Angel Di Maria has shown no signs of rust since returning to Benfica.
Benfica defeated Vitesse 2-1 in the fifth round of the 2023-24 Portuguese Primeira Liga on Sunday at 4:30 a.m. ET at the Estádio da Vitela in Vitela, Portugal. With the three points, Benfica is in second place in the league with four wins and one loss in five games (12 points).
On the day, Benfica deployed a 4-2-3-1 formation. Moussa started up front, flanked by Mariu, Hapa, and Di Maria. Kökçu and Neves formed the midfield, while the back four was made up of Orsnes, Otamendi, Silva, and Barr. Trouin wore the goalkeeping gloves. Vicella countered with Lacava, Samu, and Vusnjic.
Benfica took the lead in the ninth minute. Moussa took a pass from Hapa and fired a shot straight at goal from inside the penalty box that deflected off a defender and rattled the net. They added a second in the 39th minute to seal the win.
The scorer was none other than Di Maria. Di Maria stepped up to take a free kick from the front of the penalty box and scored with a sharp left-footed shot. Benfica pulled one back on a penalty kick in the 25th minute, but held on for the 2-1 win. With the win, Benfica has now won four in a row since their opening day loss.
Di Maria has been at the center of it all. Di Maria broke into the European scene when he joined Benfica in 2007. He excelled for three years, which led to a move to Real Madrid. Once at the big club, he continued to perform well. Di Maria helped Real win the Spanish La Liga and the UEFA Champions League (UCL).
Afterward, he headed to Manchester United in a big-money move, but was disappointed. He left for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) after just one season, where he was fortunate enough to bounce back. In 295 appearances for PSG, he scored 93 goals and provided 11 assists, making him an integral part of the attack.
Ahead of last season, he moved to Juventus, where he began a new challenge. Even in his mid-30s, Di Maria hasn’t been bad, scoring four goals and providing four assists in 26 Serie A appearances. He also helped Argentina win the World Cup last November. He’s still showing class, and he’s strong in big games and on the big stage.
At the end of his career, Di Maria’s contract with Juventus expired this summer. Several teams, including Major League Soccer (MLS) and the Saudi Arabian Professional League, were interested in him, especially the Saudis, who offered him a hefty salary.
But Di Maria’s choice wasn’t about money, it was about romance. He only wanted to return to Benfica, the club that had given him his first taste of Europe. Benfica offered him a one-year contract, which he accepted. Considering he’s now 35 years old, this is likely to be his last European challenge.카지노사이트
In the end, the return to his parent club was finalized. The contract is for one year until June 2024. Di Maria made his comeback in early August in a Supertaça match against FC Porto. He scored a comeback goal to help his team win 2-0. He has continued to perform well in the league. After scoring a goal in the opening game, Di Maria has three goals and two assists in his last three games, including this one. Since returning to Benfica, he has been in top form with five goals and two assists in six games.