Why were nine-man Belenenses forced to play Benfica amid Covid-19 outbreak?

Hosting Portuguese giants Benfica was always going to be a tall order for Belenenses on Saturday, but the Primeira Division club's challenge became much more daunting as they kicked off with just nine men on the field.

A spate of coronavirus cases decimated the Belenenses squad in the build-up to the match.

They were severely weakened for Saturday's clash, even picking a reserve goalkeeper to fill in as an outfielder before forcing an early end to the match just after half-time.

The club's woes began in the week, when one of their players who had shown symptoms related to Covid-19 tested positive for the virus.

Further tests threw up a total of 17 cases, 13 among the players and four more in the team's coaching staff.

The game nevertheless went ahead, despite the outrage of several Belenenses players who released a joint statement on social media.

O futebol só tem cor se tiver competição.O futebol só tem cor se tiver verdade desportiva. O futebol só tem cor quando é um exemplo de saúde pública.Hoje, o futebol perdeu a cor. pic.twitter.com/ujjv5H5Ffp

— Afonso Sousa (@afonso_sousa10) November 27, 2021

"Football only has heart if it is competitive. Football only has heart if it is really sporting," the message read.

"Football only has heart when it is an example of public health. Today, football lost its heart."

Unsurprisingly, with a two-man advantage and with Under-23 keeper Joao Monteiro playing as an outfielder, Benfica made short work of their rivals.

Eduardo Kau gifted the visitors the lead within the first minute by putting past his own keeper, while Haris Seferovic doubled the advantage 13 minutes in.

Belenenses kicked off their game against Benfica with just nine players, two of which are goalkeepers