Portuguese Liga

Ahead of their Champions League quarter-final match today at Estadio da Luz, Benfica can and will look to avoid a loss against English giant Chelsea. 

The Eagles have performed well in this Champions League campaign to date. Finishing atop Group C, Benfica already knocked Manchester United out of the competition. Both the first and second legs against the Red Devils–who finished third in the group–resulted in draws.

The defending champions of the English Premier League have been in much better form this season than Chelsea; Manchester United is poised to raise the league trophy again this season as they hold a three point lead in first place in the league table, 23 points ahead of fifth place Chelsea. 

Chelsea has performed better since Andre Villas-Boas was sacked at the beginning of the month.  They have only lost to Manchester City, a close 2-1 defeat, since Roberto Di Matteo took over the club. 

In the last round of the Champions League, under AVB, they were down 3-1 on aggregate after the first leg against Napoli. Di Matteo took the reigns and guided Chelsea to a 4-1 victory in the second leg where the club advanced to face Benfica. 

Obviously, Chelsea is more than capable of knocking off Benfica. They have experience as many of the players from their runner-up finish in the 2008 Champions League are still with the club. With their improved play as of late, they could be the toughest opponent the Portuguese club has faced since Manchester United. 

Benfica manager Jorge Jesus has had his squad ready to play and certainly would rather go into the return leg in England ahead on aggregate or at least even with Chelsea. 

Since the third round of qualifying for the Champions League, the Eagles have only been defeated in one match. That 3-2 loss came at the hands of Zenit St. Petersburg in the Round of 16, last round.  They have had five draws and six victories in that same time period. 

Thus far, Benfica’s draw in the tournament has been very good for the club. They have avoided European giants including Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona since facing Manchester United.  They have gained confidence along the way and are ready to play. Now, they match up with another English side, which has played out in their favor in the past. 

They have produced good results against a number of Premier League teams in the Champions League. In addition to Man. U., Benfica has also defeated Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool. Adding the Blues to that list would be quite the feat. 

Benfica needs a result in the first leg if they are to advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League. The first leg is a home fixture for Benfica being played at Estadio da Luz. With a loss, it would be quite difficult to get a result at Stamford Bridge in the second leg and advance to the semi-finals. 

It was a tale of two halves as Zenit St. Petersburg traveled to Benfica hoping to protect the 3-2 advantage they'd gained in the first leg of their Champions League tie.

For the first five minutes, Zenit looked like they would take a cautiously adventurous approach to the match. 

A couple of Benfica chances later and they seemed to collectively change their minds.

For the rest of the first half, the Russians bunkered in without any attacking intent—even on the counter.

Benfica take control

As a result, Benfica pushed wave after wave of attacker forward. 

Maxi Pereira spent the entire half firmly ensconced in and around Zenit's penalty area, despite being deployed as Benfica's right back.

Maxi combined with midfielders Bruno Cesar and Axel Witsel throughout the first half, creating chance after chance. 

Despite the pressure, Zenit held out until the first minute of extra time.  That's when Benfica's right-side trio combined to change the balance.

Witsel drove at the Zenit backline, played a one-two with Bruno Cesar inside the box, and got a shot away from six yards. 

Zenit goalkeeper Vyacheslav Malafeev made the initial save, only to see the rebound fall straight back to Witsel. 

The Belgian midfielder's backheel found a charging Maxi, who got the goal his work down the right side so richly deserved.

Zenit try to change gears

Finding themselves trailing on the away goals rule, Zenit gamely attempted to change their approach in the second half. 

They immediately pressed Benfica higher on the field and pushed additional players forward while in possession.

In contrast, Benfica dropped further into their own half and seemed happy to hold what their first-half goal had won. 

Nothing showed the change in spirit more than the fact that right back Maxi stayed firmly put in his defensive zone for the entirety of the second half.

There was one big difference between Benfica's approach to the second half and the way Zenit had played the first: Benfica married their conservative set-up with a dedication to quick counterattacking at every opportunity.

So Zenit looked to chase the game, but found themselves lulled into possession for possession's sake.

 Despite having more than 60 percent of the ball in the second half, Zenit only managed to put two shots on goal. 

Having taken the field intending to defend, they simply could not shift into a more dangerous attacking mode.

