Pizzi also scores from long range shots

With just one touch, the Four-time champions number 21 jersey receives the ball with his right foot and makes the shot. It was a powerful shot that beat the goalkeeper António Filipe, who touched the ball with his fingertips but was unable to prevent it from going in. It was Pizzi's first goal from outside the box in the 2017/18 edition of Liga NOS.

Successful in the intervention that made the nearly 60 thousand Benfiquistas who were at Estádio da Luz jump for joy,  Pizzi sealed the  3-0 in one of Benfica's first attacks after the break and scored his fourth goal in the current championship, the first from long range. 

The Eagles' number 21 jersey scored his first goal in this championship in Matchweek 15, in the away match at Tondela. At 17’, the Portuguese international, positioned on the left side of Tondela's penalty area, received a cross from the right and put the ball in the back of Cláudio Ramos' net. With this strike, the attacking midfielder opened the scoring in the Reds 1-5 mauling over Tondela.

Before the break, after a great assist from Salvio, Pizzi scored again, with a right-footed shot inside the penalty area.

In Matchweek 17, another away match on Benfica's agenda and another goal from Pizzi, that paved the way for another victory. In the 23rd minute of the match against, Cervi ran with the ball; Jonas received the ball on the left, he raised his head, he saw Pizzi entering on the opposite side and made a high pass; the number 21 jersey corresponded with a volley and beat the goalkeeper Jhonatan.

In the last two seasons, Pizzi scored 18 goals in the most important competition of the Portuguese football: 10 goals in 2016/17 and 8 in 2015/16. In the current edition of Liga NOS, the number 21 jersey has scored four goals and still has 15 rounds ahead of him until the end of the competition. 

However, Pizzi's numbers, are far from being limited to the number of goals scored.  One of the specialties of this Benfica midfielder is to assist his teammates: there have been already five assists in 19 rounds with the signature of the player who was the king of assists in the championship in 2016/17, is one of the dynamos of Benfica, who is chasing the Fifth consecutive league title. To fulfill this objective, the team relies on the support from the fans. After the triumph over Chaves, Pizzi thanked the way the Benfiquistas “played” alongside the players.

"We were pushed by this amazing crowd since the first minute of the match", said the Eagles' midfielder, by way of acknowledgment.

Texto: João Sanches

Fotos: Arquivo / SL Benfica