Benfica - Metalist Preview

Benfica will close out the UEFA Cup's group stages round with a game against Ukraine's Metalist. With qualification for the next round nothing short of impossible, Benfica will try to close out the group stages with the one thing they haven't done over the course of the past three games, a win.
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thanks Pedro SLB


For the final game, Quique has called on the following players:

Keepers: Moreira and Moretto;

Defenders: Maxi Pereira, Miguel Vítor, David Luiz, Sidnei, Luisão;

Midfielders: Binya, Felipe Bastos, Katsouranis, Yebda, Balboa, Aimar;

Forwards: Cardozo, Urreta, Di María, Nuno Gomes, Suazo.

Quim continues to be given time to "heal". In the defense, Ribeiro is still recuperating. In the midfield, Amorim and Reyes are the two big absences, as Fellipe Bastos returns. Up front, DiMaria returns after the injury that has kept him away for over 1 month.

Quique has had a realistic approach to the game, and Benfica's possibilities. Benfica would need to beat Metalist by 8 goals and hope that Hertha and Olympiakos tie, a very tall order. Metalist has not given up a goal in the three matches they have played up to this point, it'd be hard to think they would give up 8. If you want to go a little further, they have only given up 12 goals in 17 matches domestically.

Benfica will play to win without a question, my doubts will fall on what system Quique use? Will he venture out with the 4-4-2 diamond or the classic 4-4-2, or perhaps a 4-3-3?

Moreira, Maxi, Luisao, Sidnei and David Luiz, will be the defense, the rest of the team will depend on Quique's choices. Cardozo, will most likely get a chance to play up front, while DiMaria will most likely return. It's very possible that Quique will line up with 2 pure wingers more advanced on the field, spreading out the two defensive midfielders. Aimar should act as the playmaker.

Although the result is irrelevant to go through(unless it's 8-0), a win, and a good performance, would leave the fans feeling good about the team.
After crashing out of the Portuguese Cup, Benfica will now need to pick up momentum domestically and assure the fans first place is to keep, and only good performances will make that a reality.

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Olympiacos - Benfica Preview

Benfica will play a critical match this Thursday when they travel to Greece to meet Olympiacos, in the 3rd round of the group stage of the UEFA Cup. Benfica is currently 4th in the group having only been able to tally 1 point from two matches played. Olympiacos on the other hand, as yet to add any points to their tally but have only played one game thus far.
For Benfica it's a must win game, if they are to remain in control of their destiny. A tie would be the lesser of the two evils, but it would leave too much to a dependency of other results in the group.

For this trip Quique called on 20 players:

Keepers: Quim, Moreira and Moretto;
Defenders: David Luiz, Sidnei, Miguel Vítor, Maxi Pereira and Jorge Ribeiro;
Midfielders: Reyes, Katsouranis, Balboa, Fellipe Bastos, Ruben Amorim, Urreta, Binya, Carlos Martins and Yebda;
Forwards: Cardozo, Nuno Gomes and Suazo.

The most obvious absences are the ones of Aimar and Luisao. If you recall, Luisao finished the Academica game complaining about an injury. Aimar had gone out to warm up in that game, but returned to the bench with complaints about his right hamstring. Both players are obviously not in their best conditions and stayed in Portugal.
Fellipe Bastos and Urreta fill in for the absentees, with one of them possibly watching the game from the stands, as Quique can only dress 18 players, the other one most likely being Moretto.
Katsouranis who had been sent home from Coimbra due to a virus in his upper respiratory system, is back and poised to reach the 100 game mark with a Benfica jersey.

Here's my prediction for the starting line up - Quim in goal, Maxi, Sidnei, David Luiz and Ribeiro on the left of the defense. Yebda and Katsouranis in the middle, Amorim and Reyes on the flanks. Up front it'll be Nuno Gomes supporting Suazo.

It'll be the return of David Luiz to his natural position, along with Sidnei, they will form, what many think to be, the future of Benfica's central defender core. Amorim provides balance to the classic 4-4-2, I don't see him not playing, barring any last minute problem. Reyes, Suazo and Nuno Gomes, are practically shoe ins for this game. The first 2 are Benfica's most dangerous and offensive men, while Nuno Gomes, seems to be a great complement for the two. Benfica's captain is going through a good period of form, proving that scoring goals isn't always a measure of success.

