Raul Jimenez is sometimes lost in the shuffle among Mexico's European-based players.
Not Sunday, though, as Jimenez flashed the kind of form that caused Benfica to sign him in the first place and Benfica rolled over Rio Ave, 3-1.
.@Raul_Jimenez9 selou o resultado com um remate forte! #SejaOndeFor pic.twitter.com/DgDlWTXfpp
— Sport Lisboa Benfica (@SL_Benfica) December 20, 2015Jimenez, 24, joined Benfica this summer from Atletico Madrid. Before Madrid he played for Club America. He has four goals so far this season in 19 appearances for the Portuguese club.
His goal-scoring form is already better this year than is was last season for Atletico Madrid, where he scored jus one goal in 27 total appearances.
Benfica sit third in the Premeira Liga table with 31 points, four behind second-place Sporting CP and five behind first-place Porto. They advanced to the Champions League knockout stage earlier this month, and have drawn Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg, a winnable draw.
Rio Ave, the team they beat, are sixth in the Premeira Liga, with 21 points.
Prior to moving to Europe, Raul Jimenez was primarily known for doing this:
Reminiscing on one of my favorite moments in soccer history. @Raul_Jimenez9's chilena https://t.co/8p0vZ895l3
— ☽ Nayely ☾ (@NyxNacht) December 21, 2015That's the sort of thing Atletico Madrid were looking for when they brought Raul Jimenez to Europe, and now it's up to Benfica to unlock all that potential.
Contact The18 Staff Writer Sam Klomhaus at Klomhaus@The18.com or follow him on Twitter @SamKlomhaus
