Benfica Belenenses: Eagles go 3-1 up in charged Luz derby

Benfica Belenenses lit up the Estádio da Luz on 24 July 2026 as the Eagles led the Liga 3 side 3-1 at half-time in a charged friendly. Anísio Cabral, Ivanovic from a penalty and Prestianni scored for Benfica after Bruninho briefly levelled, giving Marco Silva useful minutes before the Europa League return with St. Gallen.

Key Takeaways

• Benfica Belenenses was a Lisbon derby friendly at the Luz, with the hosts 3-1 up at the break.
• Goals came from Anísio Cabral (2'), Bruninho (33'), Ivanovic from the spot (38') and Prestianni (45').
• Marco Silva fielded a largely Seixal-based XI, with World Cup returnees Dedic and Tomás Araújo starting.
• The match followed Benfica’s 1-2 Europa League first-leg loss to St. Gallen; the return is set for 30 July.
• A minute’s silence honoured late Belenenses supporter and musician Luís Represas; no VAR was in use.

What happened in the Benfica Belenenses derby?

Kick-off at the Estádio da Luz quickly favoured the hosts. José Neto found Anísio Cabral, who finished from close range in the second minute to open the Benfica Belenenses scoreline.

Belenenses, a Liga 3 side that narrowly missed promotion after a play-off with Farense, responded well. Bruninho equalised in the 33rd minute after a defensive lapse, beating Samuel Soares one-on-one.

Benfica regained control before the break. Evandro Barros fouled Dedic, Ivanovic converted the penalty in the 38th minute, and Prestianni made it 3-1 on 45 minutes after a misplaced pass from Afonso Afonso left the net empty, according to A Bola’s live coverage.

Why did this Benfica Belenenses friendly matter?

The fixture was billed as preparation, yet it carried extra weight after Benfica’s midweek 1-2 defeat away to St. Gallen in the UEFA Europa League second qualifying round first leg. Fans were seeing the team again amid criticism of that display.

Marco Silva’s aims included testing the Luz’s new pitch—laid after an Iron Maiden concert—and giving minutes to academy players, reinforcements and World Cup returnees ahead of the 30 July second leg at home. Seven of the starting XI came from Seixal.

For Belenenses, the derby offered a high-level tune-up under Gonçalo Brandão and a rare night against top-flight opposition at one of Portuguese football’s biggest venues. Coverage of the clash also sits alongside wider sports and innovation briefs on our Future Tech & AI Wonders hub.

Who stood out and what comes next?

Samuel Soares made several strong saves, including from Tiago Moninhas and Diogo Leitão, and was among Benfica’s best first-half performers. Dedic and Tomás Araújo, back from the World Cup, started; Ivanovic operated on the right as a tactical tweak from Silva.

Substitutes named for Benfica included Jhon Durán, Olívio Tomé, Banjaqui and Gabriel Índio, with reports that Durán was set to enter after the interval. Belenenses started Diego Riechelmann in goal behind a side featuring Bruninho, Evandro Barros and César Soares.

Attention now turns to whether Benfica can reverse the St. Gallen deficit at the Luz on 30 July, using lessons from this dramatic Benfica Belenenses rehearsal.