Benfica - Guimaraes - League Cup Preview

After over a week of controversy, as to who would be the team to play Benfica in the quarter final of the league cup, the league's ruling committee has upheld its first decision, and has stayed with Guimaraes as the team that was the best second place of the 3 preliminary groups, according to their regulations. The ruling came down to wording on goal average as both Guimaraes and Belenenses finished with the same amount of points, record, tied in their head to head and had the same goal differential.

If you're interested in the details and the stupidity of an amateurish FA read below, if not, skip to the bold "CONTINUE HERE"

Guimaraes had a 3-2(scored-suffered) and Belenenses had a 2-1 differential. Belenenses' argument was that, according to the League's wording in the rules of the competition, in this case "goal average" which translates exactly into that - goal average, they had a higher coefficient than Guimaraes.
Belenenses literal goal average was 1.5 (3 games / 2 goals = 1.5) While Guimaraes was 1 (3/3). Now here's where it gets funny. According to the league, "goal average" is a competition term used by UEFA and FIFA and can't be interpreted as the literal translation into Portuguese, but understood as a term which means goal differential, benefiting the team that scores the most goals in the even of a tie in the differential.

I don't have anything against Guimaraes or Belenenses, my issue has to be with the league, that in an attempt to be modern and hip failed to simplify the rules and left much to the interpretation, which was correct from Belenenses.
As far as the ruling, I agree that the team that scored the most goals should be the one benefited by such ruling, but don't try to be all hip and modern using English terminology to hype up a second line competition, that in its second year, is still working out it's kinks.


CONTINUE HERE
With all of this indecision, Benfica ends up a team affected by this decision, as the staff did not know who to prepare for this wednesday.

For this game Quique called on the following players

Keepers - Quim and Moretto;

Defenders - Luisão, Maxi Pereira, David Luiz, Jorge Ribeiro, Sidnei and Miguel Vítor;

Midfielders - Reyes, Katsouranis, Aimar, Rúben Amorim, Binya, Di María, Carlos Martins, Yebda;

Forwards - Cardozo, Mantorras and Nuno Gomes.

Miguel Vitor and Katsouranis return from their 1 game suspension, while Moreira gets the usual number one keeper rest.

Ahead of the porto game this upcoming weekend, Quique might rest some of his key players. here's the line up i would pick:

Quim in Goal, Miguel Vitor, Sidnei, David Luiz and Ribeiro. Katsouranis and Martins in the middle, Reyes and Amorim on the flanks. Up front, Aimar supporting Cardozo.

Quique and his staff have stated the importance of this competition for Benfica, and this is a team that is competitive enough to win this game. Benfica has met Guimaraes 3 times this year already, and emerged victorious in all 3. This win is very important for the team, and it would give the team confidence to go into porto with the right momentum.