet until the 65th minute, when his first shot was pushed away by keeper Anatoliy Trubin but a poor clearance from Benfica’s Samuel Dahl invited the rebound, which Schick headed home.
Schick reflected: “I knew when the chance fell I had to take it – we’ve battled to get off the mark in the group and this feels vital.”
Leverkusen coach Kasper Hjulmand praised his side’s resilience in his post-match comments, noting the youth of his squad: “Great respect to the team. We probably played with the youngest team in the Champions League today. Hats off to how the experienced players supported the younger ones.”
He will have been relieved to see his side hold firm after the breakthrough, given Benfica’s sustained pressure thereafter. The German club absorbed the wave of attacks and defended with discipline when it mattered.
By contrast, Benfica boss Jose Mourinho expressed deep frustration in his press conference, lamenting the missed opportunities and a costly defensive error: “The key moments were all the chances we created but couldn’t convert. We had 21 shots on goal. It hurts because a player who was playing brilliantly makes a mistake that leads to a goal.
“The defeat hurts, but there is no going back. I told the players. ‘If we play this match again and it goes the same way: we score goals and out of ten we will win nine times’.” He added that Benfica deserved the win and still believed in qualification with points to play for.
For Leverkusen this win lifts them to three points from four group games, giving them a chance of advancement. Benfica remain at zero and facing a tough path ahead.
Going forward, Leverkusen will look to build on this result as they prepare for their next Champions League fixture away to Manchester City. Benfica, meanwhile, must arrest this alarming slide soon if they are to salvage their campaign.
