Benfica beat Telecable to reach the Women’s Champions League by Azemad final

SL Benfica are the first team to qualify for the Women’s Champions League final, which takes place in Coimbra at the same time as the men’s final. The Eagles managed the game well and secured a convincing victory that bodes well for a grand final this Sunday, the 10th.

An intense and closely contested match from the very start, with Benfica and Telecable looking for goals but also maintaining defensive discipline, striving not to make mistakes. The Spanish side managed more direct attacks during the first half, whilst Benfica passed the ball around more, stretching their attacks. It was, therefore, a well-contested and evenly matched first half, so the draw was a fair result at the break, although neither side had managed to find the net. The goals came shortly after the restart, first for the Gijón side, with Nuria Obeso surprising Maria Vieira with a shot from the right flank; then Leonor Coelho successfully converted a powerful shot from Blackman, from outside the box, to restore parity once again. Benfica had more possession, but the Spanish side closed down the space, defended well and attacked with greater precision. Until Leonor Coelho, with a shot from mid-range, found the top right corner of Veronica Caretta’s goal and celebrated the Eagles’ second goal. The game was becoming frantic and emotional, with Telecable upping the intensity, although Benfica were in control and also had a few attacks that could have resulted in a goal. Nuria Obeso tried her luck with a long-range shot again and was successful once more, beating Maria Vieira for the second time and levelling the score once again. But Benfica captain Marlene Sousa was not about to miss the chance to reach another Champions League final and, with a beautifully struck shot from outside the box, beat Caretta to put Benfica back in front. The goal lifted the Eagles’ spirits, and they were playing the better rink hockey at this stage. The lead was further justified when Aimée Blackman delivered the two fatal and final blows, first with a goal following a powerful shot, then from a direct free-kick to punish the Spanish side’s 10th foul. Benfica, who are looking to repeat their 2015 European triumph, are back in the Champions League final. What they said: Paulo Almeida, SL Benfica coach “The strategy was to take the ball off Gijón, because without the ball they start to get flustered. The first half saw both teams sizing each other up, afraid to make a mistake. Then came the goal that broke the deadlock; we never lost our heads, the game opened up and we remained focused throughout, scoring our goals. It was a great game; I’m very happy and I have to congratulate my players because they played brilliantly. I’d also like to wish the men’s team the best of luck; it would be fantastic for both teams to reach the final of a European league, and even more so if both managed to win.” Natasha Lee, Gijón HC coach “We didn’t play well; we didn’t show our usual hockey, even though we started well and took the lead, but Benfica’s goals always came very quickly… I’m disappointed… Benfica played very well, but I believe the result penalises us for the mistakes we made. We came here full of hope, but we weren’t up to the standard of a semi-final. We have to learn from our mistakes; we let Benfica dictate the game, we had plenty of chances and failed to score, we’ve been dealt a blow, but we have to keep our heads up.” SL Benfica, 5 – Telecable HC, 2 Match 1 – WSE Champions League Women Final Four 2025/2025 semi-finals Friday, 8 May 2026, 7.00 pm, Dr. Mário Mexia Multisport Pavilion Referees: Joseph Silecchia (Ita), Francesco Stallone (Ita) and Marco Rondina (Ita) SL Benfica – Maria Vieira; Marlene Sousa (c), Aimée Blackman, Maria Sofia Silva and Raquel Santos Substitutes – Lili Buchoux, Sofia Moncóvio, Sara Roces, Leonor Coelho, Inês Severino Manager: Paulo Almeida Gijon HC – Veronica Caretta; Marta Piquero (c), Mariona Colomer, Ana Catarina and Maria Igualada Substitutes – Aine Pérez, Ainara Anido, Nuria Obeso, Ángela Férnandez, Laia Juan Manager: Nastasha Lee Goals: 0-1 by Nuria Obeso (29’); 1-1 by Leonor Coelho (30’); 2-1 by Leonor Coelho (36’); 2-2 by Nuria Obeso; 3-2 by Marlene Sousa (44’); 4-2 by Aimée Blackman (47); 5-2 by Aimée Blackman (48) At half-time: 0-0 WSE Champions League Men– Final Eight Semi-finals Saturday, 8 May 12:00 – FC Porto (POR) vs OC Barcelos (POR)  – RTP 2 + DAZN 4 | Press kit 16:00 – SL Benfica (POR) vs Barça (ESP)  – RTP 2 + DAZN 5 + Tv3 Catalunya | Press kit Final Sunday, 10 May 18:00 – Winner of Match 5 vs Winner of Match 6 WSE Champions League Women – Final Four Semi-finals Friday, 8 May 19:00 – SL Benfica (POR) vs Telecable Gijón HC (ESP) = 5-2 21:30 – CP Vila-Sana Coop d’Ivars (ESP) vs CP Esneca Fraga (ESP) – RTP Play + DAZN 4 + TV3 Catalonia Final Sunday, 10 May 12:00 – SL Benfica (POR) vs Winner Match 2