Thirty-nine matches across four continents saw both sides score on Thursday, and eight of them turned into genuine goal fests as defences crumbled from Lisbon to Fortaleza.
Benfica dismantled Heart of Midlothian 6-1 in their Europa League clash, matching the scoreline Consett AFC hung on Gateshead in a friendly north of the border. The Portuguese side's ruthlessness was echoed in the Conference League, where HNK Hajduk Split put five past FK Žalgiris in a 5-2 victory that left the Lithuanian hosts chasing shadows.
Brazil and Spain join the party
Fortaleza edged Palmeiras 3-2 in a Copa do Brasil thriller that swung both ways before the home side prevailed, while pre-season fixtures in Spain delivered their own drama. Celta Vigo thumped Sassuolo 4-1, Real Murcia beat CD Cieza by the same margin, and Club Atlético Antoniano came from behind to win 4-2 at Dos Hermanas CF 1971. Málaga CF's 4-2 defeat of Al-Arabi SC rounded out the high-scoring friendlies.
The sheer volume of goals underscored a night when pressing systems broke down and attackers found space in abundance. Whether competitive or preparatory, the pattern held: if one team scored, the other invariably replied, and the totals kept climbing. For Benfica and Hajduk Split, the margins suggest early European momentum; for the rest, it was a reminder that August can be as kind to strikers as it is unforgiving to back lines still finding their shape.