Leandro Barreiro nears Benfica record missed by Bruno Lage | OneFootball

Leandro Barreiro is close to matching his record for consecutive starts at Benfica. The Luxembourg international midfielder recently broke into José Mourinho’s starting eleven and seems to be a player the coach is keen to keep in the lineup.

If he starts in the match against Napoli, as is expected, Leandro Barreiro will make his fourth consecutive start for Benfica. This would equal a record he has only achieved once before during his time at the Estádio da Luz.

After a season start where he was repeatedly used as a substitute—though often brought on—José Mourinho added another midfielder to Benfica’s strategy and placed Leandro Barreiro in that role. The Luxembourger has met the coach’s expectations and, so far, appears to be a winning bet—check out the player’s words at the pre-match press conference ahead of the game against Napoli.

He now has three consecutive starts, against Ajax, Nacional, and Sporting—two wins and a draw in three tough matches, whether due to the level of the opposition or the difficulty of playing away. If he starts again, Leandro Barreiro will be in the starting eleven for the fourth consecutive time, something he has only managed once before at Benfica, at the beginning of his journey at the Estádio da Luz.

Under Roger Schmidt, Leandro Barreiro started against Famalicão, Estrela da Amadora, Casa Pia, and Moreirense. The German coach was dismissed shortly after, and, with Bruno Lage in charge, the Benfica midfielder never again started so many consecutive matches.

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