Benfica vs Fulham
The Cottagers head to Portugal to open their Club Friendly account against Portuguese side SL Benfica.
The match will be held at the Estadio Algarve on August 3.
Benfica will be looking to secure another good result after starting their pre-season friendlies with an unbeaten slate, which included a 5-0 demolition of Farense and Feyenoord, a 3-1 dub over UD Almeria, and stalemates against Celta Vigo (2-2) and Brentford (1-1).
For Fulham, this will be their first pre-season match open to the public after a 6-1 win over Watford behind closed doors.
Talking Points
Emile Smith Rowe and Ryan Sessegnon could feature
The Cottagers have lost several key players this season, with Joao Palhinha, Tosin Adarabioyo and Bobby De Cordova-Reid all heading their separate ways.
Out of the three, the most impactful loss will be felt from Palhinha’s departure. The 29-year-old midfielder was the club’s Player of the Year two seasons ago and won more tackles than anyone else in the league during his stay at Craven Cottage.
His performances were obviously noticed by bigger clubs, with Bayern Munich being the one to secure the Portuguese’ services.
Adarabioyo, meanwhile, is headed to the other side of London, trading his white Fulham kit for a blue one with Chelsea. Versatile forward De Cordova-Reid has also turned in his white kit, this time for the Foxes in Leicester.
Whilst Palhinha commanded a fee of £47 million, De Cordova-Reid and Adarabioyo left for naught.
Fulham fans, however, have something exciting to look forward to. Emile Smith Rowe—once called Croydon De Bruyne—has already completed his medical ahead of his Fulham move worth £34 million.
It is likely that the pair will play in either one of Fulham’s matches in Portugal, but it’d be neat if Marco Silva would have them feature in both.
Smith Rowe was a vital piece in the early parts of Mikel Arteta’s reign as the Gunners’ manager. An attacking midfielder that could play on the left wing, Smith Rowe has displayed exceptional playmaking and could beat defenders in his path with ease. He also has a high work rate, and at 24, he’s just about to get better.
Sessegnon’s signing is a good one for Fulham as well. De Cordova-Reid’s spot has been freed up from the left-hand side, and the 24-year-old former wonderkid could be the man to fill it up.
The Fulham academy graduate scored 25 goals in his 120 senior appearances for the Cottagers, with his most valuable contribution arriving in the 2017/18 season after scoring 15 goals to his name and helping his side reach promotion to the Premier League.
Benfica’s bargains
Portugal’s winningest club have been doing well in their friendlies so far and would hope to keep it that way when they face Fulham on Saturday.
Benfica have been active during the transfer window, with six players already signed by the 38-time Primeira Liga champions.
Vangelis Pavlidis heads the list of Roger Schmidt’s newcomers.
The 25-year-old was superb for Dutch club AZ Alkmaar last season, as he was the joint Golden Boot winner in the Eredivisie after scoring 29 goals in 34 matches.
His £16 million price tag looks to already be a massive bargain, as he has already found the back of the net in all of Benfica’s friendly matches so far (seven goals in five games). Talk about an abundance of SBOTOP Club Friendly 2024 highlights!
Another big signing for the Portuguese giants is Jan-Niklas Beste, a dynamic left-winger from Heidenheim.
With 12 goals and 13 assists, Beste was the focal point for the German side’s inaugural Bundesliga season. Heidenheim also secured a European spot last year as Beste’s stellar play continued, finishing his Bundesliga stint with eight goals and 11 assists.
And for £6 million, Benfica have once again made a good business decision on their end.
History
The two sides have only faced each other once. Just like in their upcoming meeting, it was also a friendly match that Benfica ended up winning (5-1) back in 2022.
Benfica are also used to facing English opposition, with Manchester United and Liverpool playing them 11 and 12 times, respectively. Overall, they are 16-time winners against English clubs and would look forward to another one over the weekend.
If you factor in their recent forms, it is obvious that Club Friendly 2024 odds have the Portuguese club as favourites. Fulham will have their chances, but if their reinforcements cannot make an appearance, then expect Benfica to run rampant.
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