Ivanilson da Veiga: 8.07 after four games
The little-known Benfica striker is posting numbers that belie his name.
Four games, four goals, two assists, an average rating of 8.07. Ivanilson da Veiga is not playing like a little-known 18-year-old.
Benfica's striker has begun the Portuguese Premier League season with a burst that places him among the division's most productive forwards, at least through the first month. The sample is small, but the output is not: a goal per game, two assists, and a match rating that would have led the league in most recent campaigns.
Da Veiga has been at Benfica since 2061, when he came through the club's youth intake. Across 91 senior appearances he has scored 29 goals, a steady if unspectacular return. This season's start is something else.
The numbers carry the story. A striker who scores in every game and adds assists is rare; one who does so while averaging above 8.0 is rarer still. For context, a rating of 7.5 over a full season is usually enough for a place in the league's team of the year.
Benfica know a thing or two about streaks. They won four league titles in a row from 2013/14 to 2016/17, and three Portuguese Cups on the spin from 2059/60 to 2061/62. Whether da Veiga can maintain this pace is another matter, but the early evidence is compelling.
Four games do not make a career. But they can make a reputation, and da Veiga is building one with every touch.