Benfica started the pre-season this Wednesday with a win by beating Southampton 2-0 at Burton, in a pre-season match integrated into the team’s stage in England. Roger Schmidt had eleven in each half, but scored much better in the first half, with the chosen ones (including the reinforcement Köksü) performing at a good level, with the emphasis on David Neres, the figure of the Reds in the match.
The Neres festival started in the 10th minute with a shot on the right post of the English goal. The Brazilian was always the most unbalanced player, especially when moving from right to centre. And a minute later he opened the scoring, Benfica’s first goal of this pre-season, with a right foot shot after a good move and an assist from Rafa.
The English tried to react, but the initiatives always came up against the good organization of Benfica’s defense, which seemed completely renewed compared to last season, with João Victor on the right, the central duo formed by Lucas Veríssimo and Morato, and Ristic at the right. the left in the place Grimaldo occupied for seven seasons.
Alone in attack, Musa was close to second at 18″, but shot wide. Neres remained a puzzle for the English and scored almost twice at 27″, but let the Southampton goalkeeper save. And he was back in evidence in a good individual play, but the shot was again stopped by McCarthy.
Just before half-time, Mihailo Ristic scored Benfica’s second, with a strong cross from the edge of the box, he who will own the left from the start, although facing competition from Jurasek, signed this week. But for now he has given good indications, not only in defense, but also on climbs along the right corridor.
A word for the Turkish midfielder Orkun Köksü, a player who came over from Feyenoord for a record amount of 25 million euros and will take that responsibility on his shoulders, although he himself admitted that he will no longer be under pressure as a result. Playing in midfield, in position 8, he mainly tried not to complicate things and stood out for the good quality of the pass, in a first half in which Benfica always played under great pressure against a Southampton that fell to the second tier of the table. The Englishmen. football and that will aim to return to the Premier League.
Warm second part
Roger Schmidt substituted almost the entire team at half time, with the exception of goalkeeper Samuel Soares, in a second eleven where the usual starters João Mário, João Neves, Bah, Florentino and António Silva appeared, accompanied by many young people, from the Nordic Tengstedt and Schjelderup, along Tiago Gouveia, Tomás Araújo and Rafael Rodrigues.
The game dropped a lot in quality compared to the first half and there were no more goals to be scored. The level of the benfiquistas in the first half was very good for a match at this time of the season, in the second half it was more in line with the pace of training.
However, there are records for a shot from Schjelderup at 51″ stopped by the England goalkeeper, a heel from Tengstedt and for a good play and assist from João Mário in the area that Bah crossed at 73″. And at 82″ the best chance, in another assist from João Mário, but Schjelderup let the goalkeeper play again.
Reinforcements Di María and Jurásek have not yet shown themselves, as they only joined their colleagues at a training camp in England on Tuesday evening and they may make their debut on Sunday, the day Benfica plays again, this time against Basel , from the Swiss league. Otamendi, who also joined later, was also omitted from the first Test.
Benfica lined up in the first half with: Samuel Soares, João Victor, Lucas Veríssimo, Morato, Ristic, Chiquinho, Kökcü, Aursnes, Neres, Rafa and Musa.
In the second half, Samuel Soares, Bah, António Silva, Tomás Araújo, Rafael Rodrigues, Florentino, João Neves, João Mário, Tiago Gouveia, Schjelderup and Tengstedt played.
View the goals here
1-0, David Neres
The one in the afternoon!# Preseason pic.twitter.com/uKXnNFhX22
-SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) July 12, 2023
2-0 Mihailo Ristic
The 2-0, by Mihailo!# Preseason pic.twitter.com/mODQ0U0sR1
-SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) July 12, 2023
Source: DN
