Bate 1 - Benfica 2 - Next Round Clinched

Benfica sealed their ticket into the next round of the Europa League with a 2-1 win over Belarus side Bate Borisov.
I didn't have the opportunity to watch the game, but hope to watch it in the next day or two.
Goals by Saviola and Coentrao on media echoes that speak of Menezes, Coentrao, Saviola and Garcia as Benfica's best.
This win allows us to go into the home game against AEK without any worries, on the eve of the clash with porto.

Below are the links for the game from MEGAUPLOAD. Download and see for yourself.

First Half
Second Half

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Type rest of the post here

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Benfica 5 - Everton 0 - A Night to Remember

What was perhaps one of the most difficult games of the group stages for Benfica, turned out to be a game that will be remembered by many for a long time. It's not every game you score 5 goals, scratch that,(not most games at least), but to score 5 against a team, that has a respectable status in the English Premiership, is something that has to be filed in every Benfiquista's memory.
Skeptics,"lagartos" and "porcos" may say that this Everton was a depleted Everton, missing a couple of key elements, but when our team shows itself at this level, game in and game out, not even a selection of all the best Everton players of the past three seasons would have been able to stop our team, and we will once again prove the 5-0 was no fluke, when we meet Everton again in Liverpool in a little bit over a week.


The starting 11 wasn't too far from we are used to seeing, Julio Cesar got the start, as he has up to this point in the Europa league, and Amorim got the start ahead of Maxi.

Benfica was just too strong for Everton from start to finish, despite Everton showing some life halfway through the first half. The early goal at the 14th minute was more than deserved as Benfica had already threatened Tim Howard's goal a couple of times. Saviola met a a millimetric DiMaria cross with a volley that bounced over Howard and into the back of the net.
It was the start Benfica worked for, and Everton didn't have any answers for Benfica's initial charge. After the first goa,l Everton got their bearings back but much because of Benfica's slowing of play, Benfica was now taking less risks and playing a more calculated and predictable style, which allowed Everton to sort out their positioning, and even out a game. Still, both DiMaria, and Saviola proved to be complete headaches for the Everton defense as all of the danger seemed to go through their feet.
Benfica went into the locker room with good momentum, but the score seemed short, and not at all one that we could rest on.

JJ's pep talk at the half seemed to work, as Benfica came out firing on all cylinders and 7 minutes into the second half we were up 4-0. Cardozo scored on the 47th and 48th, and Luisao would deliver the knockout punch in the 52nd minute.
It was that quick and merciless, no time to breathe for the English has Howard must have felt he was in practice, as his ball fetching from inside the net, came quick and frequent. To his credit, none of the goals can be put on him, as Cardozo tapped in his first, headed his second uncontested, and Luisao was also given a free header off a corner.
Everton still looked for their honor goal, but DiMaria, Saviola, Aimar and company proved to be too much for the English side. Saviola closed out the scoreboard in the 83rd minute, and the night that will soon not be forgotten by Benfiquistas.

With the win and the amount of goals scored, Benfica ascended to first place of the group, and is now in complete control of their qualification to the next round as Borisov beat AEK. Next is a trip to England to prove the 5-0 result was not a flash in the pan, surely things will not be as easy at Goodison park, but Benfica has as much of an answer to give Everton as the home side does to Benfica. A win at Goodison could seal a trip into the next round.

Time after time, this team has showed that it's real, the quality and the results are there, game after game. I know that there's a perhaps unhealthy euphoric state around this team, but what this team has shown us, is nothing compared to any type of promise shown in the past 10 years.
Screw the statistics, they might say this team this, and this team that, by comparison to past years, but the biggest difference, and the reason why fans are joining the wave in droves, is in the way the team plays, and not statistics.
Fans believe in this team, they believe in its quality, their players, and their coach, and when you believe in those things, it's easy to be a believer. I am a believer, are YOU?

