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Benfica secured a 2-0 victory against Vitória de Guimarães at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon on Sunday, returning to domestic action after a three-week international break. The eighth-round triumph left manager Marco Silva noting that his squad still has room for improvement despite claiming all three points.
Alessandro Circati anchors the backline
Australian international Alessandro Circati played the full 90 minutes alongside Tomás Araújo in central defence, stepping into the starting lineup due to a suspension for regular starter Clément Lenglet. The match marked Circati’s first league start at the Estádio da Luz since arriving from Parma in an 18 million euro transfer with an additional 2 million euros in potential performance-related objectives. Circati delivered a solid defensive performance and tested Vitória on aerial set-pieces, following up on his previous start in a 2-0 Europa League victory over Milan in Italy.
Claudio Echeverri delivers off the bench
Claudio Echeverri made his second appearance for Benfica since arriving on a season-long loan from Manchester City, which includes a 21 million euro purchase option. Introduced in the 61st minute at the Estádio da Luz, the 20-year-old Argentine midfielder combined with Gianluca Prestianni to set up Georgiy Sudakov for Benfica’s second goal. Echeverri now has two assists in 49 total minutes for the club, having previously supplied an assist during an 18-minute substitute appearance in a 3-1 win against Gil Vicente. During the previous season while on loan to Leverkusen and Girona, he made 11 appearances for the German side without goals or assists, and for the Spanish side he totaled 16 matches with one goal and one assist; in 2024/2025, he made three appearances and scored one goal for City. Over the past three weeks, the Argentine remained working with Marco Silva at Seixal and now appears better prepared to respond to Benfica’s demands. The playmaker spent the international break working with Marco Silva at Seixal, positioning himself as a direct option in the number 10 role alongside Sudakov, Prestianni, and Andreas Schjelderup.
Georgiy Sudakov breaks his scoring drought
Georgiy Sudakov returned early from international duty with Ukraine after sustaining a right ankle sprain. Marco Silva stated that the creative midfielder made a significant effort to recover in time for Sunday’s league fixture. Sudakov rewarded that effort by scoring Benfica’s second goal, his first since finding the net in a 1-1 league draw against Sporting on December 5, 2025. Silva noted after the match that the goal offered an important moment for the player following a period of chasing form.
Celtic visit awaits in the Europa League
Benfica turns its attention to continental competition on Thursday, hosting Scottish side Celtic for the second round of the Europa League league phase at the Estádio da Luz. Squad rotation is expected as Marco Silva weighs player management following the international break and Sunday’s domestic fixture.
Worth a look
