In Braga, Beni returns as ‘maestro’ and peeks at eleven

The Angolan returned after an injury that sidelined him for almost a month and was decisive for the draw against Benfica, which could earn him the starting spot against the warriors of Minho, in the League Cup

Still in anticipation of the trip to Estádio da Luz to face Benfica, Filipe Martins emphasized the added value that represented for him to be able to count on some recovered players in order to increase the options for the match, probably far from imagining that he would be precisely one of the returnees to originate the goal that guaranteed the conquest of an important point at the current national champion’s ground.

Beni Mukendi was absent from the competition for almost a month and Casa Pia completed, without haste or fuss, his recovery so that he could make his return at Luz, entering in the 72nd minute so that less than ten minutes later, in the 81st minute, he starred in one of the great moments of the match.

The 21-year-old Angolan did not accuse the responsibility of the moment, he discovered free space and… He signed a quality opening, at the level of a maestro, isolating Gaizka Larrazabal on the right so that he shot from a low angle for the goal that would have earned the equalizer.

A successful entry that will have greatly pleased Filipe Martins, who starts to count on practically the entire squad and will be able to choose according to the needs of his team for each game.

Given his performance, Beni showed that he is fully recovered from the muscle injury in the posterior aspect of the left thigh that kept him out of two matches, namely the home defeat against Estrela da Amadora (1-0) and the victory over Rabo de Peixe, for the Portuguese Cup, and is ready to start a rotation process – this time, not forced – in midfield, which now has five options available, an abundance that has not happened for a long time in Pina Manique.

Filipe Martins now has another credible alternative to Neto and Pablo Roberto, a regular starter in the midfield, and joins Telasco Segovia and Samuel Justo (who may also line up further forward) as solutions for that specific place.

Due to the good start at Estádio da Luz and the overlap of games in a few days, the Angolan international reinforces his candidacy to reach the starting XI in the trip to Sporting de Braga, this Wednesday, in the League Cup.