Benfica 4 -Academica 0 - Back to Abnormality

It's perhaps in games like these where i fear for a lottery result for our team. With the field showing signs of water saturation, especially in the middle, and with the rain coming down harder and harder as the game got underway, I thought the conditions would really played against us, as our playing style isn't really the best for the near monsoon conditions. But we prevailed, and came out of the game not only with a win, but one that serves to quiet down some of the usual pundits, and doubters, who have the courage to utter the words "crisis", "drought", and "downfall".
JJ recently classified Benfica's recent results and marginal wins as the norm, well it's nice to see we are back to abnormality.


For this game JJ called on the following 11: Quim, Maxi, Luisao, David Luiz and Peixoto in defense. Amorim in place of Garcia, DiMaria, Ramires, Aimar in the midfield. Cardozo and Saviola, the usual suspects, up front.

Normal start of game for Benfica, trying to adapt to the wet pitch, but what it seemed to be the start of a long night, took a turn for the best as Saviola put Cardozo in front of the Academica goal and the Paraguayan didn't waste the chance and put Benfica ahead before most of the 40 thousand plus got a chance to make themselves comfortable in their seats.
With 6 minutes in and up one nothing, I don't have the stats in front of me, but I know that when Benfica doesn't score early, usually it becomes more and more difficult to get past the defensive schemes of the opposition. The early goal not only settles the team, but makes the opposition come out of their "shell", which allows for Benfica to play their usual game.
Academica stepped up and came looking for the tie, but despite playing in Benfica's half for the first part of the first half, Academica never really threatened Quim's net. Benfica on the other hand, showed themselves solid in the back, but missed some passes that would have made offensive transition easier, a lot of it because of the wet pitch, which despite worsening, was still no object for Benfica offensively, as Benfica kept finding a way to threaten. It was during one of those threats that Benfica found their way to goal at the 32nd minute, as Maxi found a sneaking Saviola behind the defense, Saviola executed a perfect lob over the watching keeper and into the goal. A goal for the highlight real for sure. DiMaria and Cardozo would have a couple more chances before the end of the half, but the first half would finish up at a tranquil 2-0.

Benfica's ascendant in the last 15 minutes of the first half, carried into the start of the second, and it wasn't too long before Cardozo put the game out of reach with his second goal of the match in the 56th minute. A dipping shot by DiMaria bounced in front of the goalie who saved it forward, Cardozo's reflexes allowed him to put a head to the rebound. A typical center forward goal, in the right spot, at the right time, and with the quickness and the instinct to put it away. Ramires almost made it 4 shortly thereafter, but his full stretch header going away from goal found the outside of the upright.
JJ made his first substitution at the 69th minute, when he brought on Weldon for the much applauded Saviola. In the freekick that stopped play for Weldon to come in, DiMaria found Cardozo's head, who got his third of the night, his 14th for the Liga Sagres. Cardozo has now surpassed Sporting's entire team output of 12. For those who spoke of his drought, and current misses, stick that in your pipe and smoke it.
Coentrao and Nuno Gomes came in for Aimar and Cardozo respectively, in an effort to refresh the team, but the storyline was more than written, as Benfica wins a game that could have been a difficult one, but it turned out to be as easy as a walk in the park, despite the conditions of the field, and the torrential downpour.

With this win, Benfica joins Braga at the top, with a 3 point advantage over 3rd place porto. Next up is a trip to Algarve to face second to last, and porto satellite, Olhanense.


#PHOTO - Getty