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AEK 1 - Benfica 0 - Greek Woes Continue

Benfica's bad streak in Greece continued, as the team could not beat AEK. In a game that turned out to be more of a bad read by the team and staff than anything else. Benfica walked into a game expecting one thing, and got something else instead, costing them a whole first half, and ultimately the game.

The starting 11 were just as i had projected on my preview, with Julio Cesar in goal, Maxi, Luisao, David Luiz and Peixoto in the defensive. Garcia, Aimar, Ramires and DiMaria in the midfield, Cardozo and Saviola up front.

It was the first time this season i saw Benfica start the game in such a complacent fashion. While up until this point, we had seen an all out Benfica from the starting whistle, in Greece it was as if the team waited to see what AEK was going to do.
On the other hand, AEK started compact, waiting for the team who had been dominating their opponents all season to come to them. As the first 10 minutes of the game elapsed, AEK realized that Benfica had stepped on the field in bashful fashion, and realized that they could very well impose their game, and they did.
DiMaria did hit the upright, but other than that Benfica's chances were far between in the first half.
AEK progressively took control of the game, and went into the locker room with a just 1-0 lead.

The second half brought a more recognizable Benfica, but with having to chase the equalizer, as the clock ticked down, the team slowly changed from their automatism's to more of a rushed game as expected. Benfica created several chances, but the inspired AEK keeper managed to save them every each way he could.

Along with what believe was the wrong approach to the game, I have to say that some of the players were well below their level, Aimar being one of them. Surely his call up to the national team as to be something on his mind. But I wouldn't accuse Aimar of saving himself, or being hesitant to go all out to save himself for the national team, that would be not only unfair, but speculation on my part, but his performance does leave some doubts.
Off course, I can't blame the loss solely on Aimar, as I have said that several players were well below their normal level.
Certainly with the right approach Benfica could have easily won the this game still in the first half, but they didn't, which sets up an important matchday 3 against group leaders Everton, and a sense of urgency to get the points to leave us in good standing in the group.

As for ramifications, I don't believe this result will have any influence on the team, but we will have to wait until Monday to see what kind of response the team will have.

# - Photo Via abola.pt

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We now return you to your regularly scheduled program

My apologies once again for not keeping the blog current, but personal and professional commitments sometimes speak louder.
With that out of the way i got a little bit of catching up to do. Last time i posted was on the eve of Benfica's Europa League debut, since then, not only did Benfica start their European campaign in the best way possible way, but they have also added two wins in their quest for domestic glory.


Let's take in parts.....

Europa League
There were many that thought that the group that Benfica was drawn into could have been a little easier. I, on the other hand, thought and still think, that the group couldn't have been better. I am of the opinion that if you are drawn into a group with mediocre teams you end up stooping down to their level.
With that into consideration, Benfica's group couldn't have been better. Everton, AEK and Bate aren't necessarily your powerhouses but they are also at a respectable level that will provide Benfica plenty of challenging matches.
Benfica opened up against Bate, in a game where JJ decided to give Aimar and Quim the night off.
The big surprises in the starting 11 were Julio Cesar, Nuno Gomes and Felipe Menezes. Menezes took over the 10 position while Gomes relegated Saviola to the bench, Julio Cesar was once again picked ahead of Moreira,.
Benfica won the game comfortably, as they should have, with a 2-0 result built in the first half by Cardozo and Nuno Gomes.
With the win Benfica, confirmed their favoritism on paper and avoided starting the group stages in compromising fashion...
Next Up, a difficult trip to Greece to play AEK.

Away Game vs Leiria
With only a few days of rest Benfica traveled to Leiria in a game that featured the best attack and the best defense of the early stages of the league. This time Keirrison got the start ahead of Cardozo along side Saviola. In a stadium that registered their biggest attendance in 5 years(22,676), mostly Benfiquistas, Benfica started well and at the 4 minute mark were already up 1-0 courtesy of Saviola. What seemed like turning out to be an easy game became more complicated as David Luiz gave the home team the tying goal. Leiria defended well, and Benfica fought long and hard to find holes in the well organized defensive lines. Benfica's go ahead goal ended up coming in the 78th minute following a penalty on Aimar. A penalty that was contested by the home team, but that in my opinion was a clear foul.
Benfica struggled to win the game but never gave up looking for the win, and fought hard to come away with the win, which in the end was the just result.
On the Keirrison watch, nothing new, the young Brazilian continues to fail to make a real impression, even though there is a visible evolution in his adaptation to Benfica's game.

