The midfielder is rebuilding his reputation after his struggles and has rediscovered his belief at title-winning Lille
It was only a glimpse, 14 minutes and 42 seconds to be exact, but a late cameo in Portugal’s defeat of Hungary nevertheless amounted to another important step in the rehabilitation of Renato Sanches.
Portugal’s defence of the title will be strengthened further should his career come full circle at Euro 2020. After an increasingly anxious 84 minutes at the Puskas Arena it was Fernando Santos’s substitutes and switches that gave
Cristiano Ronaldo the platform for his record-breaking performance on Tuesday. Chief among them was Rafa Silva, the Benfica forward who replaced Bernardo Silva in the 71st minute and had a decisive influence on all three goals. His claims to start against
Germany on Saturday must surely have been enhanced.