Benfica - Setubal Preview

The second home game of the season brings Vitoria de Setubal to Estadio da Luz this Monday, as Benfica will close out the 3rd round of the Liga Sagres. Benfica is still looking for their first home win and will need to get a win to keep pace with Braga and porto who are the early leaders so far. Setubal comes into the game also looking for their first win of the season, as they tied and lost in the first two rounds.



For this game JJ called 19 players:

Keepers: Moreira and Quim.

Defenders: Shaffer, Luisão, Luís Filipe, David Luiz, Sidnei and Miguel Vítor;

Midfielders: Rúben Amorim, Javi García, Ramires, Aimar, Fábio Coentrão, Di María and César Peixoto.

Forwards: Cardozo, Keirrison, Nuno Gomes e Saviola.

Aimar who had been in doubt for this game, was called by JJ, but his start will depend on a last minute decision based on a pre-game evaluation.

The line up shouldn't be too far from the following - Moreira in goal. Amorim, Luisao, David Luiz and Shaffer. Javi Garcia, DiMaria, Ramires and Aimar, if Aimar is able to go. In the event Aimar doesn't start we can very well see Cesar Peixoto in the 10 slot, but i still think that Ramires would do a much better job in the 10 slot, opening up the right to Coentrao. Up front, Saviola and Cardozo will continue to be the first choices of JJ.

With the loss in the Ukraine a distant memory, the team will now need to be back to focusing on the league. It's not going to be an easy game, as Setubal will adopt the same type of tactics we saw from our opponents in the first two games.
Setubal's coach has stated that his team will not present themselves in an ultra defensive posture, and that Benfica may be playing well, but does not intimidate his team.
Benfica should be able to win this game, but we will need to get on the board early, so that the game doesn't get complicated.

With a 2 week lay off on the horizon in domestic competition, Benfica needs to go into this period on a positive note. The two weeks ahead, despite some of the players being away on national team duty, will serve to assimilate some more of JJ's methods, especially for some of the newer players.
Felipe Menezes, who will be officially introduced this Monday, will have plenty of time to get acclimated with the team and JJ.