Benfica 3-0 Barcelona - Benfica hammer sorry Barca to pile even more pressure on Ronald Koeman

Two goals from Darwin Nunez and a Rafa Silva strike pile even further pressure on Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman as Benfica beat the La Liga giants 3-0 at the Estadio da Luz.

Barca have now lost their first two Champions League group stage games this season and the disappointing defeat will do little to appease the growing section of Barca fans who want to see Koeman sacked.

Nunez's first ever Champions League goal put Benfica into a lead early on (3') before Silva got a second in the 69th minute.

The Uruguayan forward then compounded Barcelona's misery from the spot after VAR picked up on a handball from Sergino Dest in the box.

The result means Barcelona are bottom of Group E on -6 goal difference and four points off second-placed Benfica with four group games to go.

Barca got off to a disastrous start with Nunez giving Benfica the lead just past the two minute mark. Nunez picked the ball up on the left flank, easily jinked past Eric Garcia and smashed his low drive into the bottom corner beyond the helpless Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

With the visitors shell-shocked, Benfica could have gone further ahead two minutes later, but Roman Yaremchuk's one-on-one effort was denied by Ter Stegen who matched the low strike.

In a scrappy first half, which saw Gerard Pique subbed off for 17-year-old Gavi as he looked destined to pick up a second yellow, Barcelona's best chance to equalise came to Frenkie de Jong, but he hit his first-time shot wide at the near post.

Benfica should have doubled their lead in the 53rd minute. Ter Stegen made the bizarre decision to sweep up a long pass which Nunez comfortably got to ahead of him, but with the goal gaping his strike came off the post.

Benfica did extend their lead, though, and it was Rafa who provided the finishing touch. Joao Mario's shot from lose range was parried by Ter Stegen into the path of the Portuguese forward, who used the outside of his right foot to turn the ball home.

The night did get even worse for Koeman's inexperienced side, who did not register a shot on target all evening, when Dest left up a flailing right arm inside area. It went to VAR, the spot-kick was awarded and Nunez tucked the ball into the bottom corner to ensure it would be a nightmare evening for Barca's Dutch boss.

Somehow the night took an even worse turn for Barcelona in the final moments as Garcia was shown a second yellow in the 87th minute.

Considering Barcelona's dire financial situation and plethora of uninspiring defenders at his disposal, Koeman has perhaps been overly criticised this season. Barca are still undefeated in the league after all.

However, a 3-0 defeat at the Nou Camp to Bayern Munich in their Champions League opener did not go down well at all and this loss will be regarded as a far greater embarrassment. In a match Barcelona were widely expected to win, albeit not easily, they were defensively disorganised throughout, their attack lacked any sort of punch and Koeman's decision to bring on three teenagers to try and rectify the problem was puzzling. Luuk de Jong reminded everyone he is not Lionel Messi.

For Barcelona to finish the game with 10 men and without a shot on target against the Portuguese club who had to go through two qualifying rounds just to play them is beyond disappointing from one of the world's most treasured football institutions. To be bottom of Group E on -6 goal difference after two games is terrible by Barcelona's standards and the calls for Koeman to depart will continue to grow this week.

The 22-year-old striker got his first two Champions League goals and he was excellent all evening against Barcelona's porous backline.

It is little surprise the Uruguayan forward was attracting interest from Premier League teams in the summer transfer window as he showcased his pace, power and precision in front of goal on a memorable evening for the undefeated Primeira Liga leaders.

Benfica: Vlachodimos (7), Verissimo (7), Otamendi (7), Vertonghen (6), Grimaldo (7), Lazaro (5), Weigl (6), Mario (7), Silva (7), Yaremchuk (7), Nunez (9)

Subs: Gilberto (6), Almeida (6), Taarabt (6), Pizzi (N/A), Ramos (N/A)

Barcelona: Ter Stegen (5), Garcia (3), Pique (3), Araujo (4), Dest (4), Roberto (4), Busquets (4), De Jong (4), Pedri (4), De Jong (4), Depay (5)

Subs: Gavi (4), Coutinho (5), Fati (5), Nico (4), Mingueza (N/A)

3 - GOAL!!! NUNEZ GIVES BENFICA THE LEAD! Nunez's first ever Champions League goal comes just after the two minute mark and it's a disastrous start for Ronald Koeman's side. Pedri is dispossessed on the halfway line and a long ball up the pitch finds Nunez on the left flank. He drives into the box and evades Garcia before placing his shot past Ter Stegen into the bottom corner! It's Nunez's fifth goal of the season. A dream start for Benfica!

5' - BIG CHANCE! Grimaldo plays an incisive through ball into the path of Yaremchuk and he fires on goal from close range, but Ter Stegen can get down and claim it! Barcelona are looking shell-shocked!

53' - OFF THE POST! What on earth was Ter Stegen thinking! The German sprints miles out of his box to try and sweep up a long pass up the pitch, but Nunez comfortably gets there first and shoots... but it comes off the post! He probably should have scored that!

69' - GOAL!!! BENFICA HAVE A SECOND!!! Rafa Silva extends Benfica's lead! Mario and Yaremchuk play a neat one-two and Mario's shot is parried by Ter Stegen into the path of Rafa, who uses the outside of his right foot to turn the ball home! It's even more problems for Barcelona!

76' - VAR ALERT!! IT'S A PENALTY FOR BENFICA! Appeals for a Benfica penalty as Taarabt's header comes off Dest's flailing right arm. The referee Orsato thought little of it initially but we've gone to VAR. After a quick glance at the monitor he gives the penalty and Dest is booked!!

78' - GOAL!!! Nunez gets his second of the night from the penalty spot, tucking the ball into the bottom corner, and Benfica are 3-0 up!!!

87' - RED CARD! Garcia has been shown a second yellow for pulling down Ramos. He has been sent off!! This night is somehow getting even worse for Barcelona.