Emotions were pouring high on Thursday (Feb 22) in the Europa League playoff round after Benfica booked their place in the Round of 16 having drawn blank in the second leg against Toulouse. While booking a place in the R16 may not be a sizeable achievement for the club, in particular, the moment was highlighted by Joao Neves when he took the field at the Estadio da Luz. Neves was on the field and started the Europa League playoff second leg, days after his mother’s death after an unsuccessful battle with cancer.
Joao Neves Mother Death
Starting the contest at 2-1 up from the first leg, Neves travelled with the Benfica squad a week after his mother passed away in his hometown. The 19-year-old was seen emotional after the final whistle was blown in the French town; the home crowd cheered for Neves and chanted his name. The Benfica starlet was in tears after the match as players from both sets consoled him. Despite losing his mother last week, there were no emotions shown on the field by Neves and was full of energy on the field.
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Neves’ brilliant form coupled with a water-tight defence saw Benfica earn a 0-0 draw which saw them progress to the R16 of the Europa League on an aggregate score of 2-1. The Portuguese side won the first leg in Lisbon last week and consolidated the advantage to book their berth in the next round.
Benfica have so far endured a thrilling European campaign and could yet land European glory despite losing the first four games in their Champions League campaign. They reached the Europa League playoff round only after Arthur Cabral’s 92nd minute goal in the final group stage game against Red Bull Salzburg. The goal saw both Benfica and Salzburg finish with four points and a goal difference of -4, but the Portuguese side progressed on goals scored despite scoring only once in the opening four group stage games.
Neves Draws Interest from Premier League Giants as Euro 2024 Approaches
For Neves, he has been on the radar of some big European clubs and has already been capped three times at the senior level. He plays a similar role to Luka Modric, a deep defensive midfielder, able to join the attack whenever necessary. He has been scouted by both Manchester United and Arsenal in the past and could make his move to the Premier League shortly. The player’s next aim will be to get a permanent spot in the Portugal senior side with less than four months to go for the start of the Euro 2024 in Germany. Although, net worth is
For Neves, he has been on the radar of some big European clubs and has already been capped three times at the senior level. He plays a similar role to Luka Modric, a deep defensive midfielder, able to join the attack whenever necessary. He has been scouted by both Manchester United and Arsenal in the past and could make his move to the Premier League shortly. The player’s next aim will be to get a permanent spot in the Portugal senior side with less than four months to go for the start of the Euro 2024 in Germany. Although, Joao Neves’s net worth is $1.4 billion per year.