In a dramatic UEFA Champions League encounter on Wednesday night, Ghanaian defender Mohammed Salisu came on as a second-half substitute, but AS Monaco fell to Benfica in a 3-2 defeat.

Monaco started strong with Eliesse Ben Seghir’s early goal in the 13th minute, assisted by Aleksandr Golovin, giving them a 1-0 lead at the break. The second half saw Benfica respond with intensity, as Vangelis Pavlidis equalized for the Portuguese side, followed by a strike from Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche to regain the lead.

However, a turning point came when Monaco’s Wilfried Singo was sent off for a second yellow card, leaving Monaco down to ten men. Coach Adi Hütter brought on Salisu in the 63rd minute to reinforce the defense.

Despite Salisu’s efforts to shore up Monaco’s backline, Benfica capitalized on their numerical advantage. Arthur Cabral leveled the score in the 84th minute, and just four minutes later, Zeki Amdouni completed the comeback with a clinical finish, securing a 3-2 victory for the visitors.

Salisu’s composed presence helped steady the defense temporarily, but Monaco’s late defensive lapses proved costly. This loss adds pressure to Monaco’s European aspirations, but Salisu and his teammates will quickly turn their focus to their upcoming Ligue 1 clash against Olympique Marseille.