Press hails Benfica duo’s mad month that won over Mourinho | OneFootball

Andreas Schjelderup and Gianluca Prestianni found a new lease on life during the month of January. According to reports, the duo was very close to leaving Benfica, however, their performances during the transfer window period left José Mourinho impressed, which led the Special One to request their stay in the squad.

In this Tuesday's edition, the newspaper Record detailed the saga that the two young players experienced in recent weeks. From expendables to protagonists, Prestianni and Schjelderup had to prove their worth to many. Despite the close scrutiny and strong interest from other clubs, the Norwegian and the Argentine did not stop trying their luck at Benfica.

With increasingly consistent performances, with the number 25 entering his fifth consecutive game as a starter — something he had never achieved with the Sacred Mantle —, the historic night against Real Madrid was the seal of the decision to keep them in the squad, at least until the end of the season.

It's no secret that both players were close to leaving the Eagles. In Prestianni's case, River Plate did everything to convince Benfica to sell him, but without success. As for Schjelderup, there was no shortage of interest. Several sources placed the 21-year-old footballer first in Italy and then in Brugge, but none of the deals materialized, at José Mourinho's request.

This season, wearing Benfica's jersey, Gianluca Prestianni — valued at 12 million euros — has played a total of 27 official matches: 16 in Liga Portugal Betclic, six in the Champions League, two in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup, and one in the Super Cup. In the 1,205 minutes he was on the pitch, the Argentine recorded two goals and one assist.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.