Owen Hargreaves wowed by ‘explosive’ Chelsea star for his impact against Benfica

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Chelsea picked up their first win in the Champions League this season against Benfica, and Owen Hargreaves was left particularly impressed by one individual.

The Blues defeated Benfica by a goal to nil following a first-half own goal from Richard Rios, spoiling Jose Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge.

It was far from a vintage performance from Enzo Maresca’s men, but the three points proved vital for them after three games in a row without a win in all competitions.

While Chelsea struggled to create enough chances in the final third, Hargreaves was blown away by one man who caused consistent problems throughout the game.

Owen Hargreaves impressed by Pedro Neto’s Chelsea performance

Pedro Neto had a stand-out performance against Benfica. He made a constant impact down the right-hand side, particularly during the first half, and he caught Hargreaves’ eye.

The former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder praised the Portuguese winger while appearing on TNT Sports.

“I thought he was probably Chelsea’s best player. He’s one of those, you can just get it to him, and he can just make things happen. I think he’s really positive.

“He’s so explosive, he’s so quick. This is the one, he just whips in a fabulous ball, the right-back overcovers, and Garnacho does great and puts it back into the box, and Rios puts it into the net.

“It feels like it’s been Neto who is the one who’s creating.”

Neto played a key role in the game’s only goal, as he provided a dangerous switch of play into the Benfica box for Alejandro Garnacho to latch onto.

Chelsea’s new signing immediately put the ball into the box, which Richard Rios then smashed into the goal.

Pedro Neto’s stats highlight his importance to Chelsea against Benfica

Neto managed to cause consistent problems throughout the game with the ball at his feet, while his runs in behind had Benfica on their toes throughout.

His work rate up and down the wing helped Chelsea from a defensive perspective, and his link-up play with Malo Gusto was equally as effective.

Paul Merson was flabbergasted by Maresca’s decision to take Neto off against Man United, and he proved why the popular pundit was right with this performance.

The 25-year-old had two shots throughout the game and created two chances for his teammates.

Neto also made an impact working back to help the team defensively, winning 100 per cent of his aerial duels, while he was involved in eight ground duels as well.