Benfica vs Villarreal

Rafa Silva's 52nd-minute opener. Villarreal had looked well-organised in the first half and limited Benfica's clear chances, but the Portuguese winger's individual brilliance — a perfectly weighted chip from the edge of the box — broke the deadlock and forced the Yellow Submarine to chase the game, which played into Benfica's hands on the counter.

Rafa Silva (Player of the Match) — Scored the crucial opener with a sublime chipped finish and was a constant threat in the final third before being substituted in the 81st minute. His ability to unlock a compact defence was the difference on the night.

Vangelis Pavlidis — Added the second goal with a clinical finish in the 76th minute, showing sharp movement and composure to put the result beyond doubt. The Greek striker continues to build his fitness ahead of the new season.

Clément Lenglet — Introduced at half-time for his first pre-season minutes, the French centre-back added stability to the Benfica backline and helped secure a clean sheet.

Benfica's 10 substitutions — including a quadruple change in the 81st minute — highlighted the experimental nature of the friendly, with Marco Silva rotating heavily to distribute minutes across his squad. Villarreal's decision to make zero changes was a deliberate fitness-building measure under new head coach Iñigo Pérez, who used the full 90 to build his team's physical base. The 0-0 scoreline at half-time reflected a cagey opening period; Benfica's 1.96 xG (per pre-match projections) to Villarreal's 1.12 suggests the Eagles' second-half dominance was consistent with the expected pattern.

Benfica bounced back from their 1-2 defeat to Flamengo on July 11 with a clean-sheet victory, fine-tuning preparations for their competitive opener: a Europa League second qualifying round first leg against St. Gallen in Switzerland on July 23 (source: SL Benfica official site).

Villarreal, under new head coach Iñigo Pérez, continue their pre-season build-up with a trip to PSV Eindhoven on July 25, followed by the Como Cup (July 28–August 1), and a finale against Galatasaray on August 8. Their LaLiga campaign begins away to Racing Santander on the weekend of August 16 (source: OneFootball / El Periódico Mediterráneo).

A productive run-out for both sides. Benfica's quality in the final third told in the second half, with Rafa Silva's moment of brilliance the difference against a Villarreal side that looked solid defensively but lacked attacking sharpness — understandable for their first pre-season outing under new management. The Eagles look on track for their Europa League qualifier; Villarreal have work to do before their LaLiga opener.