By Zach Lowy
On December 29, 2015, Benfica accomplished the €1.5 million signing of Álex Grimaldo from FC Barcelona. The remainder, as they are saying, is historical past: Grimaldo scored 27 objectives and 66 assists in 303 appearances – 32 of these objective contributions coming in his last season – and received 4 league titles earlier than leaving in 2023 as arguably the best left again in Benfica historical past.
Grimaldo joined Bayer Leverkusen on a free switch, a transfer that might have main repercussions for all events concerned: While Grimaldo spurred Leverkusen to an undefeated home double, Benfica’s incapability to search out an enough alternative doomed their makes an attempt to retain the championship, ending 10 factors behind Sporting and failing to assert any main silverware. With neither of their summer season arrivals – David Jurásek and Juan Bernat – convincing at left again, Benfica had no different alternative however to move to the switch market in January.
Precisely eight years and 19 days after Grimaldo’s arrival, Benfica tried to repeat that method by signing a 20-year-old, Spanish left again whose pathway to first-team soccer was blocked, and who had no different alternative however to depart one of many largest golf equipment in Europe with a view to play senior soccer. Álvaro Carreras (additionally extra broadly generally known as Álvaro Fernández within the UK) joined on mortgage from Manchester United with a €6 million choice to purchase, while United retained a €20m buyback clause. With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia each spending extra time on the remedy desk than the pitch, and with Carreras taking his recreation to new heights this season, it could solely be a matter of time earlier than United deliver Carreras again to Previous Trafford as they appear to resolve an issue place in defence.
After bouncing round from Racing de Ferrol to Deportivo de la Coruña to Actual Madrid, Carreras left Spain in 2020 and joined Manchester United, the place he emerged as an everyday for the U23s and was named their Participant of the Season, however by no means fairly managed to make his first-team debut. He was loaned out to EFL Championship facet Preston North Finish for the 2022/23 marketing campaign and rapidly impressed with 6 assists in 42 appearances earlier than heading to newly promoted LaLiga facet Granada for the 2023/24 season, solely to be recalled in January and be part of Benfica. Carreras was regularly eased into the workforce, remaining on the bench in six of his first 11 league matches earlier than taking part in 87+ minutes in 5 of his subsequent six to finish the marketing campaign, sufficient to persuade Benfica to set off their choice and signal him on a contract via 2029.
Having spent the previous two seasons on mortgage, Carreras lastly has the prospect to quiet down and develop in the identical place over a long-term interval, and it’s clear to see that this stability is paying dividends. After approaching for the ultimate half-hour of their opening day defeat at Famalicão, he changed the injured Jan-Niklas Beste within the twentieth minute vs. Casa Pia and seized the chance, finishing 4/5 lengthy balls, registering 3 key passes, and profitable 6/10 duels. Since then, Carreras has began in every of Benfica’s final 14 matches, making him the only real outfield participant to play each single minute for the reason that appointment of Bruno Lage on September 5. Solely three Benfica gamers have created extra possibilities than Carreras (13), who boasts the joint-second-highest FotMob score (7.73) of their squad after Kerem Aktürkoğlu (8.19).
“Carreras seems to be like a very new participant this season,” stated @CurtaVermelha, one of many largest Benfica accounts on Twitter. “While Benfica use a 4-3-3 base, they assault in a 3-4-2-1 and swap between a 5-3-2 or a 4-4-2 in defence. Carreras is that piece that provides all these dynamics as a result of he’s a quick, bodily imposing defender who covers area effectively, who’s laborious to beat in duels, and who’s trying much more snug on the ball and able to penetrating via the center with vertical passes.”
“Final season, he just about misplaced the ball 50% of the occasions that he touched it, dropping possession 12 occasions in a 45-minute cameo vs. Toulouse in February. This season, not solely is he defending effectively, however he can construct from the again and pop up within the field and the flanks. He can’t change a recreation by himself together with his attacking high quality like Grimaldo, however he’s a way more stable defender. Equally to Riccardo Calafiori, he’s a hybrid of a centre again and a left again, a participant who permits the workforce to be rather more stable defensively and for gamers like Ángel Di María to be extra targeted on going ahead.”
At 21 years outdated, Carreras is within the type of his life at Benfica, and the proof is within the pudding. Aside from their 1-0 defeat at Bayern, he’s racked up one objective contribution in every of Benfica’s final 4 matches, ending October with an help vs. Rio Ave and Santa Clara earlier than equalizing in a 2-1 win vs. Farense, beating Ricardo Velho at his close to put up with a well-drilled effort. He was again at it once more of their subsequent league fixture, feigning to go huge earlier than reducing inside and carving a well beyond yet one more Portuguese worldwide goalkeeper – Diogo Costa – with a sensational weak-footed end. Porto equalised earlier than halftime, however Benfica would storm again to a 4-1 victory, the primary time since 1964 that they scored 4+ objectives vs. Porto in a league fixture.
Benfica sit third within the desk, two factors behind Porto and eight behind Sporting, with a recreation in hand on each. They’ve received every of their final eight matches vs. Portuguese opponents, and so they’ll be relying on Carreras – a participant who has scored extra objectives in his final three matches (two) than within the first 85 matches (one) of his senior membership profession – as they appear to construct on their momentum and shut the gap on their rivals.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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