Everton slump continues

Everton 0 Benfica 2

Everton’s hopes of making progress in the Europa League were dealt a bitter blow at Goodison Park.

Benfica completed the double in Group I after a rousing second half performance to cement their place at the top of the table.

Everton have now suffered two defeats after two wins and their match against AEK Athens next month is now crucial.

This is a worrying spell for manager David Moyes as his side are struggling to get going as well in the Barclays Premier League

Everton, who lost 5-0 in Lisbon, were made to pay after failing to take advantage of their half-chances in the early stages.

Marouane Fellaini made space inside the area after only four minutes but found the body of Benfica goalkeeper Julio Cesar with his shot.

The visitors responded 10 minutes later and the highly-rated Angel Di Maria tried a snapshot from 20 yards which was comfortably saved by Tim Howard.

It was a brief respite for the visitors with Leighton Baines picking out Ayegbeni Yakubu in the 16th minute.

The Nigerian striker turned quickly inside the area but sent his effort wide of the post.

Everton stepped up the pace and Baines saw his shot blocked and Jack Rodwell hoisted the rebound over the bar.

The visitors again found themselves on the back foot in the 24th minute but managed to scramble away Yakubu’s effort.

Everton came close in the 28th minute when Cesar pushed a hanging cross out wide from Yakubu over the bar.

Di Maria then found space in area but saw his shot blocked before play switched back down the other end and Tim Cahill was denied by the goalkeeper in the 33rd minute.

It took Benfica until the 41st minute to show the kind of danger they posed in the home game against Everton.

Ramires got on the end of a cross from Fabio Coentrao and beat Howard with his header, only to see it come back off the post.

Saviola latched on to the loose ball and hammered in a shot but the American goalkeeper made a superb block.

The second half was a different story and the chances started when Saviola clipped a shot over the bar in the 49th minute, before Coentrao tested Howard from distance.

Everton were finding it hard to regain the momentum and Ruben Amorim lifted a shot over the bar six minutes later.

Di Maria should have put Benfica ahead in the 56th minute but his shot was high and wasteful when he was clear on goal.

Four minutes later the Argentinian midfielder saw his effort tipped over the top by the alert Howard.

However, the visitors made the all-important breakthrough in the 63rd minute with a swift counter-attack.

Di Maria was involved in the build-up, resulting in a clinical low finish from close range by Saviola which gave Howard no chance.

Saviola then got clear again, only to see his shot diverted for a corner as Everton found themselves under pressure again.

And the Portuguese side made it 2-0 in the 75th minute when Cardozo rattled home a volley from an acute angle after Tony Hibbert failed to close him down.

Distin almost pulled a goal back in the 88th minute but his header was turned away superbly by Cesar as the night ended in disappointment and with Everton’s hopes of reaching the last 32 hanging in the balance.