The Luis Semedo attributes Sunderland fans will love after Benfica striker signs
We assess Luis Semedo’s performances playing for Benfica B and what to expect from the striker at Sunderland following his permanent transfer to Wearside.
After arriving at the Academy of Light to complete his five-year deal at Sunderland, teenage striker Luis Semedo was introduced to his new team-mates.
Said to be 6 ft 3 tall, the Portuguese frontman will tower over most of the Black Cats squad. A picture posted on Sunderland’s Twitter account showed Semedo standing next to full-back Dennis Cirkin, with the former significantly taller.
At 19, Semedo, like many of the Black Cats’ recent signings, is viewed as a long-term asset who can develop his game on Wearside.
He has been at Benfica since the age of eight, while featuring for the club’s B team and under-23 side during the past two seasons.
It should be noted that Benfica B finished 14th out of 18 teams in Liga Portugal 2 (Portugal’s second tier) during the 2022/23 season, so Semedo does have some experience of playing senior football.
The forward scored twice in 18 appearances for Benfica B during the last campaign, often playing as a lone striker in a 4-3-3 or 4-1-4-1 system. There were also a handful of games when Semedo came off the bench to play on the right or left flank.
Along with his physical presence, the teenager’s technical ability was also highlighted when Sunderland announced his arrival, while performances for Benfica B certainly showed a willingness to be involved in build-up play.
Below is a graphic of Semedo’s 21 attempted passes from a match for Benfica B against Feirense back in January, when he finished with a 100% passing accuracy.
The image below shows the forward dropping deep before playing a probing ball out to the right and then making a central run into the box.
Looking at the data, Semedo was also a threat in the opposition’s penalty area, with the teenager ranked in the top ten players for expected goals per 90 minutes in Liga Portugal 2 (0.58 per 90 minutes) according to Wyscout.
The screenshot below is an instance of Semedo being alert in the box to convert the winning goal in Benfica B’s 2-1 win over Trofense in November last year.
Still, with just two goals to his name for Benfica B he will be hoping to take more of his chances and become a consistent goalscorer at senior level. Despite his size, Semedo can also improve his aerial presence after winning 34.6% of his aerial duels for Benfica B last term.
At youth level the forward has been more prolific in front of goal, scoring four goals in four appearances in the 2022/23 UEFA Youth League. In total he has netted 21 goals in 44 appearances for Benfica’s under-23s side.
The challenge will now be for Semedo to step up consistently at senior level in the Championship with Sunderland.
With the Black Cats looking to sign another striker this summer, plus Ross Stewart’s anticipated return from an achilles injury, the teenager should have time to adapt on Wearside.
Semedo’s ability to link up play, while still being able to pose a goal threat, should also suit Sunderland’s style of play. The Black Cats will hope they’ve unearthed another exciting prospect.