Benfica's counter pays off

While the Portuguese sat back in the second half, lively players like Witsel, Bruno Cesar, and Nico Gaitan continued to be dangerous on every counter.

The blunt edge for Benfica's attack all match long was the uninspired play of forward Oscar Cardozo.

He was eventually replaced by 20-year-old Nelson Miguel Castro Oliveira late in the proceedings.  The difference was immediately apparent.

Oliveira's energy paid off in the third minute of extra time, when Bruno Cesar rewarded the striker's lung busting run by playing him in on the last movement of the game. 

Oliveira hit it first time and found himself celebrating his first Champions League goal, as well as his team's progress to the quarterfinals.

Benfica won 2-0, and the tie 4-3 on aggregate.

Porto and Benfica came to today's match even on points at the top of Portugal's Primeira Liga.  Each team carried an identical 15-4-1 record. 

The only thing that separated the sides in the standings was Porto's slim edge in goal differential.

Porto starts fast

Benfica had yet to drop points at home; however, they came out sluggish. Or more to the point, Porto came out with guns blazing.

Givanildo Vieira de Souza's, "Hulk", first touch came within a hair's breadth of earning his side a penalty.  Replays showed the referee was right in not pointing to the spot, but it was a warning shot across Benfica's bow.

Just minutes later, the Porto star adjusted his aim and punished the home side. Hulk received the ball on the right wing, cut inside, and hammered the ball into the top corner at the keeper's near post.

1-0 Porto.

Hulk sleeps, Benfica takes advantage

Porto looked the dominant side for the first quarter hour. But Hulk went missing almost immediately after his opening goal. Porto would not rediscover their star man until it was nearly too late.

That allowed Benfica to get their feet under themselves for the first time in the game. As Hulk went missing, Benfica striker Óscar Cardozo began to put himself about.

In the 23rd minute, a ball crudely smashed skyward near midfield came down seven yards from the Porto goal to a solitary Cardozo. Perhaps put off by just how much time he had, Cardozo weakly played the ball into Porto keeper Helton Arruda's relieved gloves.

Benfica dominated the ball for the rest of the first half, but it looked like nothing would come of the possession as halftime approached. 

In fact, Porto almost extended their lead against the run of play. 

First, in the 37th minute when a Porto move ended with Benfica keeper Artur Moraes having to make two wonderful saves in quick succession. And later, when João Moutinho's free kick skimmed the top of Benfica's goal.

But as the half neared, a Benfica corner bounced out of the box, was fired back in, only for a deflection to drop the ball at Cardozo's feet. He refused to make a second mistake so close to goal and found the Porto net.

1-1.

Second half starts the same way

Benfica looked strong coming out for the second half. Almost immediately, Nicolas Gaitán's dynamism down the right side was rewarded with a free kick about 35 yards from Porto's goal.

Pablo Aimar swung in a beautiful free kick that found Cardozo running free at the six yard box between two Porto defenders.  Cardozo headed it in for his second goal of the game.

2-1 Benfica.

Super substitute and the Return of Hulk

Benfica looked the more likely of the sides to put in another goal until the 58th minute. That's when Porto brought on 20 year old Colombian international James Rodriguez. Simultaneously, Porto's players seemed to remember that Hulk was roaming the right side of their attack.

Those two factors changed the game.

Suddenly the ball began finding its way to Hulk. Benfica's strategy against the big man appeared to be foul early, foul often. A yellow card for Benfica defender Emerson da Conceição would prove foreshadowing.

In the 64th, Benfica found themselves breaking toward goal in a 4-versus-1 situation. It was a golden opportunity they would squander and immediately be punished for.

A loose pass turned the ball over and Porto immediately pushed the other way. Rodriguez took possession near midfield and pushed the counter. 

A quick 1-2 near the top of the box with Fernando, and Rodriguez had the ball back with Benfica defenders closing in. 

But the youngster gave them no chance as he smashed a left footed drive into the net.

2-2.

Benfica reaps what it sowed

Hulk came alive with the equalizer. Suddenly, Porto looked to their star and the ball began to find him. Momentum began to swing as Hulk found the game. Benfica's defenders continued to find the only way they could contain him was to foul.

