Guadiana Cup in Sight

Benfica plays 2 games this weekend in the Guadiana Cup. The first one is tomorrow against Blackburn Rovers, and the other one is against Sporting on Sunday.
With all of the players at Quique's orders, these two games will take on a more serious tone, despite Quique stating that the most important game against Sporting is the one for the league.
Last year Benfica won this tournament by beating Sporting in the final game, with a goal from David Luiz.
Quique has also mentioned that the players that made their return this week will be getting little or limited time, as they are still not in the optimal playing condition.

In a day that served as a formal introduction to UrretaVizcaya, Jorge Ribeiro and, fresh off the plane, Sidnei, Quique also announced the list of the 28 players making the trip to Algarve.

Here they are:

Keepers: Moreira, Quim and Bruno Costa

Defenders: Luís Filipe, Edcarlos, Luisão, Léo, Zoro, Miguel Vítor, Sepsi and Sidnei

Midfielders: Petit, Katsouranis, Aimar, Balboa, Fellipe Bastos, Maxi Pereira, Ruben Amorim, Binya, Carlos Martins, Nuno Assis, Yebda, and Jorge Ribeiro

Forwards: Nelson Oliveira, Cardozo, Urretavizcaya, Makukula and Nuno Gomes.

Notable absences are the ones of Nelson, David Luiz and Mantorras, who are all bothered by injuries, or in the recovering process.

What can we expect from these two games? Not a lot, but a lot more than what we saw on Saturday against Estoril. For some players, it'll be one of the last chances(if not the last)to impress Quique, namely the players on the "bubble".
With Rui Costa announcing today that there will be more players leaving next week, and that there are still 3(!) players to come, Quique will surely be shedding excess very soon.
We can also expect a team trying to apply a certain automatism and playing routines, in a style of play that will come close to what Quique wants for this 08/09 Benfica.
I don't expect to see Aimar for too long, but I expect to see him during the course of these two games.
Don't be surprised to see Maxi and Ribeiro on the right and left side of the defense, and we may even see Sidnei at one point.

In the midfield, the battle will continue, Petit, Fellipe Bastos, Amorim, Yebda, Martins, are all fighting for a spot and will be out to impress Quique. As far as Binya, looks like his days numbered as he has been rumored to be headed to Spain. Assis will continue to plug away but he can very well be headed to Guimaraes come next week.

We should see some interesting pairings in Benfica's starting 11s this weekend, with the focus falling in the center of each sector. In defense, Luisao, Edcarlos, Miguel Victor, Katsouranis, Sidnei and Zoro, will all likely get minutes, the question is, who will be at their side? It'll be interesting to see the who will be paired with who.

Same deal in the midfield, but in a more complex way. Quique has been showing a 4-4-2 with different looks and variations, the personnel used will ultimately determine how Benfica will function in the midfield.
There are no shortage of players and different characteristics for Quique to adopt any variation he desires, whether it's a 4-2-3-1, 4-1-3-2, or your classic 4-4-2.

Up Front, it's every man for himself, has Cardozo looks to make up for lost time and Nuno Gomes, tries to convince Quique he can still be important to the team. Makukula has been with the squad since day 1, and he will continue to work hard to deserve a spot on the squad and justify why Benfica spent 4.5mm on him last season. UrretaVizcaya now has 2 weeks under his belt, and his biggest weapon is not only to show Quique he can complement anyone else up front, but also provide depth to the front line, as he's a player that can play all forward positions.
Nelson Oliveira continues to live the dream, but his alarm clock is about to go off. There's no question about his talent, but at 16, you'd have to be incredibly gifted to make the squad. Write his name down, he will be sure to pop up again, he has a bright future ahead of him, not only for Benfica but also for the national team, who currently lacks a world class center forward.

Looking forward to seeing a more serious Benfica this weekend, as the team starts taking steps towards defining itself.