Man Utd scouts in attendance as Benfica star steals show vs Barcelona

Manchester United scouts were reportedly in attendance as Benfica romped home to a 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

The Portuguese club ran out shock winners in their showdown with Barca, who have got off to a poor start this season under Ronald Koeman.

According to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, United sent members of their scouting team to watch the action unfold at the Estadio da Luz, something they have done for a number of years.

The Red Devils emissaries were not alone, however, with representatives from another 30 clubs believed to have attended the match.

While it is unclear which specific players they wanted to monitor on the night, Benfica striker Darwin Nunez would certainly have grabbed their attention.

The 22-year-old was the star of the show in Lisbon, opening the scoring in the third minute before putting the icing on the cake by stroking home a penalty with 20 minutes remaining.

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  • Man Utd performed summer transfer "masterstroke" to sign "fabulous player"

He was also close to completing his hat-trick against Koeman's beleaguered Barca, with the woodwork denying him what would have been a perfect night at the office.

United are well-stocked in attack this season following the return of Cristiano Ronaldo, and having tied Edinson Cavani down to a new contract.

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Yet, Nunez's superb display is likely to have caught the eye of their Portugal envoys once more – as they were also said to be present when he bagged another brace against Boavista last week.

Should Ole Gunnar Solskjaer look to replace Cavani upfront upon the expiry of his contract, the Benfica youngster could emerge as a potential target.

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Nevertheless, he was not the only Benfica star to impress in the victory, with defenders Lucas Verissimo and Nicolas Otamendi also performing admirably at the back.

Midfielders Joao Mario, Rafa Silva and Julian Weigl, who scored their second goal of the game, were the hosts' other star men on the night.

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