Home Game vs Leixoes.
This past Saturday, Benfica returned home to face Leixoes, in a weekend where porto and Sporting faced each other, Benfica had the perfect opportunity to gain points, provided off course, they could beat Leixoes. With that though in mind, perhaps it's no surprise that JJ fielded his best 11. Ramires and Javi Garcia who had been reported as doubtful for the game, made the game roster and started along with Quim, Maxi, Luisao, David Luiz, Peixoto, Aimar, DiMaria, Cardozo and Saviola.
Set in defending and stopping Benfica, Leixoes came out playing hard and fouling as the best way to stop Benfica. In the first half, the Leixoes men managed to pick up 5 yellow cards, one of them a double yellow, that left Benfica in numerical advantage after the 27th minute. Fouling, simulated injuries, and decision arguing ultimately rewarded Benfica with 5 minutes of extra time, and it was in those 5 minutes that Benfica got the opening goal.

Coming out of the locker room up 1 goal and against 10 men, the second half looked to be a lot different as the Leixoes men would now have to open up and look to come out of their own half despite being a man down. benfica came out strong again and quickly pushed Leixoes into their half. The second goal came from a penalty after Aimar was brought down in the box following a good combination play. The player that commited the foul picked up the a red, as Aimar was going to be 1 on 1 with the keeper. Cardozo converted and everything became much easier for Benfica, who would get goals in the 75th(Ramires),82nd(Maxi),89th(Cardozo), to obtain their 6th win in 7 matches for the Liga Sagres.

Leixoes can't complain about the referee and their fate in this game, as the aggressive behavior of their players was visible since the dtart of the game.
I find comical that the visitors coach commented on the referee's attitude towards his team, stating that the referee should have been a bit more of an adviser and shown some more leniency towards his players, being that they are inexperienced. The referee's warnings were visible, and there were quite a few plays where more cards could have come out. The fact that Leixoes is the team that fouls the most in the Liga Sagres is no coincidence.

The current wave of enthusiasm felt by the fans, is visible as 42,000 plus were once again in attendance, and how can they not be excited about this team? The team plays an attractive style of futebol, they score, and the fans leave the stadium feeling good about what they saw.

Next up is the second game of the Europa League with a difficult trip to Greece, a win is very much an attainable result, and the fans expect no less than this team.

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Poltava 2 - Benfica 1 - A Waste

In a game where Benfica had little at stake, fruit of the 4-0 lead from the first leg, Benfica limited themselves to show up for this game. I write "show up", because playing, there was very little of it.
In a game that brought us Benfica's first official loss of the new season, and equally the worst performance of the season, Benfica failed to uphold any type of global reputation they had in the Ukraine. Regardless of the 7 changes from the team that lined up against Guimaraes, the team had the responsibility to do a lot better in this game.

JJ had announced that he would give some players a rest, here's the starting 11 he fielded:
Moreira in goal, Luis Felipe, Luisao, Sidnei and David Luiz. Javi Garcia, Coentrao, Ramires and Cesar Peixoto in the midfield. Nuno Gomes and Keirrison up front.

7 changes in all, 7 players who have seen limited action this season, some of them making their official season debuts. With 7 changes, it was only natural that the team would show themselves at a lower level, that is understandable. What is not understandable is the lack of attitude by the team as a whole.
I will not bore you with a recap of the game, part because i have very little desire to replay it back in my head, but also because i'd like to forget it as soon as possible.

I'm surprised that even the players who had an opportunity to show themselves to JJ, did very little to make a case for a starting spot. There were a couple of bright spots, but generally speaking, the performance was poor and lackadaisical.
Certainly the lack of desire and fighting spirit wasn't what JJ asked of the team, and I'm sure he didn't ask for the team to only go through the motions either, but I'm sure that regardless of the team getting a free pass by many fans, JJ took notes.

