P. Ferreira - Benfica Preview

Benfica faces a tough away match this Saturday, even though P. Ferreira is next to last on the championship table, they will surely be extra motivated to play Benfica on their home field, a field that is smaller than what Benfica is used to playing in. Combine the home field factor plus the extra motivation and you have a tough match. If Benfica start out well, taking control of the game and scoring early they will undoubtedly have an easy task on their hands. Despite having a crucial Champions League match on Wednesday, Benfica can not be looking past this Saturday's match. With Porto already having opened an 8 point gap and the recent ascension to second place, Benfica needs to continue on the right track by not losing anymore points, especially to a P. Ferreira team that has tallied only 5 points so far. This is a game that Benfica MUST win if they want to continue thinking about challenging Porto for the Bwin.

Camacho has called up the following players:
Keepers: Butt, Quim
Defenders: Luís Filipe, Zoro, Luisão, Edcarlos, Léo,
Midfielders: Binya, Rui Costa, Nuno Assis, Katsouranis, Maxi Pereira and Cristian Rodriguez
Forwards: Nuno Gomes, Adu, Bergessio, Di Maria, Cardozo

Possible Starting 11:
Quim will return to goal after serving a one game suspension ban for picking a red card. In Defense, Camacho will repeat the back four that played against Maritimo – Maxi, Luisao, Edcarlos and Leo. In midfield, Binya and Katsouranis will play in a more defensive role giving Rui Costa more freedom as a playmaker and less defensive responsabilities. Di Maria and Rodriguez will be on the wings. Cardozo will be up front as the center forward. The big doubt is on who will be his partner. With Nuno Gomes not being 100% yet, I think Camacho can go a few different ways. He could either go with Bergessio, who as yet to find his ideal form. He can go with Di Maria, putting Nuno Assis in right midfield, or he can start Nuno Gomes and look to bring in Freddy Adu in the second half as Nuno Gomes tires out, the very last possibility is to just start Freddy Adu in the striker position, a position Freddy is very familiar with.
In either of the possibilities from above, Freddy Adu will be one of the first choices off the bench, that is almost a sure thing. The American international has made an impact in every game he has come off the bench. He is quickly turning into Benfica’s Talisman, scoring decisive goals in the last few matches.

** photo courtesy of Isabel Cutileiro