First half goals from Kristian Šekularac, Josh King and Aaron Loupalo-Bi handed Fulham’s under 21s a third Premier League International Cup group stage victory as the young Whites beat Benfica 3-1 at a cold Motspur Park this evening.
The Portuguese outfit started strongly but a determined Idris Odutayo produced an important block to prevent the visitors from taking the lead. Winger Terrell Works went close when he waltzed past a few would-be tacklers and shot past the near post. Hayden Mullins’ men took the lead from their next attack when teenage midfielder Josh King delivered a dangerous ball across the six-yard box which Šekularac curled high into the net after an exquisite turn.
The home side made it two on twenty minutes when King turned away from trouble, swapped passes with Imani Lanquedoc, and then found the bottom corner with a composed finish. The Whites were rampant now and added a third when he emphatically drove home after collecting a precise pass from Works. Benfica mustered a response before half-time through attacking right back Diogo Maques curled a wonderful effort beyond a beaten Alex Borto.
Benfica began the second period with a renewed intensity and Rafael Luis hammered a strike straight at Borto. Fulham went straight down the other end with Works seeing a powerful drive blocked by brave defending after a swift counter-attack begun by Chris Donnell. The game became entertainingly open with Borto scrambling across his goal to deny Gustavo Varela before the striker missed a much more straightforward chance – somehow spooning a strike over the bar having seized on defensive mistakes.
Borto made a brilliant reaction save to preserve Fulham’s two-goal lead late on, brilliantly blocking Varela when the Benfica centre forward moved through on goal. There was just time for defender Caelan Avenall returning from more than a year out with injury as a late substitute.
FULHAM UNDER 21s (4-3-3): Borto; Williams (Tabares 57), Okkas, Odutayo, Araujo; Donnell, King (Gofford 88), Lanquedoc (Nwoko 88); Works (Avenall 88), Šekularac, Loupalo-Bi (Gordon 67). Subs (not used): McNally, Amissah.
BOOKED: Donnell.
GOALS: Šekularac (12), King (21), Loupalo-Bi (30).
BENFICA UNDER 21S (4-3-3): de Souza (Ribeiro 70); Maques, Kiko (Peixoto 76), Bajrami (Oliveira 61), Muller; Gomes (Martins 61), Luis, Jevšenak; Precatado, Félix, Varela.
BOOKED: Muller.
GOAL: Maques (37).
REFEREE: Oliver Mackey.
