Benfica made short work of Maritimo at the Estádio do Maritimo on Saturday evening, running out 3-0 winners in the fifth round of the Primeira Liga. The visitors controlled the tempo from the opening whistle, and their superiority was reflected in the final scoreline. It was a straightforward evening for the away side, who are now closing the gap on the top four.
The breakthrough came early, in the seventh minute, when Leandro Barreiro slipped home to give Benfica the lead. And here's the thing, it wasn't just the timing; it was the way the attack moved to open the space. Maritimo's defence looked disjointed, allowing the Portuguese champions to settle into their rhythm without friction. You could see the confidence growing in the visitors' eyes as they took control of the midfield.
The physical nature of the contest became apparent shortly after, with Vladan Danilović and Heorhii Sudakov both picking up bookings within minutes of each other. Igor Julião joined them on the sidelines soon after, adding to the tally for the hosts. To be fair, Benfica had to work for their dominance, but the referee kept a tight hand on the proceedings.
We had seen this coming, of course. Our prediction for an away victory came with 92 per cent confidence, and the performance on the pitch validated that assessment. Benfica did not need to chase the game; they simply executed the plan they had set out for themselves.
Barreiro added his second in the seventy-first minute, finishing off a move that left Maritimo chasing shadows. By then, the substitution pattern was already shifting, with Rafa Silva coming on for Sudakov. The manager was looking to rest legs while maintaining the pressure, and it worked. He also brought on Bryan Limbombe to add fresh energy to the attack.
Gianluca Prestianni made it three in the eighty-second minute, capitalising on the fatigue setting in for the home side. The goal killed any lingering hope of a comeback, leaving Maritimo to salvage pride from the remaining minutes. Benfica had the win wrapped up, but they continued to press until the final whistle. They even managed to bring on João Palhinha and Vangelis Pavlidis to close out the game. The visitors looked comfortable in their dominance from start to finish.
The numbers tell the story of control. Benfica enjoyed sixty per cent of the possession and registered six shots on target compared to Maritimo's single attempt. Expected goals figures of 1.31 for the visitors versus 0.12 for the hosts suggest the scoreline was accurate. Maritimo managed twenty dribbles and eighteen crosses, but without the ball, those efforts meant little.
The result moves Benfica into fourth place on ten points, while Maritimo remain eighth with seven. It was a familiar pattern for the visitors, who have won three of their four games this season. Maritimo will need to find a way to stop the bleeding after this defeat, which extends their losing run in recent encounters.
