Stars of the
second tier
Nick Bidwell selects some of the standout
performers in Europe’s second divisions
Reported to be on the verge of an
upgrade to Benfica’s senior squad,
the 19-year-old winger or second
striker has been scoring and making
goals galore for the Eagles’ second-
string and turning on the style in
the UEFA Youth League, especially
impressive when notching a brace in
a 3-0 thumping of Bayern Munich.
Also known as “Jota”, he has
won two European junior titles
with Portugal: the under-17 crown
in 2016 and at under-19 level last
year, when he was the joint-top
scorer with five goals.
With Benfica since the age of
eight, he had a trial with Manchester
United in 2014. With three-and-a-
half years still to run on his current
contract, one commodity he does
not lack is self-confidence, stating:
“I am a virtuoso. I love to be happy
on the pitch and to do my thing. I’m
a different sort of player because I
have street football in my boots.”Tall and physically imposing, the
ex-Borussia Dortmund academy
graduate does not have the typical
build of an attacking midfielder.
However, looks can be deceptive
and the 27-year-old is an elegant
and imaginative playmaker with a
flair for setting the tempo. He also
packs a fine shot from distance.
A fringe player in the Dortmund
squad that won the Bundesliga title
in 2011, he was a one-time regular
in the German youth ranks –
capped from under-15 level up
to under-20 – and has made a
fine recovery after a couple of
under-par seasons.
In the 2016-17 campaign at
German second-tier side Bochum
he produced little of note and last
term, his first in England, he was
hampered by a groin complaint and
a spell playing out of position at
left-back.Joao
FILIPE
BENFICA B
Marco
STIEPERMANN
NORWICH CITY
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