Gonçalo Inácio in hot water? Rui Borges makes fresh Sporting call | OneFootball

Zeno Debast and Ibrahima Ba seized their opportunity against Alverca and may be here to stay at the heart of Sporting’s defense. Rui Borges was pleased with the response from the two center-backs in the 3-1 win and is expected to keep backing the pair.

According to Record, Debast offers greater quality in build-up play and passing, while Ba adds physicality, aggression in duels and defensive presence.

The numbers against Alverca reinforced that idea. Debast finished with 87.32% passing accuracy and successfully played seven balls into the final third, while Ba posted 89.16%, won three of the four duels he contested, made five recoveries and three interceptions.

The decision meant Gonçalo Inácio and Eduardo Quaresma, the captain and vice-captain respectively, started on the bench. After the two had formed the pairing in the opening rounds, Rui Borges found in Debast and Ba a combination that gave him more positive signs in both phases of the game.

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