Nothing to it, Benfica needs to come out with a win. Personally i don't subscribe to Quique's statement that a tie wouldn't be a bad result. I agree that it's better than a loss, but such statement takes away from the importance, and the need to come out with your head up high, and one foot in the next round. In the very post before this one i went through the various possibilities of qualifying, tying or losing this game, would leave too much to chance and too much to assumption, football is not a game of chance much less assumption.

Sure it will be a hostile atmosphere and the crowd can be a factor, but Benfica has players talented enough to silence the crowd. That will be one of the keys to the game. The other one lies on Benfica's midfield and its ability to control that sector of the field. Expect Katsouranis to have a good game in front of his countrymen, which will have a direct effect on the above mentioned midfield control.

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Benfica - Galatasaray - UEFA Cup Preview

Benfica will play Galatasaray this Thursday in the second matchday in the UEFA Cup group stages. In matchday 1, Benfica had a tough fixture in Germany against Hertha and came out with 1 point, while Galatasaray hosted Greek squad Olympiakos and defeated them by the narrowest of margins. The Turkish side is currently top of the group and can put themselves in a favorable position if they are able to come away with the three points. On the other hand, Benfica is looking to take full advantage of the home factor to get up on the table, as they can very easily finish out the day top of the group, if they are to get a win. Benfica is coming off a good showing against Guimaraes and are looking to build up on the positives they have had have as a team.

For this Match Quique called on the following players:

Keepers: Moreira and Quim
Defenders: Luisão, Maxi Pereira, Jorge Ribeiro, Sidnei and Miguel Vítor
Midfielders: Reyes, Katsouranis, Aimar, Ruben Amorim, Urreta, Binya, Di María, Carlos Martins and Yebda
Forwards: Cardozo, Nuno Gomes and Suazo

9 players in all, one player will watch the game from the stands. Leo, who apparently suffered an injury to his knee, misses his second consecutive game roster. In the midfield, Fellipe Bastos gives way to DiMaria who had been left out of the game roster against Guimaraes.

The starting line up shouldn't be too far from the starting line up we saw this past weekend.

Quim in goal. Maxi, Luisao, Sidnei and Ribeiro, will round off the back four. In the midfield, Yebda and Katsouranis will be in the middle while the flanks will be the responsibility of Reyes and Amorim. Up Front, Aimar and Suazo should repeat the successful pairing of last weekend.

The starting 11 seems obvious, let's see if Quique has any surprises in store.

Another tough game for Benfica, Galatasaray isn't necessarily coming to Lisbon, desperate for points, and they will play a very patient game and hope to take advantage of any Benfica miscues. The Turkish side can't count on 8 of their usuals, with Harry Kewell, Linderoth and Nonda being the most noticeable absences.
On the other hand, Benfica sees themselves at full strength and in clear ascension as a team. Aimar will record his second straight start, something he hadn't done yet for Benfica. The back line seems to have found consistency, as well as the center of the midfield where Yebda and Katsouranis seem to be understanding each other more and more.
It's Benfica's chance to make a move in the group. They will have a another tough fixture when they travel to Greece in the next round, and Benfica shouldn't have to go to Greece in a position where they must win to keep their hopes a live, despite the first 3 teams of the group qualifying for the next round.
Look for a good crowd at Estadio da Luz, the fans are feeling the teams momentum and will have a very good turnout, and yes there will be more fans at Estadio da Luz on Thursday then there were at Alvalade on Tuesday, in what was an historic night for Sporting, yet the fans decided to stay home. How does that song go? "So' eu sei porque e' que nao fico em casa".
The team needs to come out solid and play a good game, the goals will eventually come, the secret will lie on keeping the lead and a constant performance throughout.
I'm anticipating another magical European night - Forca Benfica!

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Hertha - Benfica UEFA Cup Preview

The group stages of the UEFA Cup gets underway this Thursday, and Benfica opens up the group by traveling to Berlin to face locals Hertha.
Hertha, who is currently 4th in the Bundesliga, got to the UEFA Cup Stages through 3 qualifying rounds where they outscored their opponents 13-1. Domestically they have only lost one game at home out of the four they have played, they have scored 10 goals in 8 fixtures but they have also allowed 9. Not your typical German defensive powerhouse, but also a team not shy when it comes to goal scoring.
Benfica on the other hand, comes to Germany trying break their losing tendency against German teams. Out of the 15 games Benfica have played in Germany, Benfica was only able to win once, while losing 11 times and coming away with with minimum points another 4 times.
Not a very favorable track record, but as Quique has said before "records are meant to be broken"

Traveling to Germany were 20 players

Keepers - Quim, Moreira and Moretto;

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

Midfielders - Balboa, Binya, Reyes, Katsouranis, Urreta, Di María, Yebda and Carlos Martins;

Forwards - Cardozo, Suazo and Nuno Gomes.

