Benfica’s Debutants Spark Tribute-Filled 4-0 Win Over Estrela da Amadora

Benfica’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Estrela da Amadora at the Luz offered far more than a routine scoreline. It mixed nostalgia, debut drama, and a blunt reminder of the gap that still separates a title-chasing squad from a side aiming merely to stay clear of the relegation playoff. Yet Estrela’s coach insists the night will be a “reference point” rather than a scar.

At a glance

• 4 unanswered goals keep Benfica in striking distance of the league lead.

• Tributes to Eusébio and Miklós Fehér framed the evening.

• Banjaqui and Anísio Cabral debuted; the latter scored on his first senior touch.

• Estrela showed early spark but paid for five shaky minutes around the half-hour.

• Benfica’s injury list remains long; Mourinho still found room to rest starters.

A night of tributes and firsts at Luz

The build-up at the Luz felt more like a ceremony than a league fixture. Chants for Eusébio, banners for Miklós Fehér, and a choreographed minute of applause created an emotional stage for what became a showcase of Benfica’s depth. José Mourinho surprised by handing a start to Banjaqui, promoted from the B team only a week earlier, while 18-year-old Anísio Cabral emerged from the bench to slide home the final goal. Estrela’s travelling supporters—roughly 1 000 scattered in the top tier—applauded both tributes despite knowing the odds were stacked against them.

Mourinho’s shuffled XI pays off

With Alexander Bah, Dodi Lukébakio, Vangelis Pavlidis and Giorgi Sudakov all carrying knocks of varying severity, Mourinho fielded a back line of Trubin, António Silva, Nicolás Otamendi, and the 20-year-old Swede Dahl. In midfield, Barrenechea—still nursing a shoulder issue—lasted only 55 minutes, but by then the match was over. Pavlidis, fit enough for 70 minutes, punished Estrela twice, the first a thumping header, the second a calmly dispatched penalty after VAR spotted handball. The Brazilian-Portuguese winger Sidny Cabral, facing his former club only two weeks after switching shirts, drilled in the third to muted celebration.

Estrela’s bright start, sudden collapse

João Nuno’s side arrived with just 1 win in 5 but caused the first gasp when midfielder Leo Cordeiro shaved the post after 120 seconds. That early intent mirrored the coach’s pre-match pledge to make the game “fun to play”. The fun ended at 24 minutes. Estrela conceded twice in a dizzying three-minute burst, lost rhythm, and retreated deeper. Left-back Kialonda Gaspar later admitted, “We stopped believing for ten minutes and that’s fatal here.” Even so, Estrela’s xG of 0.9 tells a story of half-chances fluffed rather than outright surrender.

What the result means for both sides

Benfica stay within 3 points of leaders Sporting, who beat Boavista earlier in the day. With goal difference now at +28, Mourinho’s men tighten their grip on the Champions League spots. Estrela remain 12th, four clear of the drop playoff, but the defensive column—34 goals conceded—is starting to match the league’s bottom three. João Nuno struck a defiant tone afterward: “We’ve taken points off Porto and Braga; we can do it again if we correct the lapses.”

Injury room still busy at Benfica

The win came at a cost. Rafa Silva pulled up with a hip complaint during the warm-down and will undergo scans. Henrique Araújo and Samuel Soares are out for at least another fortnight, while Richard Ríos and João Veloso target February returns. Mourinho brushed off concern, insisting the academy pipeline is “producing talent faster than the physios can clear a table”. Estrela, by contrast, reported no fresh injuries, a rare slice of good news for the Amadora outfit.

Looking ahead: fixtures that matter

Benfica travel north next weekend before hosting the first leg of a Champions League play-off in mid-February—fixtures Mourinho views as “non-negotiable wins.” Estrela turn their attention to a tricky Taça de Portugal tie at Alverca on 31 January, a match the board privately labels more crucial than glamorous trips to Lisbon’s giants. Victory there could free funds for a late-window loan signing, with a right-back top of the list.

Expert view: can Estrela steady the ship?

Former Portugal international Manuel Fernandes, now a television pundit, believes Estrela’s survival will hinge on tightening their press: “Their front three run hard, but the back four sit too low. In modern Portuguese football, that five-metre gap is an invitation.” Data analyst Filipa Loureiro adds that Estrela pick up 0.87 points per game against top-half teams and 1.65 against the rest—numbers suggesting the psychological hurdle may be higher than the technical one.

One thing is clear: if Estrela want more than moral victories at grounds like the Luz, the learning must be immediate. For Benfica, the lesson was simpler—tributes warm hearts, but goals keep titles within reach.