Eyeing Champions League, Mourinho has a trump card in Benfica-Braga | OneFootball

José Mourinho has no margin for error against Braga if he wants to take Benfica to next year's Champions League. With that in mind, the Special One - allegedly very close to Real Madrid - is hoping to keep counting on the impressive form Leandro Barreiro has been showing in recent months.

As newspaper A Bola highlighted, the Luxembourg midfielder has been one of the revelations of the season, proving to be one of the most important players in José Mourinho's tactical system. On the other hand, the numbers posted by the No. 18 are living proof of that: in the last four matches, Barreiro started and played the full 90 minutes.

In total, the Luxembourg international has been used in around 48 of the 53 matches Benfica have already played, showing the importance he has had while wearing the Sacred Mantle. However, it should be remembered that the midfielder only gained this prominence with Mourinho's arrival, as he saw potential in the player.

As the sports daily points out, physical availability, as well as his versatility, have been the calling cards Leandro Barreiro has used to convince José Mourinho. Highly appreciated by the Special One, the player has been used as an attacking midfielder, behind the striker, a role that combines high pressing, ball recovery and presence in finishing areas.

This season, for Benfica, Leandro Barreiro - valued at €15 million - has already made 48 official appearances: 29 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 13 in the Champions League, three in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup and one in the Super Cup. .

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