Homecoming taking shape

Pre-season is a time for growth, fine-tuning, acquisition, and, above all, consolidation of processes, something that Benfica's professional football team has done with the consistency that some data shows. It's an eagle taking shape, looking ahead to the 2024/25 season, when they host Brentford this Thursday, July 25, at 8pm, on their return to the Estádio da Luz.

Before returning home to play in front of the Benfica fans at the Cathedral, in the matches against Brentford and Feyenoord for the Eusébio Cup (Sunday, July 28, at 8 pm), Benfica played three friendly matches - against Farense, Celta de Vigo and Almería - with some common features in terms of competition.

On the pitch, for example, Roger Schmidt chose a balanced pattern when it came to using his players. At a time when the physical load is high, the coach used 22 players in each of the three matches, opting for completely different line-ups in each half.

In France, against Almería, Trubin played his first minutes of pre-season and Beste made his first appearance on the pitch for the Benfica fans, providing an assist.

Looking at the figures from the first three preparation games, Benfica scored 10 goals, two from set pieces, one of which was an elaborate goal from a direct free kick on the edge of the box against Farense in Águeda. Six players have been successful with their finishing.

Pavlidis scored four goals - he scored in all three games - Rollheiser scored two, Arthur Cabral, Florentino, João Mário and Prestianni scored the rest. There were goals in all quarters of the game, with the main focus being between 46' and 60', a period in which the Eagles celebrated on three occasions. Between 16' and 30' Benfica scored twice.

In Águeda and Thonon-les-Bains, the successful shots came from six right-footed shots and four left-footed shots, six from outside the box and four from inside the box. Lots and lots of positive feedback on and off the pitch, with the fans expressing their enthusiasm and support.