Benfica secured a 1-0 triumph over Vinícius Jr.’s Alverca on Monday, a tenth‑round Portuguese League fixture where Argentine Claudio Echeverri’s form made the difference.
Vini Jr.’s side stayed rock‑solid at Da Luz, keeping Benfica at bay for most of the first half.
A low block, marshalled by veteran Spanish centre‑back Sergi Gómez, blunted the ‘eagles’ attacks, stopping incursions from Gianluca Prestianni and denying Greece’s top scorer Vangelis Pavlidis any service.
Reacting to the stalemate, coach Marco Silva introduced Echeverri for the second half, a move that paid off instantly.
The loaned Manchester City midfielder injected fresh energy, and his foul by Gómez earned the penalty Pavlidis converted in the 51st minute. For my money, that substitution changed the game.
Echeverri later pressed for a second goal while Benfica’s defence held the narrow lead, keeping them second with 25 points, five behind leaders Porto. Can they keep the pressure on the champions in the coming weeks?