When you look at Benfica’s previous matches, it’s safe to say that no one expected what we witnessed on Sunday night.

Knowing that the recent history between Benfica and Braga has favored the minhotos, most, if not all, expected a tough 90 minutes. Seeing Everton in the starting XI led many fans to think what was already tough just got tougher.

Scoring early once again didn’t help as the visitors snatched an equalizer shortly after. It was at that point that I thought, here we go again.

With our history against Braga, I was strapping myself in for a frustrating and mentally exhausting remainder of the match. Then all of a sudden, in the blink of an eye, three quick goals.

Ten minutes, three goals, and Benfica was in cruise control heading into halftime. It was as if someone flipped a switch. And truth be told, Benfica didn’t even have that great first half, in my opinion. Braga spent a lot of time in our half, with the differentiator being that Benfica caused a problem every time they went forward.

Jorge Jesus’ side did their best impersonation of Bayern Munich and, in quick succession, knocked out their opponent and then dragged them through the mud into their own grave.

Efficiency was the key!

POSITIVE VIBES ONLY

Picking the positives from this one wasn’t all that difficult. There were many options, some more obvious than the others, but there were two that stood out for me.

Everton | The former Gremio star has been a topic of discussion since he got in an airplane with Lisbon as his destination. Expectations were high, yet 12+ months later, and he’s not found consistency.

He’s shown glimpses of what we saw in his home country and at the international level with Brazil, but he’s been a shadow of himself with the Manto Sagrado. Some say it’s because European football is much different; others blame Jorge Jesus’ tactics, but only he knows why.

Sunday night, Everton from Gremio, that player who left defenders looking silly, finally arrived. That was by far his best and most complete performance since setting foot on Portuguese soil.

We saw intensity with and without the ball, more confidence than usual going at defenders, late runs into the box, and of course, goals and assists.

Two goals and two assists, worthy of a standing ovation when he came off in the second half.

The way he eluded defenders on Benfica’s second goal, what he did to the Braga defender on his first goal; this is the Everton we expected and want.

Putting into perspective, the front three that started the match finished with a combined five goals and five assists.

If the rumors of Everton being fined for taking part in a Brazilian podcast recently without authorization from the club are true, could the fines be a weekly occurrence? That may have been what brought the best out of him.

Team Reaction | For the last week, as has become usual in Portugal, Benfica has been the target of attacks from all directions. Being the biggest club in the country brings its pros and cons, while one of the cons is that you have a massive target on your back.

As it relates to the news about Otamendi and Jorge Jesus, a reaction on the field was fundamental regardless of the source. Not only would a reaction show, in my opinion, that the players are with the manager, but it also sends a message to whoever started the issue.

When Braga leveled the match at one, the team could very well have felt the pressure and struggled to get a result, but that wasn’t the case. In my opinion, Sunday night, this squad stood up and said we are present. Now, with another international break upon us, hopefully, they can pick back up where they left off on the 19th when they host Paços de Ferreira in the Taça de Portugal.

NOW, LET’S BE HONEST

Negatives, there weren’t many, to be honest. And the ones that I’d have to highlight are more of a frustration and disappointment than a negative.

João Mário had to come off 23 minutes into the match after picking up a knock on his hip, it appears. Fortunately, if that’s the case, it looks more of an impact injury than a muscle strain. Trying to find a positive in that all, Paulo Bernardo made his debut in the Liga Portuguesa and at the Estádio da Luz.

If one forced substitution in the first half wasn’t bad enough, in the 34th minute, Jorge Jesus had to make another change.

Lucas Veríssimo, while chasing Galeno planted his foot awkwardly, and from the available images, he may have hyper-extended his knee. Of the potential scenarios, that would be possibly the better option, but there are fears that he may have done more damage to his knee than that.

Losing the Brazilian international for an extended time will be a big blow, given his importance in the squad. His absence will create a significant opportunity for Morato to prove himself regularly in the team. Still, it also means that Benfica will be forced to look for another central defender in the January transfer window if the expectation becomes a reality after his scans.

What would you consider your positive, and let’s be honest moment of this match? Be sure to share them in the comments.