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There was little to split the sides at the Estadio da Luz, but Leverkusen’s substitute got the all-important goal to ensure it bounced back from its 7-2 drubbing to Paris Saint-Germain last time out.

Benfica, which remains without a Champions League win this season, started strongly, with Dodi Lukebakio striking the corner of the goal frame with a dink 11 minutes in.

The Belgian continued to cause problems but forced Mark Flekken into comfortable saves before Nicolas Otamendi’s looping header rebounded off the crossbar.

Vangelis Pavlidis’s low strike was deflected over the crossbar by a relieved Loic Bade before the break, and Benfica was made to rue those missed chances.

Schick came off the bench in the 57th minute and grabbed his goal in the 65th; his drilled effort was parried by Anatoliy Trubin, but Arthur’s pressure got it back to the striker, who looped a header over the sprawling goalkeeper.

Lukebakio had more chances to try and salvage a draw, but could only direct his strikes straight at Flekken, as Leverkusen took home a much-needed win. 

While Kasper Hjulmand immediately settled into life in the Bundesliga, wins in the Champions League proved much harder to come by.

But it ended a three-match winless streak against Portuguese sides with Thursday's victory, with this its first since beating Sporting CP 2-0 in October 1997.

Benfica has now lost its last six matches in Europe's premier competition, with 2025 only the third calendar year in which it has lost 6+ times in Europe after 2017 (seven) and 2008 (six).