Benfica have beaten Kazakhstan side Astana 2-0 in their opening Champions League Group C game thanks to goals from Nicolas Gaitan and Konstantinos Mitroglou.
The home side began positively, with Brazil international Talisca looking to find the net from outside the box early on, only to see his attempt dealt with by visiting keeperNenad Eric.
With five minutes gone, 18-year-old Benfica forward Goncalo Guedes saw his shot go wide of the left post, while full-back Eliseu followed suit 10 minutes later.
Foxi Kethevoama had a first glance of Benfica's goal from 35 yards, but his shot was too high to worry goalkeeper Julio Cesar.
The former Brazil international keeper was called into action just before the 20-minute mark, however, when Kethevoama's second attempt from outside the box was hit on target and required a save at the top right corner.
With 15 minutes to go until the break, Talisca saw another shot from range go wide before Baurzhan Dzolchiev came close for the visitors with an attempt slightly high and wide of the Benfica goal.
Jonas had his first attempt of the game with just one minute of time remaining before the break, but Eric did well to get down to the low shot as things finished level at half-time.
Benfica went ahead five minutes into the second half when Gaitan drove into the Astana box and fired his team into the lead with a low shot.
Jonas had a right-footed attempt saved moments later, but Benfica went 2-0 up with 62 minutes on the clock thanks to Fuham loanee Mitroglou, who passed the ball into the back of Eric's net after some impressive wing play from Eliseu.
Abzal Beysebekov and Kethevoama again had half-chances to get Astana back into the game as things came to a close, but it ultimately finished a comfortable night for the Portuguese side.
Benfica 2-0 Astana: Mitroglou stars in routine home win
The Greece international scored and set up another as the Champions League debutants were undone
Portuguese champions Benfica surged to a routine 2-0 home victory against Champions League group stage newcomers Astana.
Nicolas Gaitan opened the scoring in the 51st minute following a neat move involving Konstantinos Mitroglou, with Astana substitute Aleksey Shchetkin having hit the post moments earlier.
A solid first-half display from the visitors was then further undone when Mitroglou found himself on the end of Eliseu's low cross to tap home.
It was by no means a vintage performance from Benfica, who will need to up their game when they take on bitter rivals FC Porto at the weekend.
But the result will nevertheless be welcomed by coach Rui Vitoria, who has already set his team the goal of qualification from Group C to banish memories of last season's dismal campaign, when they picked up just one win.
Despite emerging with a defeat, Astana will take heart from their performance, although few will rate their chances of progressing from a group that also includes Atletico and Galatasaray.
Benfica, unchanged from the 6-0 Primeira Liga win over Belenenses, predictably saw plenty of possession during the opening 10 minutes, but struggled to cause any problems for their opponents in the final third.
The visitors set themselves up well at the Estadio da Luz and frustrated the two-time European champions early on.
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