Benfica overcome Estoril challenge to keep up title charge
Estoril 1-2 Benfica
Benfica beat Estoril 2-1 tonight to go three points clear of Sporting at the top the table before their title rivals play tomorrow.
The Eagles looked set for a straightforward victory after going into the break two-nil up thanks to goals from Fredrik Aursnes and captain Nicolás Otamendi, having largely controlled the first half.
Estoril came out fighting in the second half. The hosts missed a glorious chance to halve the deficit when Yanis Begrauoui’s penalty was saved by Anatoliy Trubin, but the home team did score in the 78th minute through a Vinícius Zanocelo header to set up a nervy ending for Benfica.
The visitors held on, and will go into next weekend’s crunch derby against Sporting – the penultimate game of the season – at worst level on points with their Lisbon neighbours.
Tom Kundert & Sahir Bhojwani report from the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota.
Estoril threaten, Benfica take control
Estoril had the first chance of the game, Yanis Begraoui’s effort deflected wide, but that was as good as it got for the home team in the opening 45 minutes.
Play switched to the other end of the pitch and Fredrik Aursnes was denied by Estoril goalkeeper Joel Robles when clean through. The Norwegian made no mistake with a similar chance soon afterwards as he converted Orkun Kökçü’s pass to give Benfica the lead in the 7th minute to finish off a flowing move involving Otamendi, Pavlidis and Arturkoglu.
Without dominating the match, Benfica were in control with the omnipresent Florentino Luís effectively cutting out Estoril’s attempts to create danger. Benfica’s lead was doubled on 35 minutes when captain Nicolás Otamendi headed in a well delivered free kick by Samuel Dahl.
Benfica were clearly conserving energy with next week’s Lisbon derby no doubt on the minds of the players and coaching staff, but Trubin had been little more than a spectator until midway through the second half.
Penalty and substitutes awaken Estoril
Moroccan striker Yanis Begraoui was brought down by Otamendi on the edge of the box and the referee immediately whistled for a penalty. Begraoui himself took it, but his poorly hit spot kick was saved by Trubin with Vinícius Zanocelo smashing the rebound onto the bar from point-blank range.
The Brazilian midfielder sank to his knees, unable to understand how he had missed, but he made up for it in the 78th minute when he leapt impressively to head Rafik Guitane’s cross past Trubin and make the score 2-1.
The Estoril goal was the culmination of a period of pressure from the home team, substitutes Tiago Brito, Alejandro Marqués and Rafik Guitane all providing zest and energy for the Canarinhos.
Benfica’s players and especially their coaching staff were getting increasingly nervous (assistant coach Ricardo Rochas receiving a red card for overzealous protests) as Estoril strung some neat moves together, albeit without managing to fashion a clear chance.
But the visitors ran down the clock, including the eight minutes of stoppage time, with solid defending to make it 12 wins in 13 games in the Primeira Liga.
Positives
Fredrik Aursnes’ best position has been debated by pundits across the nation but one aspect of his game that cannot be questioned is his tireless work rate. The versatile utility man was used predominantly on the right side of the midfield but was spotted covering every corner of the pitch. The Norwegian was outstanding on the night. He aided his defence when required and his cutting runs caused problems for Estoril’s back three throughout the match. He was rewarded for his hard work with a well worked goal in the first half that set Benfica on their way.
The atmosphere was electric at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota. The Benfiquistas brought with them a vocal and passionate group, and Estoril’s supporters matched them every step on the way. Under the floodlights, and with plenty of supporters packing into the ground (and some watching from the adjacent high-rise buildings), this had to be one of the best atmospheres at Estroil this season.
Negatives
Ian Cathro has elevated Estoril into the top half of the table with an exciting brand of attacking football. The Scottish manager has to be applauded for his bold tactics but his approach can sometimes leave his defence susceptible on the counter. This turned out to be one of those occasions with Benfica opening up Estoril’s defence and breaking through with a well worked goal in the 7th minute, having already sliced through the home team’s back line with alarming ease. From there, it was always going to be an uphill task.
With time winding down and Benfica holding on to a slender 2-1 lead, Bruno Lage turned to his bench and once again called on Belotti at a critical stage of the game. The decision would have been a major blow for Arthur Cabral. There were high expectations for Cabral when the Eagles brought him in as a replacement for Gonçalo Ramos in 2023. The club shelled out an exorbitant fee in excess of 20 million euros to sign him from Fiorentina, but he has gradually drifted into oblivion this season. Over the 2024/25 Primeira Liga campaign, Cabral has started just two league games and managed just two league goals. Over Benfica’s last 12 league matches, he has played just 36 minutes of football. With Pavlidis and Belotti firmly established as the No. 1 and No. 2 strikers, it will be interesting to see what role Cabral will play next season, if any.
Estoril 1-2 Benfica highlights
Estoril Praia: Joel Robles, Kévin Boma, Pedro Álvaro (Gonçalo Costa, 81’), Felix Bacher, Pedro Carvalho, Vinícius Zanocelo, Jandro Orellana (Tiago Brito, 63’), Pedro Amaral, Yanis Begraoui (Alejandro Marqués, 71’), André Lacximicant (Rafik Guitane, 71’), João Carvalho
Benfica: Anatoliy Trubin, Tomás Araújo, Nicolás Otamendi, António Silva, Samuel Dahl, Florentino Luís, Fredrik Aursnes, Orkun Kökçü, Zeki Amdouni (Andreas Schjelderup, 57’), Vangelis Pavlidis (Andrea Belotti, 79’), Kerem Aktürkoglu (Leandro Barreiro, 79’)
Goals:
[0-1] Fredrik Aursnes, 7’
[0-2] Nicolás Otamendi, 35’
[1-2] Vinícius Zanocelo, 78’