A lone goal from Argentine Nicolás Otamendi was enough for Benfica to beat Estoril Praia on matchday 29 of the Portuguese League and return to winning ways after four consecutive games without a win .
Despite returning to the path of victory, this Lisbon derby began with many difficulties for the “eagles”, who had to face an Estoril that closed in behind.
Signs of the crisis of confidence of recent weeks were still visible, with Lisbon’s Estadio da Luz suffering moments of anxiety during the clash.
Like in the 35th minute, when João Mário missed a penalty, something unusual for the Portuguese international this season.
The nerves that had been created dissipated shortly afterwards thanks to Argentine world champion Otamendi, who opened the scoring in the 44th minute.
The play for the goal started with a short corner kick, then David Neres managed to dribble past two Estoril defenders, enter the area and pass it to his captain, who scored a long header from the center of the area.
The “eagles” kept up the pressure throughout the second half and even had a good chance to score, but the ball didn’t go in.
Croatian Petar Musa came closest and scored, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
It was not the expected turning of the crisis page, but it was enough for Benfica to stay at the top of the standings with a four-point lead over Porto, who beat Paços de Ferreira 2-1 on Saturday.
For its part, Estoril continues in 15th, very close to the relegation places.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
