Belenenses vs Benfica abandoned early in second half after hosts Belenenses were unable to field a team due to COVID outbreak
Portuguese top flight match between Belenenses and Benfica was abandoned early on in the second half of the game as the host team suffered from multiple Covid-19 cases,
According to SkySports, Covid-19 outbreak rendered 17 of Belenenses first team players unavailable for selection. Belenenses was forced to field some under 23 players including 2 goalkeepers which means still means they started the game with just 9 players.
After just 45 minutes into the game, Belenenses trailed 7-0 to Benfica as Darwin Nunez scored a hattrick.
One minutes into the second half of the Belenenses vs Benfica, three of Belenenses players suffered an injury which forced them out with no player left to do a substitution. This means that Belenenses was left with just six (6) players against Benfica. At this point the game was abandoned.
Manchester City and Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva wrote on Twitter handle earlier in the match: “What is this? Am I the only one who doesn’t understand why the game hasn’t been postponed?”
A joint statement was released before the match by Belenenses players which states:
“Football only has heart if it is competitive. Football only has heart if it is really sporting.
“Football only has heart when it is an example of public health. Today, football lost its heart.“
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