Claudio Echeverri has already made a case for more Benfica minutes in a very small sample. In six appearances, including two starts, he has played 267 minutes and kept showing up in decisive moments, most recently by winning the penalty that helped settle the game against Alverca.

The penalty against Alverca

Echeverri was sent on at half-time and immediately raised the tempo of the game. The move ended with him drawing the penalty that Vangelis Pavlidis converted, a neat reminder that Benfica are not just getting late cameos from him, but action that changes matches.

His numbers already back up the eye test. He has two Primeira Liga assists, and his all-competitions workload has reached 186 minutes across five appearances in the latest available season figures. That is not the profile of a player waiting for a single breakout night. He has been involved almost every time he has stepped on the pitch.

Benfica paid Manchester City a €3 million loan fee and included a €21 million buy-option clause, so the club have every reason to keep watching closely. The early returns are encouraging because they combine end product with direct influence, not just tidy touches in harmless areas.

Why his role is growing

The club have already seen his range. He made his debut against GIL Vicente in the fifth round, then assisted Prestianni for the third goal in that 3-1 win. He also featured against Vitória de Guimarães, Celtic, Omonia and GIL Vicente in the League Cup, with positive contributions in each game.

Echeverri told A Bola: "I am very happy here and I try to make the best possible use of the minutes I have to play. Here there is very good competition and I try to give everything to be a starter."

That ambition is starting to match the usage. Benfica have won four of their last five league matches, and if the form stays this strong, the pressure to find Echeverri more minutes will only grow. He is already doing enough to make the next selection harder.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →