Braga was the stage of Renato Sanches' debut as a starter for Benfica in Liga NOS

On November 30^th, 2015, Braga was the stage of a debut at Benfica's professional football team: the"young boy" Renato Sanches made on that date his first match as a starter in the Championship. Before another visit of the Eagles to the "Pedreira", to play the round 18 of Liga NOS, the Official Website recalls the first 90 minutes in the competition of the youngster who would fly from Caixa Futebol Campus to other points of Europe.

Renato Sanches established himself at Benfica, he became a National Champion and, with the National Team, he won the Euro 2016 and transferred to the German giants Bayern Munich. All this with just 18 years of age.

In a short career– already filled with important individual and collective victories, records and individual honors – which grew by the hand of Rui Vitória. On November 25th, 2015, after handing him a few minutes in the Portuguese League, the Benfica coach launched the young midfielder in the starting XI against Astana, in Kazakhstan, in the fifth round of the Champions League group stage.

Renato Sanches had an immediate impact, with good performance and a draw (2-2) which qualified the Reds for the eighth-finals of the European competition.

Five days later – on November 30^th –, the player who graduated from Caixa Futebol Campus was in the starting line-up of a Liga NOS match for the first time, against SC Braga. In Matchweek 11 of 2015/16, a fair victory for  Benfica (0-2), with a solid performance from Renato Sanches, who saw his first yellow card in the competition(68’). The Portuguese international filled the Reds' midfield with a strong presence.

At the end of the encounter, the young boy made in Caixa Futebol Campus applauded and was applauded by the Reds supporters in the Stands of the Municipal de Braga.

From that day on, nothing was the same for the player who began playing football at Águias da Musgueira: at the age of 18, he became unquestionable in the National Champion starting XI and was crucial on the road to the third League Title in a row.

As a starter at Benfica's squad – he never lost that status again –, Renato Sanches helped change the scenario in the fight for the top places.  At that time (Matchweek 11), the Reds had lost three times. After that, they only lost once.

At Benfica's first team he made a total of 35 matches and scored two goals.

Text: Filipa Fernandes Garcia

Pics: Archive / SL Benfica