Angel di Maria scored directly from a corner as Benfica beat Red Bull Salzburg 3-1 to secure third place in their Champions League group and qualify for the Europa League.

 

Players competing for Angel Di Maria's corner seconds before it goes into the net
Angel Di Maria's (not shown) near-post corner beat everyone before going in at the far post

Angel di Maria scored directly from a corner as Benfica beat Red Bull Salzburg 3-1 to secure third place in their Champions League group and qualify for the Europa League.

Di Maria also set up Rafa Silva to give Benfica the two-goal lead they needed to leapfrog Salzburg into third.

Luka Sucic pulled a goal back after the break but Arthur Cabral struck in stoppage time to send Benfica through.

Real Sociedad won the group after a goalless draw with Inter Milan.

At 35 years and 301 days, former Manchester United winger Di Maria is now the second oldest Argentinian scorer in the Champions League, surpassing Lionel Messi, who was 35 years and 123 days old when he scored for Paris St-Germain in 2022.

Former defender Javier Zanetti was 37 when he scored in Inter Milan's 4-3 win over Tottenham in 2010.

Elsewhere, Sevilla are out of Europe completely after they finished bottom of Group B following defeat at Lens, who qualify for the Europa League.

Przemyslaw Frankowski's penalty put Lens ahead but Sergio Ramos equalised with a spot-kick of his own to become the Champions League's all-time top-scoring defender with 17.

Sevilla needed to win to leapfrog Lens but it was the French side who grabbed the winner in stoppage time through Angelo Fulgini.

It means seven-time Europa League winners Sevilla will not play European competition in the second half of the season for the first time since 2013.

Arsenal, who had already secured top spot in Group B, drew 1-1 with second-placed PSV Eindhoven.

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