Rui Borges: Ex-Benfica man could start up front for Sporting, in squad | OneFootball

Sporting’s attack will have a new reference point, as Rui Borges cannot count on Luis Suárez, due to suspension. As such, the coach is forced to turn to another weapon to fill the spot of the Colombian international. The coach admitted that Rafael Nel, who spent time at Benfica, could be the replacement.

"He could... And Rafael Nel is called up. He is someone who has been training with us, has been more involved in our matches, and has been among the players available for selection. And tomorrow, he’s another one ready to play. He trained in his position. Depending on what we foresee for the match, we’ll see what the best starting option will be."

The coach also spoke about what he expects from the team from Minho: "They are a good team, they like to take control of the game, they have their own ideas and like to stick to them regardless of the opponent. They adapt well to the flow of the game and to each difficulty the opponent presents.

Rui Borges praised Hugo Oliveira’s side: "They are a good team, very competitive, intense, and they commit a lot of fouls. That intensity is very noticeable. Defensively, they are very competent. They have a lot of actions down the flanks, one-on-ones, and cross a lot looking for targets. They are one of the best teams in the league, despite having one or two less successful results."

Rafael Nel came up through Benfica’s academy, representing the Eagles for eight years. In 2018/19, he moved to Belenenses and, in 2020, swapped Belém for the green and white. This season, the forward for Sporting has scored seven goals and provided four assists in 19 matches for the B team.

Great goal by Rafael Nel:

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