Benfica - Penafiel - Portuguese Cup Preview

Benfica starts their Portuguese Cup campaign this Sunday against Penafiel at Estadio da Luz. It is the first round of the Portuguese Cup for the Liga Sagres teams and the drawing dictated that Benfica play Penafiel. Penafiel are current co-leaders of II Division B (Portuguese 3rd flight), and will come to the Estadio da Luz trying to take advantage of the extra motivation a game like this usually brings. Benfica comes back to action after 10 days of rest, and will try to get a new winning streak going, after tying their last game against Leixoes. The Portuguese Cup has eluded Benfica for the past 5 years. despite being the Portuguese Club who has raised the silverware the most.

As it is customary, Portuguese Cup games, especially the early ones, are usually a chance for players who don't play much to get their chance. Here's the game roster that Quique selected for this game:

Keepers: Moreira and Moretto.
Defenders: Luisão, Miguel Vítor, Sidnei, Léo and Jorge Ribeiro.
Midfielders: Bynia, Katsouranis, Fellipe Bastos, Ruben Amorim, Balboa, Reyes and Di Maria.
Forwards: Cardozo, Makukula, Suazo and Urreta.

As expected, Quim will get his day off, as Moretto will sit on the bench for the first time this season. In the defense, Maxi also gets a day off. In the midfield, Fellipe Bastos returns while both Yebda and Carlos Martins take a valuable rest. Reyes who had suffered an injury against Leixoes, has recuperated in full and is once again an option for Quique. Up front, it's the return of David Suazo, who had been injured since Benfica's first leg UEFA Cup game against Napoli. Nuno Gomes will do the same as his national teammates and rest. Pablo Aimar and David Luiz are the only one's that weren't part of Quique's selection pool, as they are still recovering from their injuries.

Here's the probable line up

Moreira
Miguel Vitor, Luisao, Sidnei and Leo
Binya, Ruben Amorim
Balboa and DiMaria on the flanks
Cardozo and Suazo up front.

Moreira is more than a "shoe in" in goal. In the defense, with Maxi being out, Miguel Vitor seems the most certain for the right side. Luisao and Sidnei will continue to be the central defender tandem, and Leo should get another chance to show Quique if he has assimilated the proper movements required by Quique for the position. In the midfield, Binya should get his first start of the season. Next to Binya there are a few choices, Amorim seems like a logical choice as the central midfielder position is his natural one. There's also the possibility of Fellipe Bastos starting next to Binya, to give him his first minutes of the season.
On the flanks, DiMaria should make his return to the left, as Quique will most likely keep Reyes on the bench as a precaution. The right side should belong to Balboa, as he will get another chance to show his progress. Up front, Cardozo will most likely be up top, while the supporter should probably fall on Suazo. There's a possibility that Makukula will start, but i don't see him along side Oscar Cardozo, as they occupy the same areas of the attack. There's also the possibility of Suazo starting on the bench, but it makes more sense for him to start along side with Cardozo, in what could be a "dress rehearsal" for Thursday.

Although a somewhat different team from what we are used to seeing, don't expect the desire to win to be any different. A good performance here will earn some of these players points and will keep them in the book of options for Quique. The most important thing for these players, is to show Quique that they are in tune with his game model, and understand it well enough that they can carry it onto the field. Benfica has a very busy schedule until the end of the year, this is a great chance for these players to put themselves in a spot where they can be rotated into the squad to keep it healthy and fresh.

There isn't a team that comes into Estadio da Luz without the ambition to win and extra motivation, Penafiel should be no different. Benfica needs to get to work early and put the game away fast. On paper, it's a very easy game, but it can be one of those trap games. The players will certainly be forbidden to think about the UEFA Cup game on Thursday, and need to have respect for Penafiel, regardless what division they are from.



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