Bruno Lage has a bit of a dilemma to sort out at Benfica and it is a big one.
After quickly fixing many of the issues left by Roger Schmidt—like setting a clear game plan and settling on a starting eleven—there’s now just one question left for the coach: Tomás Araújo or António Silva? And the order matters!
Right now, Tomás Araújo seems to have the edge over António Silva. It’s no coincidence he started the last two matches for Benfica, including the impressive 4-0 win against Atlético Madrid and the match that had just begun against Nacional before the break.
During this pause in domestic competitions, things got a little complicated for Lage as he lost three central defenders to national team duty: Otamendi went off with Argentina, António Silva with Portugal, and even Tomás Araújo was called up by Roberto Martínez after initially being named to the under-21 squad, replacing the injured Gonçalo Inácio. This, in my view, has created a bit of a headache for Bruno Lage.
The issue isn’t Tomás Araújo’s call-up, which actually justifies Lage’s faith in him. The problem is that António Silva was given a starting role in the game against Scotland, while Tomás Araújo was left out of both Nations League matches (the first by choice, the second due to injury). So, suddenly, António Silva goes from being a substitute at Benfica to a starter for the National Team!
Advertisement
Latest Press Conference
We’re on Social Media
It looks like Roberto Martínez is in a similar spot to Lage. He’s got one guaranteed starter at center-back—Rúben Dias—but still needs to find a long-term replacement for Pepe. With Danilo seemingly out of the mix, there are three players vying for the position: Gonçalo Inácio, Renato Veiga, and António Silva. While Inácio seems like the logical choice (he’s left-footed and has more experience), Martínez doesn’t seem too keen on him, leaving the door open for both Veiga and Silva, who have been getting the nod in these recent Portugal games.
When António Silva returns to Benfica, likely as a starter, it’ll be interesting to see how Lage handles it, especially with Tomás Araújo’s fitness still uncertain. I’d guess Silva won’t head straight to the bench, especially with the next match being a Portuguese Cup game against Pevidém. Bruno Lage will likely rotate the squad, and Otamendi—returning from South America—might be one of those given a rest.
The real challenge will come when Benfica faces Feyenoord in the Champions League. Otamendi, who missed the team’s only loss of the season against Famalicão, is the captain and still a rock at 36 years old. That leaves Lage with a tricky decision: Tomás Araújo or António Silva? Both are young (Araújo is 22, Silva is 20) and full of potential. It’s no wonder they’re on the radar of big clubs and valued at millions. But choosing one over the other will inevitably boost the value of one and lower the stock of the other—quite the dilemma for Bruno Lage. The last thing he needs right now is even more tough decisions!