France, Feb. 13 -- Monaco face an uphill struggle next week in the second leg of their Champions League play-off after going down 1-0 at home to Benfica.

Vangelis Pavlidis scored his sixth goal in the competition in the 49th minute at the Stade Louis II on Wednesday night to give the Portuguese outfit the advantage ahead of the return leg at the Estadio da Luz in Lisbon on Tuesday night.

Monaco hampered their chances of a comeback when midfielder Moatasem al-Musrati was sent off in the 52nd minute.

The 28-year-old Libyan gestured to the referee Maurizio Mariani to book Benfica's Alvaro Carreras for a crude challenge on the Monaco striker Breel Embolo.

But Mariani sanctioned al-Musrati for his impertienece and, having already been book...