Samuel Dahl has gone from fringe option to first choice at Benfica, impressing José Mourinho since the coach returned to the Luz. The Swedish left-back has become one of the squad’s most reliable performers.
A Bola reports that, earlier this season, the 63-year-old felt the Swede did not meet his requirements to start, and even his continuity at the Luz was weighed.
In the months that followed, Dahl’s improvement persuaded Mourinho to persist with him. Once expendable, he is now viewed as indispensable.
The arrival of Sidny Cabral, a direct rival at left-back, did not unsettle him, and he retains the coach’s full trust. Both the number 26 and the Cape Verde international are in Benfica’s plans for the Champions League.
This season Dahl, valued at nine million euros, has made 38 appearances for Benfica, with 20 in Liga Portugal Betclic, 11 in the Champions League, four in the Taça de Portugal, two in the Taça da Liga and one in the Supertaça. He has played 3,247 minutes, scoring two goals and supplying one assist.
