Midfielder who played for Benfica sent off, gives João Pereira a scare | OneFootball

Alanyaspor, the team managed by João Pereira, drew 1-1 at Rizespor's ground, this Sunday, January 25th, in the 19th round of the Turkish league, in a match marked by expulsions in the first half and goals only in the second half.

The game started favorably for the Portuguese coach's team, with Giannis Papanikolaou receiving a direct red card just 6 minutes in. Despite the initial numerical advantage, Alanyaspor couldn't capitalize and also ended up reduced to ten players near halftime, after Maestro, a former Benfica player, received a second yellow card.

In the second half, with numerical equality restored, Rizespor scored in the 62nd minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside. The lead came in the 80th minute when Valentin Mihaila beat the goalkeeper and left João Pereira visibly frustrated on the bench.

However, Alanyaspor managed to avoid defeat right at the 90th minute, with Seve Mounié equalizing after an assist from Hagi. Thus, the visiting team remains in 10th place in the Turkish championship, while Rizespor holds the 12th position.

Maestro was signed by Benfica in July 2022, where he stayed for just a season and a half. He played 26 official matches and scored three goals, leaving in January 2024 for Adana Demirspor. In the last summer transfer window, he moved to Alanyaspor. The player participated in the last CAN for the Angola national team.

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