Benfica 2 - Guimaraes 1 - FInal Bound

It was the third time Benfica met Guimares this season, and once again Benfica came out on top. A spot in the final of the League Cup was at stake this time, and Benfica clinched a spot in the final of the competition, which is the only domestic competition that Benfica has never won.

I wrote in my preview, that Benfica has shifted their attention to this competition and are determined to win it. After the team's premature exit from both the UEFA Cup and the Portuguese Cup, the only two objectives left are the League Cup and the League. With that in mind, Quique fielded a very competitive line up with the returning Quim in goal, Miguel Vitor, Luisao, Sidnei and David Luiz in the back. In the midfield, Katsouranis returned after serving a 1 game suspension, while Martins was given another rep in the midfield, to hopefully be the transition player we need so much. In the flanks, Reyes got the start, while Amorim continues to be Quique's number one choice for the right side. Cardozo, fresh off a good performance against Rio Ave, got another chance to prove that the 20 plus goals he scored last season, weren't a mere accident. Aimar continues to play the supporting role.

As you can see a very competitive team. Maxi who was at risk of picking up his 5th yellow card was spared by Quique ahead of the porto game this weekend. Other than that, you can say that Quique could field this team on any given weekend.

It wasn't a specially blistering start for Benfica, but just like many of the recent games, the team holds its own and then shows up in flashes. Priority clearly goes to establishing a defensive cohesiveness, through positioning, to then gradually build a game flow.
When the team does establish some sort of game flow, it's not often for two long, which always gives me the impression that the team doesn't always have a sense of purpose, or demonstrates to have a unique identity, but rather a team that plays in spurts without a constant identifiable game flow.
That is how i see the current Benfica, a team with their positioning routines well memorized, but without some sort of spontaneity. A team that's too predictable, and easy to defend against.
The first half was very balanced with both teams trading attacking incursions, but Benfica could have very well have gone into the locker room up on the scoreboard. Cardozo hit his third iron in 2 games, and then tried to test out the strength of the net with a full blast into a seemingly open net, only to have his aim and his eagerness betray him. Cardozo was in fact the most dangerous Benfica man of the half, often finding spaces to shoot and moving well in his action perimeter.

Maxi entered the game in the second half, after Sidnei opened up a gash in his head following a head to head collision with one of the Guimaraes defenders. Miguel Vitor went to the middle and Maxi took on his familiar right back position. Not much mmore different than the first half with both teams trading attacks. Quique made his second substitution in the 70th minute mark, pulling out Cardozo for DiMaria in a move that had me scratching my head, Benfica was now playing without a center forward, and i thought long and hard about the purpose of this substitution, and wondered how Benfica would now create their chances when in fact our most dangerous player had just been substituted.
But i didn't have to think long and hard on how we get to the goal, as a Guimaraes defender helped our quest with a well placed header into his goal. Once again lady luck smiled on us, and all of the sudden the fact that Cardozo wasn't in the game didn't seem to matter yet, it was a very odd substitution by Quique. 20 minutes to go and the way our front line was set up was perfect for the inevitable Guimaraes push, as all three players up front, Aimar, Dimaria and Reyes, are all players that can pop in anywhere behind the defenders or serve as target men for a counter. It was in a in one of those type of plays that Katsouranis found Aimar, chipping the ball over the defense for Aimar to finish over the keeper and into the angle. Aimar's first goal of the season. 88 minutes had gone by, and with Yebda already on the field, Benfica still had time to allow a Guimaraes goal, and one last chance by the visitors to tie the game. The game ended shortly there after and Benfica are in the final where they will meet archrivals Sporting.

Not the best of outings for the team, but effective for all intents and purposes. I am baffled by Cardozo's substitution and still think that Aimar can do a lot better if he came from the midfield forward.

Next is a very important away game at porto. The clear ascendant by some players is vital at this point of the season. The slow but steady ownership of defensive midfielder position by Katsouranis. The improvement from Martins in the middle is also important, as i have been writing here, Benfica is in desperate need of someone who can serve as the link between the defense and the attack, and i think Martins can bring that to the team. He just needs to simplify his game and it'll all come together, he doesn't need to dribble 2 and 3 oppositors, he just needs to use his quickness and his vision to offer himself as a target to the players trying to advance the ball up the field, it's that simple. Aimar's ascendant couldn't be more important at this time, if he remains healthy he can very well be the factor that will give us the edge.