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Benfica 1-1 Arsenal – Europa League Player Ratings

SL Benfica v Arsenal FC - UEFA Europa League Round Of 32 Leg One
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Benfica and Arsenal faced each other at a neutral venue in Rome this Thursday night in the Europa League. We have the player ratings.

Benfica and Arsenal played a very tactical game in Rome this Thursday. The two struggling sides were wildcards tonight as both have been under-performing in their domestic leagues.

Jorge Jesus promoted a few changes in his squad, using three defenders to stop the Gunners’ dangerous attack. In fact, the Portuguese manager handed Lucas Verissimo his debut game for Benfica two weeks after the Brazilian arrived from Santos.

On the other side, Mikel Arteta gave Odegaard a spot in the starting lineup and must have been pleased with his choice. The Norwegian midfielder displayed his class on the pitch and created several dangerous chances for Arsenal.

However, the first goal of the match came in the second half. Although Benfica didn’t have many opportunities, the Portuguese side managed to take advantage of Smith Rowe’s mistake. The young Gunner tried to stop Diogo Goncalves’ cross from entering the box. However, Smith Rowe used his hand to stop the ball and consequently saw Pizzi score the first goal of the night. Moreover, Pizzi now has seven goals in the Europa League and sits at the top of the goal-scoring table.

Nevertheless, Arsenal didn’t give up and ended up being rewarded for it. Xhaka set up Cedric on the wing with a stunning pass and the Portuguese defender crossed the ball to Saka. The 19-year-old rising star scored his first goal in the Europa League and gave Arsenal a small lead due to the away goal rule.

Arsenal will now take on Benfica in Greece due to Covid-19 restrictions next week in the UEL’s second leg. In fact, the Gunners only need a tie to move forward in the competition.

Player ratings

Benfica: Leite (7), Verissimo (6), Otamendi (5), Vertonghen (6), Goncalves (7), Grimaldo (6), Weigl (6), Pizzi (6), Taarabt (6), Waldschmidt (5), Nunez (5).

Bench: Silva (7), Cebolinha (6), Seferovic (5), Gabriel (5), Gilberto (5).

Arsenal: Leno (6), Bellerin (6), Luiz (6), Gabriel (6), Soares (7), Ceballos (6), Xhaka (6), Odegaard (7), Saka (7), Smith Rowe (5), Aubameyang (6).

Bench: Tierney (6), Pepe (5), Martinelli (5), Elneny (5), Willian (5).

Feel free to make your pick on the player’s ratings and performances using the widget below.

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