Just under an hour to go until kick-off at the Estadio da Luz - and the home crowd of Portuguese champions Benfica will be expecting to hit the ground running in Group B against Hapoel Tel Aviv

Referee Aleksei Nikolaev blows the whistle for full-time at the Estadio da Luz, it finishes 2-0 to Benfica. It is a very welcome opening-night three points for Benfica. Hapoel will have learned an awful lot from the experience, but arguably have tougher tests still to come.

Coentrao could have added a third, but runs offside when about to be played through. It is the fastest any Benfica player has run for 20 minutes.

The game is almost down to walking pace again

From nowhere, Hapoel are inches from a goal. Substitute Tamuz turns and smashes the ball against Roberto's right-hand post. No one saw that coming, lucky escape for Benfica.

Finally, it looks as if Benfica might be ready to settle for what they have. There is less urgency around the box.

Hapoel's Enyeama has no reason to be ashamed tonight, as he makes another great save from Ruben Amorim after the defence pass up possession once again. Saviola skies the rebound over.

That second goal looks to have knocked some of the fight out of Hapoel, it will be a long road back from this point.

Sub for Benfica, Airton comes on for Aimar, who gets a deserved standing ovation

GOAL - and sure enough, Cardozo has come to the party. Sub Pereira forces a fine save from Enyeama, but the ball falls to the striker who will not score an easier goal this season.

Enyeama out quickly and bravely as Coentrao races through from left-back for Benfica

Saviola gets ahead of his marker after a sweet Benfica move, but can only shoot just wide of Enyeama's right-hand post.

Once again multiple Hapoel players are caught offside when in a good situation and moving forward menacingly.

Sub for Hapoel, Shivhon for Rocchi. That could have happened half an hour ago, Rocchi has been chasing shadows.

Booking for Ben Dayan, the latest man unable to contain Aimar.

Shechter's miserable night continues, totally misplacing a pass when clear on the left of the area with colleagues pleading for the ball

Sub for Hapoel, Tamuz coming on for Sahar

Sub for Benfica, Pereira coming on for Gaitan

Pablo Aimar may be 30 now - but he is still a real handful. The skilful No10 wriggles through the Hapoel defence and slips the ball to Cardozo, but he skies his shot badly over.

The prolific Cardozo has been ominously quiet in this match so far...but he sends a header just over the bar.

Again, a bit of inexperience from the visitors. A well-worked corner, but by the time the cross came in and with the Benfica defence pushing out, at least four men were left offside.