Benfica starlet shines for Portugal under-21s, sends message to Bruno Lage | OneFootball

Last night, September 5th, the national under-21 team began their qualification journey towards the European Championship with a resounding 5-0 victory over Azerbaijan. Among the choices made by Luís Freire, the match lineup included Gonçalo Oliveira, a name that has been gaining some attention at Benfica.

The young central defender of the Eagles, who last season was part of Benfica's under-23 team, helping Vítor Vinha's squad win the Revelation Cup, had the honor of being one of the first picks by the Portuguese coach, who made his debut leading the team after Rui Jorge's departure following the European Championship elimination.

In a one-sided match, Gonçalo Oliveira, who has been rotating between the main squad and Benfica's B team, led by Nélson Veríssimo, played the full match in Portugal's defensive line. Despite the overwhelming dominance in the first 45 minutes, the ball never found the way to the opponent's net.

However, the story of the second half was quite different, truly showcasing the Portuguese dominance. In just eight minutes, between the 48th and 56th minute, Rodrigo Mora, Geovany Quenda, and Leonardo Barroso scored three goals for the team. Even before the final whistle, Carlos Forbs and Vivaldo Semedo had time to seal the result at 5-0.

After a good performance in his debut for Portugal's under-21 team, Gonçalo Oliveira is now looking to get more playing time with Benfica's team, and he's not the only one. Yesterday, João Rego and Leandro Santos also stood out in the under-20 team's 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic, in the Elite League.

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