There was no round of Portuguese league games last weekend so Benfica havenât played since before the international break. They won away from home that day at Leiria 2-1 through two Nuno Gomes goals, but heâs out injured now. They have one home league victory and two home draws. Both draws were goalless, including one in the derby with Sporting, and theyâve yet to concede at home in the league. Theyâre unbeaten away from home in the league with two wins and two draws and are in 4th place overall with 13 points from 7 games (3 wins and 4 draws). Theyâve only scored 9 goals in these games but are very tight at the back, only conceding two.
Having lost their opening two CL games (2-1 in Milan and 0-1 at home to Shakhtar) they badly need a win on Wednesday but I canât find an English language Benfica website to decipher who else is available / injured etc. Last season they played a kind of 4-4-1-1 or 4-2-3-1 that the Portuguese national team always play. They always have a lone front man and then a player in behind (Rui Costa) in front of two defensively minded midfield players. Their main impetus will come from the flanks, despite Simao moving on, and we need to prevent crosses at source (unlike the first goal on Saturday and countless others weâve conceded this year). Overall they donât appear to be full of goals but theyâll put us under pressure and weâll have to defend well before trying to impose our own attacking threat on the game.
That must have been it so as the BBC site only has the league results and table and it wouldnât make much sense for them not to have any game at all.
They seem to have drawn 1-1 at home to Setubal (also in the top flight) with Adu coming off the bench to get the equaliser. Not sure who started up top for them.
Can get on the latter but it doesnât give lineups:
LISBON, Portugal â Freddy Adu came on to score the tying goal in Benficaâs 1-1 draw with Setubal in their fourth-round Portuguese league cup match Saturday.
The 18-year-old U.S. international angled his shot home in injury time to equalize after appearing as a substitute in the 71st minute. Matheus earlier gave the visitors a 12th-minute lead.
Adu also scored a late equalizer in the previous round against Amadora in September. Benfica went on to win that game on penalties.
One of the highest-profile players in U.S. soccer, Adu has seen little action since joining the Lisbon club from Real Salt Lake in July for a $2 million transfer fee. He made his league debut as a substitute last month and played in one Champions League game in August, again as a substitute.
Adu has two national team appearances for the U.S. He became the youngest player in the history of the U.S. team when he joined it as a 16-year-old.
I hope Jugs fooks off to the pub to watch ManU tonight as I wouldnât mind watching the Huns/Barcelona game. I wouldnât specifically go out of my way to watch it but Iâll be interested to see how Barca cope with the physical approach theyâre likely to be faced with.
Could be a decent game of football alright. Like seeing Barca play anyway, just hope they turn it on. I donât think I could take 90 minutes of Rule Brittania blaring out if the bastards are drawing or winning.
Could be a decent game of football alright. Like seeing Barca play anyway, just hope they turn it on. I donât think I could take 90 minutes of Rule Brittania blaring out if the bastards are drawing or winning.
Very true on the last point.
What are you doing for the Celtic game tomorrow? I know youâre stricken by illness and injury and are banned from drinking. Iâm thinking of watching it at home in any case. First Celtic European game Iâll have watched at home since the joyous 4-0 trouncing of Artmedia at Celtic Park in August 2005.
Yeah Iâm thinking of watching it at home. Not boozing and Frazers is becoming more and more of a sports bar than a Celtic pub anyway so I donât fancy cramming into a beer-sodden corner to watch the match on a small âbig screenâ with barely audible sound and vast empty spaces behind filled by the odd Liverpool fan nursing a glass of water.
Celtic captain Stephen McManus trained alone and has a chance of featuring in tonightâs Champions League game against Benfica.
He was knocked unconscious during Saturdayâs defeat to Rangers and left the Ibrox pitch on a stretcher before being taken to hospital.
If McManus misses out, Steven Pressley will not be his replacement but Bobo Balde could make his first appearance since St Stephenâs Day, while midfielder Paul Hartley is back in contention after a hamstring problem.
Good to see Hartley and McManus have a chance of playing. Not much of an article though - if McManus doesnât play then surely OâDea, Caldwell, Kennedy and Naylor will be the back 4 in whatever order. Canât see Balde making an appearance now.
Scenario 1: Mick, Hartley and Jan are all available:
Boruc___
Caldwell__Kennedy__McManus____Naylor
Brown_____Hartley____Donati_____Jarosik
Naka___
McDonald______
Scenario 2: Mick and Hartley are fit, Jan isnât: same as above
Scenario 3: Only Hartley is available
Boruc___
Caldwell__Kennedy__OâDea____Naylor
Brown_____Hartley____Donati_____Jarosik
Naka___
McDonald____
Scenario 4: Only Mick is available
Boruc___
Caldwell__Kennedy__McManus____Naylor
Jarosik___Brown____Donati_____McGeady
Naka___
McDonald____
Scenario 5: None are available:
Boruc___
Caldwell__Kennedy__OâDea____Naylor
Aiden_____Brown____Donati_____Jarosik
Naka___
McDonald____
Scenario 6: Only Jan is available - same as scenario 5
In summary I wouldnât start Aiden if Hartley can play. Iâd go for one up front (McDonald in all cases) and I think we need Jarosik if Janâs not playing.
Harsh on Aiden but Iâd bring him on for Naka at some stage. Aiden deserves to start ahead of Naka and Donati (at least) on form but we need Donati to play in the middle (alongside Hartley or Brown) and Naka deserves faith for his performances in general. He could do with a big game in an away match though.
Just the 6 scenarios? Thatâs a little lazy for such a devout Celtic fan. I would have expected a definitive line up based on how much who ate for breakfast at the team hotel this morning. Any carb loaders are surely in the team.
Your reading of it is correct Flano. Iâm not selecting him fit or otherwise. I picked each team individually though so I didnât know at the outset that I wouldnât be picking him so I included him in the equation. I left a couple of scenarios out as well I think but I got a bit pressed for time at the end.