Tomás Araújo eyes Champions League glory with Real Madrid - Benfica | OneFootball

Tomás Araújo is very close to reaching another milestone in his career. According to reports, the central defender, a regular pick by José Mourinho, is about to play his 100th official match for the first team of Benfica and, if all goes as planned, the stage will be the Santiago Bernabéu, against Real Madrid.

As reported by the newspaper Record in this Tuesday's edition, February 24, the number 44 is preparing to join the centenary list, and there’s no better occasion than facing Los Blancos, in a match full of aspirations for Benfica, who are looking to overturn the 1-0 deficit brought from the first leg at Estádio da Luz.

In total, he has played 99 official matches wearing Benfica’s Sacred Mantle for the first team, a journey that began in the 2023/24 season, after a successful loan spell at Gil Vicente. So far, Tomás Araújo has started for Benfica on 76 different occasions. These numbers showcase the path the footballer has taken with the eagle on his chest, at just 23 years of age.

Thus, Tomás Araújo will be part of the squad led by José Mourinho, who is traveling this morning to Madrid to continue preparations for the Champions League match. However, the Special One, who will miss the match due to suspension, will also not speak to the press, leaving that responsibility to João Tralhão.

This season, playing for Benfica, Tomás Araújo — valued at 28 million euros — has already played a total of 32 official matches: 17 in Liga Portugal Betclic, eight in the Champions League, four in the Portuguese Cup, two in the League Cup, and one in Liga Portugal Meu Super. In the 2,178 minutes he has spent on the pitch, the number 44 has recorded one goal and one assist.

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