Only 18 players wil be able to suit, so two players will watch the game from the stands. One of them will most likely be Moretto, while the other will either be Urreta or Balboa.
After resting for the Portuguese Cup, Maxi, Jorge Ribeiro, Yebda, Carlos Martins, Cardozo and Nuno Gomes all return to the game roster sheet. Cardozo will get his first taste of European play after serving his 3 game suspension. Also returning to European competition is Suazo, who has fully recuperated from an injury suffered against Napoli. The obvious absences are the ones of Aimar and Ruben Amorim, who were not in good enough conditions to give their contribute to the team. Amorim had some problems following the cup game and did not recuperate in time, while Aimar is a very delicate situation, in which Benfica is not taking any risks in rushing the Argentine to action.

Here's the probable starting 11:

It won't be too different from what we saw in the last game for the Liga Sagres.
Quim will return to goal. The back four will remain the same, with Ribeiro still on the left. In the midfield, Katsouranis and Yebda will dictate the flow of play, while on the flanks it'll be Reyes on the left and Martins on the right. Up front it'll be Cardozo and Suazo, with the Honduran playing the more retracted supporting role. There's also the DiMaria option on the right flank but it's unlikely. Up front you can bet that Cardozo will get the start as he will be needed to combat the height and the physicality of the German defense.

After almost a 2 week absence it's hard to tell what Benfica will show up. If it's the Benfica of big games, the one that played against Porto, Sporting and beat Napoli, you can expect the team to put on a good performance.
In my opinion the team is almost at full strength with the players that will be available to Quique, there should be no reason not to play a good tough match.
Suazo lacks some routine, and minutes, and I'll be curious to see how him and Cardozo fit together. Reyes has been steadily improving, let's hope we can witness another good performance by the Spaniard. My biggest worry falls on the right side of the midfield, where i feel Martins will be out of position, and his production might be limited as a result. DiMaria is an option but, he would be out of position also, as he clearly prefers the left. Martins is still a better option, as he holds the ball a lot better and helps out defensively.

Although a loss would not hurt Benfica's aspirations, a win could put Benfica in the driver's seat. Hertha will most likely be one of the teams fighting for one of the 3 spots that will guarantee the next round. A win over a direct rival is the key to qualification. Quique has stated that the most important is not to lose, and if Benfica can't win then a tie would do just fine, but it would be a big error if Benfica stepped on the pitch thinking of a tie.

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Benfica - Napoli Preview

Benfica will play their UEFA Cup future this Thursday when they face Napoli at Estadio da Luz. Napoli brings in a 3-2 aggregate and know that the fixture is far from over.

Since the last time we saw Napoli, 15 days ago, Napoli has not lost a game, tying Udinese and beating Palermo and Bologna. They are currently 2nd in the Serie A, and despite having only played 5 games, they are quickly becoming one of Serie A's surprises.
They come into Estadio da Luz well aware that this game is the most important game of their short season so far, and that they are only 90 minutes away from advancing to the group stages of the UEFA.
On the other hand, Benfica will look to build up on their home triumph over arch-rivals Sporting this past weekend, and continuing their trek to the round of 16, which was the goal set at the beginning of the season.
Benfica has made a significant financial investment in players this season, and an early exit from European competition would see Benfica miss out on income that could cover some of that investment.

Here's Quique's game roster list:

Keepers: Moreira and Quim;
Defenders: Luisão, Léo, Maxi Pereira, Jorge Ribeiro, Sidnei and Miguel Vítor;
Midfielders: Katsouranis, Aimar, Ruben Amorim, Binya, Carlos Martins and Yebda;
Forwards: Balboa, Urreta, Reyes, Di María, Nélson Oliveira e Nuno Gomes.

Luisao makes his return to the roster sheet, as he is eligible to play in the UEFA Cup. David Luiz continues to recuperate from his injury. In the midfield, Fellipe Bastos continues to not be an option, in a midfield, where are a lot of players for the defensive midfield slot. Balboa and Urreta make their return to the game roster. With the shortage of available forwards, Quique has called Nelson Oliveira, the 17 year old who did all of pre-season camp. Cardozo is serving the last game of his suspension, Suazo is hurt, Makukula and Mantorras were not signed with UEFA. Benfica is allowed to bring up a junior in case of an injury, if i'm not mistaken.





