Rui Borges may be forced to repeat big change for Sporting-Benfica | OneFootball

Iván Fresneda’s absence from the clash with Arsenal, in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, opened the door for Eduardo Quaresma to stand out, and the Portuguese centre-back appears to have seized the opportunity to strengthen his case for a place in the starting eleven for Sporting - Benfica. The Spanish full-back will still undergo one final fitness test this Saturday, but everything points to the young Sporting player occupying the right flank, with the task of stopping Andreas Schjelderup.

Although he is not regarded as an undisputed starter for Sporting — having started 19 of 24 matches this season — the defender earns credit for his versatility, being capable of playing in several positions across the back line, with particular effectiveness on the right. His pace is one of his main weapons, an important factor against an opponent expected to rely on attacking intensity, with names such as Schjelderup or Rafa Silva.

That profile fits Rui Borges’ ideas, who places full trust in the Portuguese under-21 international for the derby at Alvalade. In any case, it would not be a surprise: in the coach’s debut, in December 2024, precisely against Benfica, Quaresma started, pushing Fresneda to the bench, in a match in which Geny Catamo scored the winner.

The numbers also help support the choice. Eduardo Quaresma has suffered just one defeat in six derbies — in 2020, at Luz (2-1). In the remaining matches, he recorded two wins and three draws, including one that ended with the conquest of the Portuguese Cup and another decided on penalties, in the League Cup, last season.

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