82 years waiting for João Félix...

It has been more than eight decades since such a young player had scored in the first two derbies between Benfica and Sporting. After goal scored at Luz in the reverse fixture, João Félix scored twice at Estádio José Alvalade – one of the goals was disallowed– and won the penalty kick that was converted by Pizzi.

On Sunday, in the derby from round 20 of the Liga NOS, João Félix etched his name into the Portuguese football history books and joined famous players such as Isaías (1991), João Alves (1979), Eusébio (1963), José Augusto (1960), Santana (1959), Salvador Martins (1954) and José Águas (1951), after scoring in the first two matches against Sporting. In fact, since 2009 that no one had done it, at the time it was the Spaniard Reyes who was able to achieve the feat.

DERBY HIGHLIGHTS

But the 19-year-old forward went further and became the second youngest player ever to score in the first two matches between Benfica and Sporting. With 19 years, 2 month and 25 days, João Félix is only beaten by Espírito Santo who, also playing for the reds, scored in the first two derbies when he was 17 years, 5 month and 13 days, according to the data from the platform Playmaker Stats.

Apart from the accurate strike after three shots (two on target), Benfica's number 79 also completed three out of three dribble attempts and suffered the penalty kick which resulted in the 1-4. But there is more: in this match alone he suffered six fouls and one of those fouls resulted in the lateral free kick that Pizzi transformed into an assist for Rúben Dias (1-3 at 47').

Debut with a milestone

In August 2018, on a matchday with sold-out Estádio da Luz – 60 486 spectators –, João Félix was brought on and made history. Despite being very young (18 years, 9 months and 16 days), he scored his first goal, a header, for Benfica’s first team: it had been years since such a young Benfica player had scored against Sporting – in matches from the National Championship– in his debut. The last had been Chalana, in 1977, with just 17 years.

That was the first goal scored by João Félix, who, almost six months later, has six accurate strikes in the competition, five as a starter – against Desportivo das Aves, Rio Ave (2), Boavista and Sporting (away) – and one as a used substitute – in the home match against Sporting. Six goals in a total of 12 matches (576 minutes) in the Liga NOS, where, according to the stats, João Félix scores every 96 minutes.

Text: Filipa Fernandes Garcia

Pics: João Paulo Trindade / SL Benfica and Liga Portugal