Leixoes - Benfica Portuguese Cup Preview

The Portuguese Cup round of 16 will get underway this weekend, and Benfica will have the toughest game of this round when they meet Leixoes. Leixoes, who up until last week led the league, will try to to prove that their current ranking is no fluke as they will play hosts to Benfica who stole first place from them.
The two teams have already met this season in the fifth round, and Benfica came away from Estadio do Mar with the tie, but did not play an impressive game. Leixoes has only lost once at home for the Liga Sagres, while splitting the other 4 games between wins and losses. Playing away is where Leixoes' excels, having only lost 1 game and won the other 5, a league leading stat. Nonetheless, having surrendered first place to Benfica this past weekend, Leixoes will try not to lose another spot to Benfica, this one in the next round.


For this game Quique has called on the following players:

Keepers: Moretto and Moreira.

Defenders: Luisão, Maxi, Miguel Vítor, David Luiz and Sidnei;

Midfielders: Reyes, Balboa, Katsouranis, Aimar, Ruben Amorim, Binya, Yebda and Urreta.

Forwards: Cardozo, Suazo, Makukula and Nuno Gomes.

Typically a Portuguese Cup game roster would include some players that haven't played all that much, but not this one, which shows the seriousness in which Benfica is approaching this game.
Quim continues to be left out. Nothing new in the defensive unit, Jorge Ribeiro has entered the final stages of his recuperation and Leo is still in Brazil. No changes in the midfield either, as DiMaria and Martins continue to recuperate from their injuries also. Up front, Makukula is the new face from last game's game roster, although it must be said that Quique called on 19 players, which will mean one player will watch the game from the stands.

The starting 11 should not deviate much from what we saw against Maritimo, however the one big doubt will fall on who will start in goal, Moreira or Moretto? In other circumstances(had Quim not lost his job to Moreira) Moreira would start this game being the number 2 keeper, but now that he is number 1, and Moretto number 2 there's a possibility that Moretto might get the start. But that will all depend on whether Quique will want go give Moreira more minutes, now that he is the starter, in order for Moreira to get more routine in the starting spot.
In the defense, Maxi, Luisao, Sidnei and David Luiz should round out the back four. In the midfield, Katsouranis and Binya should be in the middle, while Reyes and Amorim on the flanks. Up front Aimar and Suazo should repeat last weekend's start.

If this is to be the team that Quique fields, it'll be a very different team from the team that Quique fielded back in the 5th round. Miguel Vitor played on the right of defense as Maxi had to report early to the Uruguayn national team. Jorge Ribeiro was on the left. In the midfield Yebda and Martins were in the middle, Katsouranis on the right, Reyes on the left. Nuno Gomes supported Cardozo up front. As you can see, a very distinct team from the probable team that will play today. With Aimar, Suazo, Amorim, Maxi and Katsouranis - this last one in clear ascendant - Benfica has everything to make the difference this time around.

With the UEFA Cup a distant mirage, Benfica will need to focus on one of the 3 objectives at hand, and will take this game very seriously. In the news conference before the game, Quique's assistant Fran Escriba, stressed the importance of the game and how the Portuguese Cup final game is perhaps the most "beautiful" game of the whole season.
Expect the team to come out strong and firm in its wishes to win the game. This Thursday's game has lost importance, so there will be no danger for the team to be thinking ahead.
Benfica will try to break its tendency of the past two seasons, where every time they have gone away from Estadio da Luz, they have been eliminated from the Portuguese Cup. It's been a year of breaking tendencies, and returns to old ones, let's hope today's game will prove to be just that.