Benfica escape from Barcelos with three points in a tightly-contested battle with Gil Vicente | OneFootball

Gil Vicente 2-3 Benfica

Goals from Ángel Di María, Rafa Silva and Petar Musa were enough to see the Eagles earn a slender 3-2 victory against Gil Vicente at the Estádio Cidade de Barcelos on Saturday night.

It is too early in the season to draw definitive conclusions, but tonight was more evidence that Benfica are so far struggling to match the level of play they displayed in last season’s championship winning campaign.

It was a cagey opening 15 minutes with both teams struggling to find any rhythm early on. Benfica were fortunate to be awarded an early penalty decision after João Mário was clipped on the edge of the box by Marlon in the 18th minute. Di María looked calm and composed as he stepped up to send keeper Andrew the wrong way.

An improved Benfica side emerged in the second half with Rafa and Di María both having chances to extend the lead. The match opened up and Gil Vicente were able to find some gaps in the Benfica half.

A counter attack in the 53rd minute led to Benfica’s second with Rafa tapping in a well-placed cross from Norwegian full-back Fredrik Aursnes. Tidjany Touré, on loan from Feyenoord, pulled one back for Gil Vicente in the 74th minute to give the home supporters some hope.

Schmidt turned to his bench to solidify the midfield and refresh a lineup that looked fatigued. The move paid off when Musa slotted home a third a minute after entering the pitch. Gil Vicente’s Maxime Dominguez managed to score in injury time but it was too little, too late.

Goalkeeper issues

Manager Roger Schmidt was bombarded with questions regarding goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos during his pre-match press conference. With the arrival of 22-year-old Ukrainian Anatoliy Trubin, Benfica have three solid options at the back entering the season. The drama surrounding Vlachodimos continues with speculation swirling about a possible transfer to England.

21-year-old Portuguese international Samuel Soares was awarded his second straight start. The young keeper conceded a soft goal in the 74th minute and was poorly positioned for Gil Vicente’s second.

It will be interesting to see which of the three goalkeepers Schmidt will go with for a tricky upcoming fixture versus Vitória Sport Clube.

Schmidt searching for Benfica’s best eleven

David Neres looked visibly upset when the cameras panned on him before the match. The Brazilian international has been one of Benfica’s most potent attacking threats when given the opportunity. The decision to leave him on the bench was a surprise considering his stellar performance last week versus Estrela da Amadora. Neres is apparently unhappy about his limited playing time, creating another headache for Schmidt.

The injury to David Jurásek has created a vacancy at the left-back position for Schmidt. As against Estrela last weekend, he opted to go with Fredrik Aursnes who has historically been used more as a central midfielder or left winger, instead of backup left-back Mihailo Ristic.

After starting the season with a midfield partnership of João Neves and Orkan Kökçü, Florentino was given a chance to show what he could do this week.

€20 million Cabral struggling to find his footing

The Brazilian striker has done little to justify his €20 million signing (which could increase with bonuses) from Fiorentina. Aside from a tame header that was directed straight towards goalkeeper Andrew, he contributed little on the evening.

The striker scored eight goals in 28 matches in the Seria A last season. He is yet to get off the mark with Benfica.

Rafa has been in outstanding form with three goals and an assist over three matches. Musa has been reliable when called upon. The Croatian scored in the Supertaça versus FC Porto and was on the scoresheet again last night. Historically, Schmidt prefers to start with only one striker which could create issues for Cabral down the line.

Analysis

Prior to the match, Benfica manager Roger Schmidt had made note of Gil Vicente’s ability to score goals. Daniel Sousa’s team were unfortunate to not take anything from this match. Gil Vicente have now scored eight goals in their opening three matches and although they have managed just three points from those fixtures, there are reasons to be optimistic for the supporters.

Benfica are yet to hit their stride. The team has failed to replicate their 2022/23 form this season with a series of underwhelming performances. The team lacks chemistry and has so far failed to find the fluidity and efficiency they played with last year.

The loss of Gonçalo Ramos and Álex Grimaldo have definitely affected this team, but it is no excuse considering the club has invested heavily in the squad over the summer. Roger Schmidt will need to make adjustments in the coming weeks if he hopes to push for a 39th Primeira Liga title.

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