Benfica keep it brief with 1-0 home win over Estrela
Benfica have made it back-to-back victories in the Primeira Liga after defeating Estrela da Amadora 1-0 at the Estádio da Luz, this Saturday night.
An Orkun Kökçü strike settled the difference between the two Lisbon clubs as the Turkey international grabbed the Eagles’ first and only goal of the half in the 19th minute.
Benfica mounted the pressure in the second period in search of doubling their advantage, but one goal was all Roger Schmidt and his men required to register win number two of the season.
The German manager shuffled the pack ahead of Estrela’s visit to the Luz, handing starts to the likes of Álvaro Carreras and Nicolas Otamendi, with João Mário out of the matchday squad entirely.
Centre stage in the middle of the park, it was through Kökçü that Benfica began to threaten before the playmaker, 19 minutes in, was able to squeeze a finish in under a sorry Bruno Brígido.
The hosts were kept relatively quiet en route to the interval, with only a disallowed Tiago Araujo goal serving as an agitator on the brink of half time. Brígido made amends in the second half with strong instincts to deny Tiago Gouveia the fortune of doubling Benfica’s advantage in the 52nd minute.
The chances started to line up for the Reds who went close firstly through a Gianluca Prestianni strike over, moments before a double Brígido save kept both Vangelis Pavlidis and Gouveia out in the 68th minute.
In the 70th minute, the Luz got on its feet to applaud the official return of Renato Sanches to the Benfica fold as they honed in on an important 1-0 victory. The result sees Estrela prolong a 26-year-wait for a result away to Benfica, as the Eagles move into 6th in the league with a second consecutive victory.
By Patrick Ribeiro
Benfica XI: Anatoliy Trubin - Álvaro Carreras, Nicolas Otamendi, Tiago Araujo, Alexander Bah - Florentino Luis, Leandro Barreiro - Fredrik Aursnes, Orkun Kökçü, Gianluca Prestianni - Vangelis Pavlidis
Estrela XI: Bruno Brígido - Nilton, Ferro, Miguel Lopes, Danilo Veiga - Leonel Bucca, Léo Cordeiro, Gustavo Henrique - Nani, André Luiz, Rodrigo Pinho