Benfica's lone goal was scored by Saviola who cam in for Nuno Gomes at the half. Also getting minutes were Amorim and DiMaria who came in for Ramires and Coentrao respectively.

In closing this ugly game, it's a shame Miguel Vitor couldn't have gotten an opportunity. It's also a shame that a team like Benfica presents themselves in such a poor light.
Quoting another blog i read:

"Fans forgive players for everything, from bad luck to bad playing, all is forgiven, as long as the fans see that the players have the will, and honor to wear Benfica's jersey, which personafies the example of giving it all, willingness, altruism and sacrifice"

I think that says it all... Let's just leave it at that....
Horrible performance, poor showing, and wasted chances from some of the players who got a unique chance to make an impression.

With this playoff behind us, it is now time to start thinking about the group stages, which paired us in one of the most difficult in the Europa League, with Everton, AEK and Bate.


#Photo Credit - Getty Images

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Benfica 4 - Poltava 0 - Too Strong.

Benfica practically guaranteed a spot in the Europa league with a convincing 4-0 over Ukraine's Poltava. In what was an anticipated easy game for Benfica, the team worked hard to justify the result, and go into the Ukraine with one foot in the next round.

2 changes in JJ's line up from this past weekend, Shaffer started at left back, while David Luiz slid to the middle, pushing Sidnei to the pine. Coentrao started in midfield in place of the injured Martins and ahead of Ramires, who just came out of injury. Those were the only two changes, as the remaining 9 all started this past weekend.

Onto the game...
Benfica started the game with a little bit of apprehension towards a lower caliber, yet unknown opponent. Perhaps because of not knowing the opponent that well, Benfica's start was one of expectation, and took a bit to establish their game. which most likely conditioned team's start of the game. Benfica was looking for a team determined to get a good away result and therefore with a defensive posture, but that wasn't the case with Poltava as they showed themselves agressive and with high lines on the pitch.
With JJ giving plenty of instructions into the field, Benfica started to adjust their positioning and little by little started getting into the game but it took the team close to 30 mins to adjust. It was right around that time, that Coentrao put a ball behind the Poltava defense and DiMaria showed up between the two central defenders, to win their backs and to find himself one on one with the keeper, who he beat with a chip into the far side of the goal.
It was the confirmation of Benfica's ascendent in the game, an ascendent that could have very well have taken the team into the locker room up by more.

The second half was the continuation of Benfica's late first half domination, and it didn't take long for the scoreboard to work again as Cardozo converted a penalty following a foul on Saviola in the penalty area. Staying true to his usual penalty taking style, Cardozo blasted a shot into the goal. After having missed against Maritimo, Cardozo knows he has more success when he hits the ball hard.
3 minutes later(57') Benfica would put the game away for good as Cardozo found Saviola in the 6 yard box for a tap in.
It was the corollary of Benfica's domination, while the Ukrainian side had surprised Benfica with the way they started, Benfica made adjustments and was now showing their favoritism.
Not even with a comfortable lead did Benfica let up, JJ subbed in Ramires for Coentrao at the 62 minute mark, and later Weldon for Cardozo at the 75th minute. Weldon, who is quickly taking on good luck charm status, needed only 2 minutes to close out the scoreboard at 4.
Benfica cruised to the end of the game as JJ used his last sub at the 80th minute, when he debuted Benfica's last acquisition Cesar Peixoto for Saviola.

Benfica takes a comfortable lead into the second leg to the Ukraine in 2 weeks time, and while the lead is in fact comfortable, Benfica's qualification for the next round can't be assumed as done. JJ has already said that he will use that game to give other players competitive rhythm, but that the game can't be taken lightly.
Keirrison who made the bench for the first time, did at one point warm up during the game, but was not called to play. He can very well get his first start with a Benfica Jersey in the Ukraine.

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