Banjaqui gives Marco Silva a headache, doubt before Porto-Benfica | OneFootball

was one of Benfica’s bright spots in the trip to Italy and gave Marco Silva food for thought ahead of the clássico against Porto. The right-back, just 18 years old, once again earned the coach’s trust and performed at a level that surprised with the maturity he showed against Milan.

The Benfica coach has always appreciated the youngster’s qualities and believes he can have a great future wearing the eagle on his chest. However, his performance at San Siro ended up taking on special importance, especially because the coaching staff had other plans in place for the next match. The young international’s display at least forced them to leave the door open.

Banjaqui started Benfica’s last three matches, against Moreirense, Gil Vicente and Milan, putting together a run that shows the progress he has made in Marco Silva’s pecking order. Against the Italian side, he delivered once again and showed a maturity that particularly pleased the coaching staff.

Even so, Alexander Bah remains the strongest option for the starting XI in the clássico against Porto. Marco Silva’s plan was to bring the full-back back into the side against the Dragons, but Banjaqui’s performance has now introduced a variable that cannot be ignored.

The doubt has therefore been cast ahead of the clássico. Banjaqui is not necessarily the favorite to start, but the run of three consecutive games and, above all, the display against Milan may have altered some of the plans Marco Silva had initially drawn up.

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