Tomás Araújo’s exit failed to lift Benfica v Santa Clara | OneFootball

After several months away from the pitch due to an injury that persisted throughout most of last season, Tomás Araújo had another scare in the match against Santa Clara. Still during the first half, the Benfica defender was visibly hurt after being hit on the head with studs.

From what could be seen on television images, the Eagles' number 44 was left with some complaints due to the incident with Paulo Victor, who ended up being sent off after the VAR informed João Pinheiro of the seriousness of the incident. However, despite the complaints, the player remained on the field until halftime, when he was replaced by Gianluca Prestianni.

Now, the newspaper Record writes that the departure of Tomás Araújo, which, despite being shaken, was nothing more than a scare, was also a strategic decision by Bruno Lage, who chose to bring in another offensive player, removing a defensive element. Fredrik Aursnes ended up being adapted to right-back.

Aware that Santa Clara would play more than 50 minutes reduced to 10 men, the Setubal native made sure to focus on offensive dynamics, leaving Prestianni to warm up during the break. However, the change did not have the desired effect, as Benfica only scored one goal, which led to an ultimatum from the fans.

This season, wearing the Benfica jersey, Tomás Araújo – currently valued at 32 million euros – has played four matches, all in the Liga Portugal Betclic. In the 225 minutes he played, the center-back/right-back, who has a contract with the Clube da Luz until June 2029, has performed well.

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