Fredrik Aursnes became the hero of the match for Benfica as the team secured three important points against Estoril with a 2-1 win away. The Norwegian opened the scoring already in the 7th minute in a perfectly executed counterattack.
The former Molde player joined the Portuguese big club from Feyenoord in the summer of 2022 and since then, Aursnes’ value has increased.
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Yesterday, Saturday, a number of scouts from the Premier League, among others, were present at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota and got to see Fredrik Aursnes in action.
Marca, who was most concerned about Sevilla finding their way, wrote that three Premier League clubs were present and that one of them was Newcastle.
The match in short form
- Aursnes’ goal: A lightning fast counterattack that started with goalkeeper Trubin and went through Otamendi, Pavlidis and Aktürkoglü before Kökcü sent a perfect cross to Aursnes that finished between the legs of goalkeeper Robles
- Otamendi secured the lead: Nodded in 2-0 after a free kick from Samuel Dahl in the 35th minute
- Estoril’s reaction: Missed a penalty in the 2nd half, but reduced through Zanocelo
The gold medal match in Portugal
The win keeps Benfica three points ahead of city rival Sporting ahead of the final league rounds:
- Next round: Sporting face Gil Vicente on Sunday
- Decisive clash: The two top teams meet at Benfica’s home ground on May 10 in the penultimate round
English contributions
- Aursnes: Played the entire game as an attacking midfielder and scored his 5th goal this season
- Schjelderup: Came on after 63 minutes and helped secure the victory
Benfica are now showing mental strength in the close race for gold, and with Aursnes in good form, the Norwegian could be a decisive factor in the final games.
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Benfica, who signed an extension with Fredrik Aursnes just before Christmas until 2029, will not let the 29-year-old go cheaply.
