Signing from Benfica has Kompany-esque determination but must show he possesses the pace and quality for the very top
Estádio do Dragão, 2 March 2019. Rúben Dias has just seen his Benfica teammate Gabriel Appelt Pires sent off in the 77th minute against Porto in a vital Primeira Liga clash.
Benfica are winning 2-1 and, having come from behind, hope to cling on. Dias is unruffled and so, as in October’s reverse fixture at Estádio da Luz when his defensive partner Cristian Lema was dismissed with the team 1-0 ahead, the 20-year-old continues a defiant, mature display that keeps Porto out, draws widespread plaudits, and ensures a victory vital in Benfica’s 37th title triumph.