CHAMPIONS LEAGUE | BREAKOUT STARS
Raul De Tomas
(Benfica)B
enfica did far more than gather crumbs
from the rich man’s table when paying
Real Madrid €20m in July for their
unappreciated striker. Pay no attention
to the fact that RDT’s senior career with the
Galacticos lasted only 14 minutes, a “blink and
you’ll miss it” substitute cameo in a Copa del Rey
tie against Cornella in October 2014. Drill down
beneath the “Real reject” tag and you will find a
fine second striker, someone who only requires
trust to blossom.
Fans at the Estadio da Luz certainly liked what
they saw of him in Benfica’s 5-0 hammering of
Lisbon rivals Sporting in the Portuguese Super
Cup. Although he was not on the scoresheet, the
24-year-old looked as sharp as a tack, catching
the eye with his clever movement and evident
chemistry with front-line partner Haris Seferovic.
Ostensibly recruited to fill the void left by the
departure this summer of Joao Felix, who moved
to Atletico Madrid for an eye-watering €125m,
De Tomas is no like-for-like replacement but
could, in his own way, prove equally potent. He
plays with guile, is magnetically attracted to the
red zone and can shoot with either foot.
The Madrid-born son of a Spanish father and
Dominican mother, Real’s first team was strictly
off limits and he was sent out on loan for the last
four years, first at Cordoba, then Valladolid and
for the last two seasons with Rayo Vallecano.Brahim Diaz
(Real Madrid)
Much to the annoyance of Pep Guardiola,
the teenager opted to quit Manchester City
in January for a six-and-a-half-year contract
with Real. Bernabeu coach Zinedine Zidane
says: “I like it that he always goes straight for
goal and is absolutely two-footed.”
Ademola Lookman
(RB Leipzig)A loanee with Leipzig in the second half of the
2017-18 season, the speedy English winger put
pen to paper in July on a five-year contract. It
should prove a fruitful alliance as his old club,
Everton, never seemed to particularly trust him,
while RB most certainly do.Thiago Mendes
(Lyon)Bought this summer for €22m from Lille, the
Brazilian midfield holder is much more than a
tenacious ball winner. Technically accomplished,
astute in his distribution, very aware tactically
and an authoritative leader, the 27-year-old is
the complete package.Nick Bidwell selects 50 players who are set to break
through in this season’s Champions League
Breaking through