Belenenses had just nine players available for their Primeira Liga clash with Benfica on Saturday night due to a Covid outbreak at the club.

The Portuguese side - who were reluctant to cancel the fixture in case they received a penalty from the league - named two goalkeepers in their starting XI and went without substitutions.

However, the game was abandoned after the half-time break as Belenenses returned to the pitch with just seven available players.

According to reports, 17 players and staff tested positive for Covid at the Portuguese club ahead of the game.

As a result, both goalkeepers Joao Monteiro and Alvaro Ramalho were named in Belenenses' starting XI. However, it was only Ramalho who stood between the sticks.

Monteiro was forced to adopt the role of a right-back for the Primeira Liga clash at the Estadio do Restelo.

Benfica went into the table in third position and had hoped to close the gap between themselves the league leaders Porto.

However, luck was not on their side as they went 1-0 down after just one minute following an own goal from Eduardo Kau.

Things then went from bad to worse for Belenenses - who finished the first half of the game 7-0 down to the visitors.

Belenenses returned to the pitch after the half-time break with just seven available players.

As a result of the farcical scenes, the game was abandoned and Benfica were awarded a walkover victory.

Fans and fellow footballers took to social media to question the logic behind the fixture going ahead.

Bernardo Silva took to Twitter to say: 'What is this? Am I the only one who doesn't understand why the game hasn't been postponed?'.

Ruben Neves responded to Silva saying: 'Exactly friend. It's not really understandable, or else we're not thinking well'.

However, speaking ahead of the game, Belenenses president Rui Pedro Soares said that his team had not requested a suspension and were able to play.

He said: 'We have 38 players registered and we trust them all. Therefore the decision is up to health authorities.

'We will wait and we are going to respect their decision.'