25/04 - 20:00
26/04 - 20:00
Portuguese football has been a rich hunting ground for Premier League clubs over recent years, so no doubt plenty of scouts will be in attendance at the Estádio da Luz tonight when Benfica host Sporting in the Lisbon derby.
An intriguing contest pits an experienced Benfica side, featuring former Premier League regulars like Nicolas Otamendi and Spurs' Jan Vertonghen, against reigning champions Sporting, a team on the up buoyed by their recent success in the Champions League. It all makes for a mouthwatering first Derby de Lisboa of the season.
Within Benfica's ranks, Darwin Nuñez might be the talent to keep an eye on. The Uruguayan forward has enjoyed a good start to the season with 11 goals, including a brace against Barcelona and one against Bayern Munich, and his stay in Lisbon is unlikely to be a long one.
Nuñez's fellow countryman and former Liverpool player Luis Suarez, said earlier this season: "When he [Darwin] was at Almeria, I said it at Barca. They asked me and I said ‘look after this guy, he’s very interesting’, but they said no, he’s at Almeria, he’s very young. But instead of paying now 80, 90, or 100 million, they would have paid 15 or 20.”
For Sporting, there are plenty of hot talents to keep tabs on, along with a manager in Rúben Amorim, who looks destined for big things.
It's hard not to mention Pedro Gonçalves, or 'Bruno Fernandes 2.0' as we called him in a player profile we did back in May. It is very likely that Gonçalves will make a big money move away from Sporting at the end of this season - his recent back-to-back braces in the Champions League against Besiktas and Borussia Dortmund adding a few more zeros to his price tag.
On to the quiz! This week, we'd like you to name the 18 Premier League players who have previously played for either Benfica or Sporting. Can you name them all?
Good luck!
