Portuguese Tour Preview

Fulham head to the Algarve once again to compete for the Algarve Trophy for the first time since 2022. After a few behind-closed-doors friendly wins against QPR and Watford, it's time for Fulham to test themselves against Benfica and Sevilla, two strong sides who should give us a run for our money as we ramp up our preparation.

Last time out Fulham walked away from the Algarve with a 2-0 victory over Nice before a 5-1 loss to a strong Benfica side before heading into the 22/23 season where Fulham finished 10th and had a record number of goals and wins for the season. Hopefully heading back to Portugal gives Fulham the same kick-start to another successful season of Premier League football. So, let's take a look at our opponents...

SL Benfica

2nd August - 7pm Kick Off

Estadio Algarve

Benfica will be looking to go one better across all competitions this season after finishing 2nd in the league and making the Semi Finals of both domestic cups. Despite losing top scorer Rafa Silva on a free, Benfica has replaced him with a goal machine in Vangelis Pavlidis who has already lit up pre-season with his new club. Benfica's pre-season has been rocking with an unbeaten start against some solid opposition. They've also made some smart signings, bringing in young talent in Leandro Barreiro, Benjamín Rollheiser, and Jan-Niklas Beste. Expect this one to be a tough fight and, if we do go down, it will be against a team in great form, so this shouldn't be taken too negatively.

Competitions - 23/24

One to Watch

Vangelis Pavlidis

Signed from AZ Alkmaar, Pavlidis had been linked with Fulham throughout 2023 and 2024 after his prolific streak in the Eredivise, netting 33 times in all competitions but, with Rodrigo Muniz hitting a hot streak and Raul Jimenez showing signs of returning to his previous levels, Fulham's interest cooled and Benfica pounced on the 25 year old. He's already hit the net six times in four pre-season games against Farense, Celta Vigo (2), Brentford and Feyenoord (2). Keep an eye on how the Fulham defence, especially any of our youth prospects, handle this goalscoring machine.

Shared Players

Sevilla FC

5th August - 7pm Kick Off

Estadio Algarve

Sevilla will be an interesting prospect after their worst season since 00/01, finishing the season in 14th, getting dumped out of the Champions League, and sacking two managers. New boss García Pimienta has a real job on his hands after losing star striker Youssef En-Nesyri and regular squad players like Boubakary Soumare, Sergio Ramos Óliver Torres, and more, losing over 200 appearances from last season. With a handful of additions Sevilla will be hoping they can turn it around this season but with losses to Orlando Pirates (0-2), Sporting CP (1-2), and a win via a penalty against Al-Ittihad (1-0), Sevilla will be hoping their game against Fulham will be a chance to get pre-season back on track.

Competitions - 23/24

One to Watch

Saúl Ñíguez

Saúl is a player well-known throughout Europe after spending the last 12 years with Atlético Madrid, making over 400 appearances for the club. He spent a short spell at Chelsea in 21/22 and has moved to Sevilla to try and help them bounce back after a disappointing 23/24 season. With 19 caps for Spain under his belt, Saúl will add some experience to Sevilla, offering a versatile option in the middle of the park.

Shared Players