At 76 minutes in, Hulk received a ball that he quickly pushed past Benfica's Emerson down the right side. Emerson slid in and brought him down. The referee produced yellow for the second time and sent Emerson to the locker room.

Benfica finds the end just not quite near enough

Porto exploited their man advantage. 

James Rodriguez played a pivotal role in midfield allowing them to move the ball where and when they chose. 

But the final whistle drew near without a winner.

Then with less than five minutes to play, a loose ball, a little flick from Rodriguez, and a late challenge gave Porto a free kick on the right side, 35 yards from goal.

The left-footed Rodriguez swung a beautiful ball into the area. 

As it dropped dangerously at the six yard box, Porto defender Maicon raced in. His head got to the ball a split second before Benfica's keeper got his punch to it.

3-2 Porto.

Final Whistle.

With 3 points to Porto, they now stand all alone at the top of the table.

FC Porto are on the verge of bringing in another promising South American talent, this time in the form of Brazilian wing-back Alex Sandro of Santos.

Sandro, who played an integral part in Santos' successful Copa Libertadores campaign and picked up rave reviews along the way, was also attracting interest from Porto's domestic rivals, Benfica.

However, it appears the young star has opted for the current Portuguese champions and recent Europa-League winners.

It is reported that Sandro cost a total of €9.5 million and, though both Portuguese giants had met Santos's valuation, Porto offered better personal terms.

"With Benfica, we did not get what we think we should be getting and what Alex Sandro should be getting. Porto came in with an offer and we agreed with them immediately," said the player's agent, Pablo Miranda, according to goal.com.

Sandro, mainly a left wing-back, began his career impressively with the Atletico Paranaense youth team before being called up to the senior side for 17 games and a solitary goal.

He was then sold to current club Santos, where he has totaled 28 appearances and one goal. 

Alex Sandro has also played for the Brazilian U-20 squad and was part of the side that claimed the 2011 South America Youth Championship earlier this year. He is known for his attacking prowess and solid defensive capabilities.

His arrival could pave the way for the possible departure of current left-back Alvaro Pereira, whose stock may have risen considerably given his solid performances at this year's Copa America.

Pereira, who arrived from CFR Cluj in 2009 for €4.5 million, had two impressive seasons at the Dragão, and the club are now looking to cash in on the Uruguay international for a fee of at least €20 million.  

Although nothing is official as of yet, Porto look to be wrapping up a deal for Sandro, with the player's agent saying, "They gave us the go-ahead; we have agreed to discuss the salary now. It only remains to formalize the deal itself now."

It remains unseen if Alex Sandro has what it takes to be successful in Europe, but he will be given the opportunity to develop with Porto, a club renowned for its nurturing of young talent.

As most people know by now, Portuguese minnows Sporting Clube de Braga made history in Spain on Tuesday night, as they beat La Liga giants Sevilla 4-3 and 5-3 on aggregate to progress to the UEFA Champions League proper for the first ever time in the club's 90 year existence.

A sensational hat trick from second-half substitute Rodrigo Lima followed Matheus' opener to give Braga an unbelievable victory.

After beating experienced European campaigners Celtic in the third qualifying round, Braga's win over Sevilla has pushed the Portuguese Liga top three challengers into the lucrative, illustrious Champions League group stages for the first time, and has showed to the rest of Europe that SC Braga mean business.

For any team that draws Braga in their group, no matter how big they are, they'll know a tough task awaits them, especially at Braga's famous Quarry stadium, a.k.a Estádio AXA.

A defensively disciplined side, the likes of Luis Fabiano, Frederic Kanoute and Jesus Navas were simply unable to find, let alone expose, any costly gaps in Braga's defence, as proven by Braga's 1-0 home win, and first half showing at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán stadium.

And as proven by the scorelines and goals Braga scored against both Celtic and Sevilla, it's clear for the world to see that SC Braga is also a team that's 100 percent lethal on the counter attack.

Braga manager Domingos Paciência has played on the strengths of his players to perfection, blending rock solid defenders brilliantly with quick, strong and skilful attackers with the pace to run down channels and in behind opposition defenders.

