Claudio Echeverri's display against Omonia Nicosia gave Benfica more reason to trust him and no reason to rush. The loan deal includes an option to buy worth €21 million, and the club are still moving carefully before deciding whether to trigger it. He made his first start for Benfica in the Europa League league phase on matchday 3, and it was the kind of night that shifts a conversation without settling it.

Marco Silva's praise after the Omonia win

Speaking to A Bola after the match, Marco Silva said: "I liked him a lot. In a decisive moment of the match, a moment when he has to come on and when he plays in a position where he has to be decisive, he has to take responsibility." He added that Echeverri was "a very creative player" who would give Benfica "very good things" between the lines.

That lines up with the performance itself. Against Omonia, Echeverri was directly involved in Benfica's first goal and helped create the second. He also finished with two assists in four Benfica matches, which is a decent return for a player still easing into the side.

Why Benfica are still being careful

The case for patience is just as clear. Echeverri has only 95 Europa League minutes so far, and his rating in the competition is 6.58. His Primeira Liga rating is slightly higher at 6.78, so the better signs have not come from only one competition, but the sample is still small enough for Benfica to keep their options open.

Pablo Aimar also framed him as a natural No 10, saying: "Claudio is a number 10 and Rui Costa knows how to spot number 10s well." That is the sort of profile Benfica seem to be testing rather than forcing, especially with Gianluca Prestianni, Rafa Silva, Andreas Schjelderup, Dodi Lukebakio and Vangelis Pavlidis all part of the same attacking picture.

Echeverri said after the game: "I hope to continue, but I am calm, step by step and later we will see." Benfica look set to keep watching before they make the €21 million decision, and the next few matches will matter more than one good night in Cyprus.

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