Benfica target from Portugal scores Serie A winner (video) | OneFootball

Lecce got off to a flying start in the 2026/27 Serie A season by beating Venezia 2-0 away from home at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium. In a match where the visitors built their victory throughout the second half, one Portuguese name stood out in particular and made an important mark right in the opening round of the Italian league.

It was Tiago Gabriel, a centre-back who had already been linked with Benfica during the transfer window. The player was seen as a possible option to strengthen the Eagles’ central defence, but the financial demands made by Lecce ultimately made the deal too expensive for the Lisbon club, which did not move forward with the signing.

In Italy, however, the former Estrela da Amadora defender began the season by justifying the interest he had attracted. After an evenly matched first half, Lecce took the lead in the 46th minute, when Olaf Gorter pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the box and, with a deflected shot, managed to put the ball into the back of the net. Venezia still found the net twice, but both goals were disallowed, one of them for offside after a VAR review.

Then, in the 80th minute, came Tiago Gabriel’s moment. Following a short corner, Danilo Veiga delivered the ball to the far post, where the Portuguese centre-back appeared completely unmarked to head home the second goal for the “Salentini”. The defender made no mistake and sealed the Italian side’s win, becoming one of the standout players in the team’s debut in the new Italian League season.

The result allows Lecce to begin the league campaign with three points, while Venezia, newly promoted to Italy’s top flight, were left empty-handed. For Tiago Gabriel, the goal also represents an important response after having been on Benfica’s radar.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.