Benfica has established a reputation for itself as a club that has the capability of churning out world class players year after year. With the likes of Angel Di Maria, David Luiz, Andre Ramos and Ramires currently sit on the top of the footballing world, courtesy of their electrifying performances, there are many more youngsters at the club who are touted to take the footballing world by storm in the years to come.
One such player is the Portuguese winger Goncalo Guedes, who plays as a winger for Benfica and causing waves with his attacking performances. Guedes is a player who has been likened to former Sporting and current Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo for his ability on and off the ball.
We take a look at his playing style, strengths and weaknesses.
Background
Born in the humble surroundings of Benavente, Portugal on 29th November 1996, Guedes joined the Benfica academy as an 8-year-old and rose rapidly through their ranks. After making waves with his performances for the club’s youth sides, he soon progressed to the Benfica B side and made his senior debut for the B side in the 2013-14 season in the Segunda division.
Though he did make his senior Benfica debut in the subsequent season, he was largely restricted to appearances with the B team in the Segunda division and his performances did not go unnoticed as he won the 2014-15 Segunda Liga’s breakthrough player award.
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Soon, he became a regular feature in the senior side and till date has racked up 53 appearances for the club and continues to impress with the side in the Portuguese league as well as the Champions League.
Guedes made his debut for the Portuguese national team against Russia in November 2015 and with him catching the eye of the footballing world at Benfica, we expect him to earn many more caps for his national team for years to come.
Style of play and strengths
Guedes might have turned 20 recently, but he has the vision of a player who has been involved in the game for decades. He is tidy with the ball at his feet and constantly finds teammates in advantageous situations on the pitch, a trait that has helped him rise through the ranks at the Estádio da Luz.
He has, in the past, showcased an ability to set up teammates from situations that very few in the footballing world could and is renowned for his creative instincts. Like most wingers, Guedes uses his skill on the ball as well as his pace to get behind defenders and is a constant menace to the opposition defenders.
A player tough to dislodge off the ball, Guedes has been preferred by his manager Rui Vitoria as he has the ability to help his side maintain possession in the attacking third, a skill that is hard to come by amongst the attackers these days.
Another aspect of his game that has impressed many critics and pundits alike is his ability to find the back of the net. The attacker is a threat to the opposition in and around the box and is very calm despite the often onrushing defenders to make the right decisions in and around the box.
In the season thus far, the player has found the back of the net 4 times in 20 appearances while also ensuring that he does his fair share of creative duties, averaging over 1 clearcut goalscoring chance every 90 minutes, which is a healthy return for a player his age.
Weaknesses
Like every young player, Guedes too has his share of flaws that need working upon in order to become the player he has been touted to be and perhaps, the biggest flaw we have observed is his decision making. The player has a tendency to make bad decisions on the pitch and can try and overdo things rather than keep it simple.
Another aspect of his game that he could possibly improve upon is his combativeness. He can be reluctant to dive into tackles and has shown a tendency to shirk away from challenges in the past. While he might not be required to do a lot of defensive work in a team as dominant as Benfica in the Portuguese League, it is required that he works on his defensive attributes to grow into an all-round player.
At Benfica, he is at a club that has the right infrastructure to help him tinker his playing style and improve as a player and we expect the flaws to be evened out with extended playing time and experience.
The player’s current contract with Benfica runs until the end of the 2020-21 season. However, there is no shortage of interest in the player with the likes of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal amongst several other European heavyweights interested in signing the player.
However, we believe it would be in the player’s best interests to shrug off any move to the heavyweights as it can restrict his playing time and thus hamper his progress as a player.
(Video Courtesy: ScoutNationHD YouTube Channel)
