At 33, Nicolás Otamendi, Benfica’s central reference and Argentina’s national team reference, is preparing to play his ninth game this Sunday in just over a month (32 days more exactly), that is, one game every three and a half days. And the average is not lower only because Jorge Jesus spared him in the reception with Tondela, in Luz, putting Lucas Veríssimo and Vertonghen as a pair of centrals.
Otamendi is at the service of the Argentine national team. He started at dawn the day before yesterday against Venezuela (he made the 90′) and is headed for the starting lineup this afternoon against Brazil, to fulfill the delayed game in the South American qualifying phase for the World Cup.
It was therefore a month at high voltage. Furthermore, with the aggravation of having been the players of Jorge Jesus’ squad who had the least vacation, due to the participation in the Copa América by Argentina, a competition that the team he represents won and where he was also one of the most used players (five games in seven possible).
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