Rasmus Højlund is back among the goals at Napoli while Kakub Kiwior has helped make Porto solid in defence and Largie Ramazani has given Valencia a creative spark
The Dane, like many others, struggled under Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford and was packed off to Naples. He scored on his debut, a 3-1 win over Fiorentina, and has been consistent since, netting 10 goals in 26 games for Serie A’s third-placed team. “Now it’s portrayed as if I’m back and just doing really well,” Højlund, who cost United £72m when they signed him from Atalanta in August 2023, said to Denmark’s TV2 last week. “But inside myself my thoughts are in a completely different place. I’m self-critical. I still want to be even better, more involved in the games and score more goals, but it’s fun to observe how the image of me is constantly changing.”
After 27 games of the Primeira Liga season, Porto have conceded only 11 goals, to help put them top of the table, seven points above Sporting. Kiwior’s influence has been obvious, in Europe as well as domestically, where Porto will face Nottingham Forest in the Europa League quarter-finals. The Polish defender has formed a very strong central pairing with his compatriot Jan Bednarek, formerly of Southampton and Leicester. The partnership has provided the foundations for the rest of the team, with Kiwior’s importance seen in how Porto have won 10 matches in which he has featured by a single goal. The 26-year-old’s comfort on the ball allows Porto to build from the back and he can also mix it up.
