Facing a gruelling fixture list, Bruno Lage’s decision boosts Benfica | OneFootball

One month after the official start of the season, and the closing of the market, it is clear that Benfica has a large team, contradicting what Bruno Lage has always advocated: short squads. However, as it turns out, the Setubal native had a hand in the current working group.

The newspaper Record writes, recalling the moment when the 49-year-old coach was introduced: "We want to have a short and competitive squad, giving everyone the opportunity to fight for a place". However, the original idea of Bruno Lage seems to have changed over time and is based on two important factors.

As the same source advances, the fact that the red team has several injured players, namely Alexander Bah, Manu Silva, Bruma, Nuno Félix and, more recently Dodi Lukebakio, is one of the reasons for the Setubal native to opt for more options in each sector of the field.

The other weight in the Benfiquista's decision is related to the sporting issue, as currently Benfica's calendar is filled with numerous events, both nationally and internationally. Only in Portugal, after the Supercup, the reds still compete in the National Championship, League Cup and Portugal Cup. In Europe there is still the Champions League.

Thus, Bruno Lage has the opportunity to make several rotations in the starting eleven, in order to give some players rest time and, at the same time, opportunities to those who seek to have more minutes, as happened against Alverca, with the starting of Samuel Soares. Now, the Setubal native has some headaches before the reception to Santa Clara.

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