Based on this, here's my projected line up:

Quim in goal. Maxi, Luisao, Sidnei and Ribeiro in the back. Yebda, Katsouranis in the middle, Martins on the right, Reyes on the left. DiMaria supporting Nuno Gomes.

Despite Miguel Vitor and Sidnei having played well together, I expect Quique to start Luisao next to Sidnei. Quique has mentioned in an interview how Luisao is a player that understands exactly what he wants from the team, and knows how to communicate it on the field. Jorge Ribeiro will most likely be on the left, but i wouldn't exclude Leo just yet. Ribeiro brings something that Leo does not bring, and that is the long range shot, I think that is the very reason why at this time Quique is favoring the Portuguese international.
The midfield, will continue to present doubts. Aside from Yebda and Reyes, who are the indisputable owners of their positions, there's a doubt in regards to Martins and Katsouranis.
Katsouranis' entrance against Sporting seemed to have given Benfica's midfield a new dimension. His start in the middle based on what he brought the team against Sporting is justified. But how do we know that wasn't a case of circumstance? In my opinion, I think that Katsouranis is able to give Benfica that dimension regardless what the circumstances are. His ability to read the game and his positioning gives Yebda more freedom to advance, while with Martins, Yebda is limited to how much he can advance.
With Katsouranis in the middle, Martins will most likely be on the right. I have my doubts about how productive he can be on the right, but a player of his talent shouldn't have too much difficulty in that role. Here's the other thing, playing on the right, Martins will have the tendency to drift inwards, which could cause for the right side(Napoli's left) to be the exit point of Napoli's transition. Either Katsouranis or Maxi will need to fill in that hole.
Up front, Nuno Gomes is the sure thing, as he is the only forward available to play this game. The decision on who will support him, will come down to a game time decision. As of this morning, Aimar is still racing against the clock to recuperate in time. I don't believe Quique will start him. DiMaria should get another chance to start. Last time he started was against Napoli. He has come off the bench these past couple of games, it's hard to think that he will not be "hungry" to start. Question is, how will he respond? Will it be gold medal DiMaria? Or inconsequent DiMaria?

Expect a good crowd, not a sell out, but a good crowd nonetheless. It's important for the team to start well to get the crowd behind them. The team needs to give the crowd the impression that they can win this game, if they can do that the crowd will carry them through. Napoli will come out compact and will play mainly on the counter. They will play a very patient game, but will launch into the attack with speed, trying to take advantage of Benfica's eagerness to get on the scoreboard. It's that same eagerness that Quique needs to control, it's a 90 minute game, and all Benfica needs is 1 goal. Benfica should not rush things, and play a patient game, opportunities will come. Possession is key as well as accuracy in the pass. Lost balls in the midfield will allow Napoli to come out on the quick counter, they have very quick players, and that will be their way to get into the attack.

Stating how important this game is, would be an understatement. Aside from the financial aspect, not making it to the next round would be a big blow to Benfica's project. Logically, a team of Benfica's potential and history should be in the top 10 teams in this competition, regardless of what teams are in it this year.

Let's hope the team can come out firing and that the night turns out to be like the many glorious European nights.

CARREGA BENFICA!!

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Napoli - Benfica Preview

Benfica gets their UEFA Cup campaign underway this Thursday with an away clash against one of Italy's historic clubs - Napoli. For Benfica, it's the start of a campaign, whose trophy is one of the targets for this 08/09 season.

Benfica has never won the UEFA Cup, but did came close in 82/83 when they were defeated by Anderlecht in the final fixture of the tournament. Back then, the final followed the home/away leg format, and Benfica lost 1-0 in Belgium and allowed Anderlecht to tie 1 all at the old Estadio da Luz.
Benfica has played 74 games in the UEFA Cup(new and old editions) they have put together a record of 34 wins, 22 losses(only 5 at home), and 18 ties in 74 games played.
It's Benfica's first appearance in the beginning stages of the UEFA Cup since 2004. Benfica reached the quarters and the round of 16 in their past two appearances, 06/07 and 07/08 respectively.

