Leiria - Benfica Preview

Benfica has a tough game in Leiria this Sunday. Coming off a tough loss mid-week against Shakhtar Donenstk for the Champion League, Benfica now turns their attention to the Bwin. A win is the only good result as they already trail first place Porto by 8 points and their other direct rival, Sporting, has won this week’s league match. The pressure is definitely on for Benfica to win this weeks match, against a considerably weaker opponent. Leiria has tallied 3 points so far as a result of 3 ties, and have lost 3 other games. Despite being an easy team, theoretically, it is very well known that all the little teams rise up to play against the 3 big ones of Portugal, so, it will not an easy task. For this match Camacho has called the following players:

GK: Quim e Butt
Defenders: Luís Filipe, Edcarlos, Luisão, Léo e Marc Zoro
Midfielders: Katsouranis, Gilles Binya, Romeu Ribeiro, Rui Costa, Nuno Assis, Di María, Maxi Pereira, Cristian Rodríguez, Freddy Adu e Fábio Coentrão
Forwards: Cardozo e Nuno Gomes

Here’s what I am predicting for the starting 11:

Quim, Maxi, EdCarlos, Luisao, Leo; Katsouranis, Rui Costa, Rodriguez, Di Maria, Nuno Gomes and Cardozo.

Maxi was tested at the right back position during the last training sessions, and will most likely start there, a position which is not foreign to him, because he often played it at his former Argentinean club. Camacho will play with only one defensive midfielder as it will give the team another offensive option, it makes no sense to play with 2 defensive midfields in a match that is looked at as an easy match. The illogical alternative would include Binya in the midfield with Nuno Gomes riding the pine. Cardozo will definitely play as he and Rui Costa spent over an hour hitting free-kicks in Friday’s training session. Cardozo needs playing time, he also needs to play with a supporting player behind him, as he is an area man, and should only play in that zone of the field, not to mention that he is a great help in defensive set pieces.

Off the bench, look for 4 possible substitutes.. Adu, Binya, Coentrao, Assis..
I think after Wednesday I decided to take a different stance on the team and the obvious crisis they are going through. I am no longer going to have a critical and derogatory attitude towards the team after a bad performance or lack of positive result, as I am finding it less and less the players’ fault, and the idea that Camacho is at blame has never even crossed my mind. I really feel that Luis Felipe Vieira is the one to blame, and I could go on a long dissertation and explain my points of view but I am going to leave that for a later post. What the players and the team in general really needs is support.. Whistles from the stands are not helping this team

A good result is needed most of all, goals and wins..however they may come, offsides, inexistent penalties, goals off the ass cheeks, shin balls,or even arm pit goals, however. Performance can wait.. right now, we need to not lose anymore ground.