Alex Iwobi scored the only goal of the game as Fulham’s pre-season tour of Portugal got off to a fantastic start with an impressive win over Benfica at Estadio Algarve this evening.
Marco Silva’s side completely dominated the first half and took a deserved lead through a smart Iwobi strike on 20 minutes before successfully holding on despite a much improved Benfica showing after the interval. The Whites’ encouraging display hinted at significant improvement as they were beaten 5-1 by the same opponents last summer.
The Premier League outfit looked lively from the outset. Rodrigo Muniz turned terrifically away from his marker in an attempt to fashion an early chance for Iwobi before winning a corner, which saw skipper Tom Cairney’s ball in deflected against the post. Iwobi drilled an effort over the bar from distance and an energetic Muniz headed straight at Anatoliy Trubin after a floated cross from Cairney.
Muniz then seized on a defensive mistake to set up Iwobi, who slipped at the vital moment and shot wide. Bernd Leno made a routine save from Benfica’s first attack as Gianluca Prestianni took aim from the edge of the box and Fulham hit the front only two minutes later with a superb team goal. Winger Adama Traore took the ball from deep in Fulham territory towards the edge of the Benfica box with a trademark surging run. The Spaniard slipped the ball into the path of Iwobi on the left wing and the Nigerian international worked a one-two with the overlapping Antonee Robinson before shooting precisely inside the near post.
Fulham’s confidence only grew after the goal and the Cottagers should have doubled their lead shortly afterwards when Cairney could only stab a shot straight at the goalkeeper. Muniz fired wide after leaving his marker for dead. They almost paid for their prolificacy at the end of the first half but Leno did well to beat away a venomous volley from Vangelis Pavlidis.
Benfica emerged enlivened after the interval and penned their opponents back for large periods of the second half. The dangerous Prestianni came desperately close to equalising when his 20-yard effort cannoned off both posts and away to safety. Calvin Bassey cleared off the line when Frederik Aursnes won the ball back high up the pitch and sauntered around Leno and substitute Orkun Kokcu was denied by a superb save from Fulham’s German goalkeeper.
The Whites perked up after a third set of substitutions that saw Ryan Sessegnon make his first appearance since rejoining the club last week. A superb cross from Sessegnon found Raul Jimenez at the far post and the Mexican veteran’s measured header gave Harry Wilson a sight of goal – only for the Welshman’s own header to be brilliantly saved by Trubin. Fulham held firm at the end, with Leno forced into another fine save as he tipped over a swerving strike from Martim Neto.
Silva’s side are back in action on the Algarve on Monday evening against Spanish opposition in the shape of Sevilla.
BENFICA (4-5-1): Trubin, Morato, Beste (Carreras 45), T. Araujo (Silva 45), Bah (Gouveia 87), Aursnes, Barreiro (Kokcu 64), Luis (Cabral 87), João Mário (Neto 87), Prestianni (Leonardo 64), Pavlidis (Neres 64). Subs (not used): Soares, Gomes, Tengstedt, Bajrami, Rego.
FULHAM (4-3-3): Leno; Tete (Castagne 73), A. Robinson (Sessegnon 73), Diop, Bassey, Lukic (Reed 74), King (Pereira 60), Cairney (Pajaziti 79); Traore (Wilson 79), Iwobi (Godo 79), Muniz (Jimenez 73). Subs (not used): Borto, Benda, Bowat, H. Araujo, Esenga.
BOOKED: A. Robinson.
GOAL: Iwobi (20).
REFEREE: Fá Sanhá.
A good win but where was Jay Stansfield.. I was nice to see a couple of the younger players given some game time
Yes. No Jay, not even on the bench. Lends credence to the stories about him being sold
Very disappointing if that turns out to be the case!
Another young player that has jumped through all the required hoops but not been given a real opportunity. He was being touted as a great prospect FIVE SEASONS ago!
He was definitely on the plane though so, hopefully, fingers crossed, he might still be a part of Silva’s plans
I couldn’t agree more with the above comments. It’s a pity the club doesn’t give an opportunity to our youngsters
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May JS is injured and could not be included but selling him makes no sense at all, we only have 2 strikers, one that is always injured and the other that has only been proven since Jan-May 2024 – we are extremely thin here. Unless we are going to buy a striker in the next 4 weeks we need to keep JS and get him playing the friendlies!!!
I would like to add my two pennies opinion on the subject for what it is worth. Why the silence from Marco on the subject on Jay Stansfield. Why was he not at least on the bench ?ast night. He is a young player and has shown he can score goals and should be given the opportunity it is ridiculous that we are even considering letting him go we have very little back up here. Get rid of CV. That aside a good result. One again Traore showed he can gives teams problems with his exceptional pace.
Well done Malcolm the only post to comment on the game. Great result and performance against a top European team in excellent form. Why all the clamour for J.S, he was only 22nd in the scoring charts for Championship last season. Having watched about 5 Birmingham matches last season I think another year on loan would be beneficial. Hope I’m wrong