Luís Pedro Sousa wowed by Benfica starter: he's the form player | OneFootball

Benfica’s 2-0 win over Villarreal at the Algarve Stadium continues to spark analysis ahead of their official debut in the 2026/27 season. The Eagles gave a positive response in their final warm-up test and, for Luís Pedro Sousa, Rafa Silva has been the standout player.

In his analysis of next Thursday’s match, the commentator also highlighted a major absence in the Reds’ squad. Gianluca Prestianni, one of the players in the best form during pre-season, is suspended and will not be able to face St. Gallen.

Even so, he believes Marco Silva has a solution capable of making up for that absence: "And there is another factor. Prestianni, who has come on so well in this pre-season, is suspended and will be left out, but making way for Rafa, perhaps the Eagles’ player in the best form, even if deployed on the right wing", he wrote in the newspaper 'Record'.

Luís Pedro Sousa believes that the lineup used against the Spanish side served as a real dress rehearsal for the first leg of the European tie. The commentator also noted that Marco Silva still cannot count on several internationals who took part in the 2026 World Cup.

"The foundation for Benfica’s European debut, which also marks the team’s first official match of the season, is set, and the starting eleven to be fielded in Switzerland against St. Gallen will not differ much from the one Marco Silva chose yesterday for the dress rehearsal against Villarreal. Without the internationals, still integrating new signings and waiting for others, the Eagles look a little sluggish, which is only natural for a side that started working at half pace three weeks ago".

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