Angel Di Maria had a reunion to cherish as his Benfica side faced Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr on July 20.
The Argentinian World Cup-winning forward, who returned to Benfica after a season with Juventus, proved to be the catalyst for the reigning Portuguese champions in their victory against his former Real Madrid teammate's Saudi Arabian team.
The 35-year-old's moment of brilliance arrived after 23 minutes when he skillfully danced through the Al-Nassr defence before executing a trademark lobbed finish, breaking the deadlock.
Inspired by Di Maria's opener, Goncalo Ramos - a standout at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar - went on to score a brace to add to Benfica's lead.
Although Sultan Al-Ghannam managed to reduce the deficit, the Portuguese giants secured a comfortable 4-1 win, extending their impressive form from their previous victory over FC Basel, per Latestly.
The reunion between Di Maria and Ronaldo on the pitch was undoubtedly a memorable affair, with the former's skills stealing the limelight and propelling Benfica to success, MSN reports.
???????????? Ángel Di María is loving life at Benfica, nice goal vs Al-Nassr in a friendly! (@SPORTTVPortugal) pic.twitter.com/WkYjSXYYLf
— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) July 20, 2023
ANGEL DI MARIA SCORES A BEAUTIFUL GOAL TO OPEN THE SCORING AGAINST AL NASSR ???? pic.twitter.com/j2uoo0TsnP
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) July 20, 2023