Salvio, Europe's most valuable Argentinian winger

In his seventh season playing for Benfica, Salvio is one of Rui Vitória's instrumental players and is corresponding on the pitch with goals and assists.

In Braga, in the last round, he did it again by opening the scoring, at 11’, and at the end of the match he said that he wants “to be a winger with a great goal scoring ability to help the team with assists and goals”. One of the compliments made to him is that he is a player with a great goal scoring ability. Apart from the seven strikes this season in Liga NOS, Salvio scored, in the same competition, 10 in 2012/13 and nine in 2014/15.

The ability that the number 18 jersey has to actively participate in the team's game has earned him the prize of: Europe's Top 10 Leagues most valuable Argentinean winger, leaving behind names such as Ángel Di María (PSG) or Correa (Atletico Madrid).

So far, in 2017/18, Salvio has already played 16 matches in which he scored seven goals and made three assists. This record results in the direct participation in 10 Benfica goals in Liga NOS, an influence percentage of 23 percent.

To better understand Salvio's season, it's worth remembering that in the last season he had direct participation in the same 10 goals, but he needed 29 matches to achieve that number.

GREAT NAMES ARE LEFT BEHIND

The biggest "threats" to Salvio come from France. Di María has already directly participated in seven PSG's goals (3 goals and 4 assists) and Ocampos participated in seven strikes from Marseille (6 goals and 1 assist).

In Spain, Correa, he is not an indispensable, has scored five goals and made one assist (direct participation in six goals from At. Madrid), Álex Szymanowski from Leganés had direct influence in four strikes (two goals and two assists), Cartabia from Deportivo de La Coruña – who had a spell at SC Braga – scored two goals and made an assist in the team from Galicia.

In Italy, Perotti is the most valuable Argentine winger with participation in five goals from Roma (three strikes and two assists), followed by Castro (Chievo) with two goals and two assists.

In the Premier League, Lamela from Tottenham, who has little playing time, has made two assists and is the Argentinean winger who stands out.

In Germany, Pablo de Blassis (Mainz) scored a goal and made one assist in the Bundesliga; in Turkey, Scarione directly participated in five goals from Goztepe.

In Russian, Barbaro (SKA Energia) made an assist, but has not scored a goal yet. In Belgium and Ukraine, there are no records from Argentine winger to report.

RANKING OF ARGENTINEAN WINGERS IN EUROPE'S TOP 10 LEAGUES

In Portugal, the benfiquista is being chased by Acuña (Sporting) with direct participation in six goals – three strikes and three assists – and his teammate, Cervi, with a goal and four assists.

ARGENTINEAN STARS IN THE ATTACK

If we open the analysis to other field positions, the Argentinean forwards present in Europe's Top 10 leagues boast numbers that, being remarkable, are not far from Salvio's numbers.

Messi leads the "delegation" with direct participation in 25 Barcelona goals, the result of 17 goals and eight assists. He is followed by Icardi (Inter Milan) with 18 strikes and one assist and Aguëro (Manchester City) with 13 goals and 5 assists. Juventus closes the top 5. Dybala has 14 goals and three assists and Higuaín boasts nine goals and three passes for his teammates to score.

GOALS AND ASSISTS FROM SALVIO IN THE LIGA NOS IN 2017/18

Text: Marco Rebelo

Pics: João Paulo Trindade / SL Benfica