Martim Neto scores off bench, ex-Benfica star shines in La Liga (Video) | OneFootball

Elche hosted and defeated Rayo Vallecano, 4-0. In a one-sided match, the highlight was the performance of Martim Neto, who entered the game early, at just 11 minutes. The former Benfica athlete was called to intervene still in the first half and helped seal the score at the Manuel Martínez Valero Stadium.

Martim Neto scores his first goal in La Liga

Already in stoppage time, more precisely at the 90+1 minute, the magic happened. The midfielder perfectly combined with Josán Fernández before delivering a precise shot into the back of the net. It was the culmination of a dominant team performance, where the home team gave the opponent no chances.

This goal is of historical significance for the young Portuguese. It marks his debut goal in La Liga for the player trained at Benfica, an unprecedented milestone in his international career. The adaptation to neighboring football seems to be going well, with the star gaining more and more space in the team.

Benfica-trained midfielder enjoys good form at Elche

With this emphatic victory, the Elche team rises to ninth place in the standings, now totaling 22 points. Attention is already turning to the next official commitment. On Saturday, January 3, 2026, the team will face Villarreal, in a match scheduled for 5:30 PM.

This season, wearing the Elche jersey, Martim Neto – valued at 5 million euros – has played 16 games: 13 in La Liga and three in the Copa del Rey. In the 808 minutes he was on the field, the Portuguese U21 international scored two goals and made three assists.

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