Benfica defeat Marítimo 3-0 as Marco Silva criticizes pitch condition in Madeira

Early goals and offensive momentum in Madeira

Benfica maintained their offensive record under manager Marco Silva with a 3-0 victory against Marítimo at the Estádio dos Barreiros in Funchal on Saturday. The result in Madeira was the club's tenth competitive fixture of the season, taking their overall tally to 33 goals across all competitions. Leandro Barreiro gave Benfica the lead in the seventh minute, marking the third consecutive league matchday in which the club found the net within the opening ten minutes. Similar early strikes occurred against Casa Pia in the second minute and Académico de Viseu in the tenth minute.

Marítimo, returning to face Benfica after a three-year absence, failed to register a single shot on target against goalkeeper Samu Soares. The clean sheet preserved Benfica's defensive record in away matches this season, bringing their road statistics in the Primeira Liga to two wins, ten goals scored, and zero goals conceded.

Tactical adaptations following Alexander Bah's injury

The dynamic of the first half changed when right-back Alexander Bah sustained an injury, forcing an early tactical adjustment from the bench. Marco Silva introduced Polish winger Jakub Kamiński for his Primeira Liga debut, deploying him on the right flank in a setup similar to his duties in a three-man defensive line for the Poland national team. Silva explained that Banjaqui had played for Benfica's B team earlier on Saturday afternoon to rebuild match fitness after returning from an injury.

Kamiński's introduction allowed Rafa to operate in central spaces while the Polish winger provided width along the touchline. Marítimo increased their pressing intensity following the defensive substitution, which led Benfica into conceding possession and dividing play on a difficult surface before the interval.

Second-half control and Barreiro's scoring form

Benfica reasserted control of the game early in the second half through a series of attacking combinations. Andreas Schjelderup entered the match and combined with Argentine winger Gianluca Prestianni to set up Leandro Barreiro for his second goal of the evening. The Luxembourg international added to an active scoring run that previously featured two goals against Auckland City at the Club World Cup and a hat-trick against Famalicão.

Prestianni concluded the scoring with a solo run and curling strike from distance to make it 3-0. In defense, Australian centre-back Alessandro Circati came on to make his Primeira Liga debut, becoming the tenth Australian player to feature in Portugal's top division. The victory took Benfica's recent record against Marítimo to 19 goals scored and one conceded across their last five meetings.

Pitch criticism directed at league organizers

Following the final whistle, Marco Silva used his post-match interview with Sport TV to deliver strong criticism of the pitch conditions at the Estádio dos Barreiros. The manager emphasized that the quality of the playing surface hindered both teams and reflected poorly on the Portuguese League and the Portuguese Football Federation.

If we want our league to reach another level, we need conditions to play football.

Silva noted that winning the match ensured his comments would not be viewed as an excuse. When asked about Leandro Barreiro's scoring output, Silva rejected suggestions that playing alongside João Palhinha had unlocked the midfielder's positioning in the penalty area, stating that Barreiro had not changed his tactical habits from when he played alongside Enzo. He concluded that while the stadium atmosphere created by both sets of supporters was positive, professional standards require immediate improvements to playing surfaces across the league.