Napoli on the other hand, is very far from the powerhouse of the late eighties, when they had Maradona, Alemao and Careca in their ranks.
This year will be their second consecutive year in Serie A, as they were relegated in 00/01 and spent 6 years trying to get back into Italy's premiere division.
They reached the UEFA Cup this year after coming in 8th in the Serie A, and playing in the Intertoto Cup, and then a qualifying round, where they beat an Albanian team with an aggregate of 8-0.
They haven't made a UEFA Cup appearance since the 94/95 season. They did win the trophy once before in the 88/89 season when they beat Germany's Stuttgart. Their UEFA CUP tally is the following: 21 wins, 17 ties and 16 losses for a total of 54 games. Just like Benfica, Napoli has only lost 5 games at home in their UEFA CUP campaigns.

A tale of two teams, looking for the glory days they enjoyed once before. For Napoli, it is the re-birth from the ashes of a once European giant, and the chance to get back into Italy's top echelon.
For Benfica, it's the opportunity to re-establish themselves in Europe. After missing out on this year's Champions League qualifying, Benfica is looking to have a strong showing in the competition, and go far in a competition that is full of big name clubs this year.

Here's Quique's first European Game roster:

Keepers - Moreira, Quim and Moretto;

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

Midfielders - Balboa, Binya, Carlos Martins, Di María, Katsouranis, Reyes, Rúben Amorim, Urreta and Yebda

Forwards - Nuno Gomes and Suazo.

20 players in all, only 18 will be able to dress. One of the keepers and a field player should watch the game from the Sao Paolo stands, the keeper should be Moretto, while the field player will come down to a game time decision by Quique.

David Luiz, Cardozo, Aimar and Fellipe Bastos stayed in Lisbon along with Mantorras and Makukula whose names weren't even signed with UEFA for the tournament. Aimar and David Luiz, continue to recover from their respective injuries. Cardozo is serving the two remaining game bans of his 3 game sentence. Fellipe Bastos stayed in Lisbon by Quique's option.

While there's a few doubts on the line up Quique will field on Thursday, one thing is for sure, Suazo will make his Benfica debut.

Here's the probable line up:



One doubt in the back, Katsouranis or Sidnei? With Katsouranis having to sit in the next Liga Sagres game, it wouldn't surprise me if Quique hasn't been grooming Sidnei to be Luisao's partner in the back.
I can't say for sure if Katsouranis performance against porto cost him his starting job, but Sidnei might be looking at a valuable opportunity, Yes it is a high risk game, but if Quique feels he's ready he'll be in the line up. Sidnei's contribution off the bench against porto was praised by Quique, so it's very possible.
Nothing else new in the back, Maxi, Luisao and Leo should round up the back line.

In the midfield, Yebda and Martins will be in the middle. There's talk that Katsouranis might start in the midfield sector, but i don't see Quique breaking up the Martins/Yebda tandem. On the flanks, Reyes should start on the left, while on the right lies the other big doubt. DiMaria has been seen up front supporting Suazo in training, if that is the case, then the spot on the right side of the midfield might be up for grabs.
It'll all depend on how Quique game plan but there's 2 solid options and a more remote one. Option 1 - Amorim. Amorim brings a more defensive capability to the right of the midfield, he is not your typical winger but the dynamic he brings to the right interior midfield sector,where he can step into Martin's spot, if Martins ventures out, is something that has been seen.
Option 2 - Balboa. Balboa is a pure winger, that can bring the same type of aggressiveness to the right, that Reyes brings to the left, but playing away in a hostile environment, Quique might go with a more conservative approach.
Remember, objective number one will be not giving up any goals. I can see either Balboa or Urreta(Option 3) come into the game later, depending on how the game plays out. But in my opinion, it'll be Amorim on the right.

Up front, it'll be Suazo and DiMaria, with DiMaria's positioning and movement being the two things to watch for. DiMaria is more of a winger, but he did show up in the supporting forward position last year on a few occasions.
Being in the middle and being has mobile as he is, he will most likely get a lot of touches, and if he happens to be on, we can expect a good game from him.
Not much to add about Suazo, he returns to Italy, a place and a team he is familiar with, where he will not lack motivation. It'll be interesting to see how he has gotten to know his team mates, and how they connect.
Definitely a fast front line for Benfica, no box presence, but fast.

There's no doubt Benfica will step into a hostile atmosphere, but they can't let the hostility condition their game. They need to play a solid game, with little mistakes, and play to the final whistle. Napoli's team fights to the finish, they were able to turn the score on Fiorentina this weekend, they will not take this game lightly.
Benfica needs to assume their favoritism in this game, play as favorites, and come away with a positive result, with the very minimum being a one goal tie.


82/83 runners up.

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