That combined with wingers of impeccable fitness like Alan and strong, disciplined yet box-to-box midfielders like Vandinho, has given Paciência a seemingly perfect formula for further success at Portugal's newest contender to the Big Three monopoly of Porto, Benfica and Sporting Lisbon.

Against teams with slow defenders, no matter their general defensive ability, attackers like Matheus and Lima have the ability to cause offensive havoc for Braga and quite possibly yield goal upon goal for Os Guerreiros do Minho.

And unless opponents have the likes of Lionel Messi or Didier Drogba within their ranks, the chances of scoring against a team built on defensive discipline like Braga are slim to say the least, proven by the fact that Braga only conceded 20 goals from 30 games in the Portuguese Liga last season as they finished second for the first time in their history, three points ahead of Porto and a whopping 23 ahead of Sporting Lisbon.

It's fair to say then, that overall SC Braga really do appear to be a club on the rise. And with a staggering 16 Brazilians in their squad, as well as players reaching the latter stages of their careers, it's clear that almost every player will now be relishing beyond belief the chance to play in the Champions League, as they'll have that burning desire of every professional footballer to showcase their talents on the biggest stage and prove to the world they can take on and become part of Europe's elite.

Therefore, with a mean defense, lethal counter-attack, skillful Brazilians, recently proven pedigree at the top, burning desire for success, and unbelievably high confidence levels following sensational victories, Sporting Clube de Braga now have all the ingredients required to build on 2009/10's remarkable success and make 2010/11 the most successful season in the club's history.

Just as the players will work harder than ever to prove their worth, so will relatively unknown manager Domingos Paciência, as the whole Braga team aim not only to be in the highest echelons of Portuguese football, but become part of Europe's elite.

Can Sporting Clube de Braga join Europe's elite? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, it's safe to say there's no limit to what these Braga boys can achieve.

Juventus 2 - AC Milan 0 (Trofeo TIM, August 14, 2009) Juve took the lead after a quick counterattack, as Amauri took a shot from the edge of the area that squirmed under the body of new Milan goalkeeper Flavio Roma. The Bianconeri made it 2-nil in the 32nd minute, Ronaldinho lost the ball in Milan’s midfield and Amauri played in Vincenzo Iaquinta, who in turn slotted the ball past an unconvincing Roma.

AC Milan 0 - Inter Milan 1 (Trofeo TIM, August 14, 2009) Super Mario Balotelli scored for Inter with a header from inside the area from a free-kick by Marco Materazzi.

Inter Milan 1 - Juventus 1* (Pens. 5-6) (Trofeo TIM, August 14, 2009) The opener came in the 25th minute, when Thiago Motta did well to pick up a deflected cross by Quaresma in the area and scored with a nice lob to make it 1-nil Inter. In the 39th minute, Marco Materazzi sent off for fouling Amauri inside the area, however Iaquinta’s spot-kick was saved by Julio Cesar. Four minutes later, substitute Nelson Rivas gifted Juve the equaliser as he played a terrible back-pass to Julio Cesar, allowing Amauri to sneak in and score.

All the goals from the TIM Cup can be seen here.

***

Sevilla 2 - Valencia 0 (Trofeo Carranza, August 14, 2009) A tidy Adriano finish into the near post and a last minute header from Aruna Kone handed Sevilla victory.

Las Palmas 1 - Sporting Gijon 3 (Friendly, August 14, 2009)

***

Leixoes 0 - Belenenses 0 (Superliga, August 14, 2009) The new Portuguese season kicked off with a drab draw.

***

Slask Wroclaw 2 - Polonia Bytom 1 (Ekstraklasa, August 14, 2009) A Szewczuk header put the hosts 1-up but the lead last just five minutes before Podstawek drew Polonia level with a deft header. 18 minutes from time Wolczek earned Slask the points crashing home a rebound.

Ruch Chorzow 1 - Arka Gdynia 0 (Ekstraklasa, August 14, 2009) After Arka missed the opportunity to lead through an early penalty, Sobiech tucked away a 20th minute opener which p[roved to be the only goal of the game.

***

Central Coast Mariners 1 - Newcastle Jets 1 (A-League, August 14, 2009) Jin-Hyung Song put the Jets ahead shortly after halftime with a well-taken strike from the edge of the box. But the lead was quickly wiped out as defender Nigel Boogaard headed a free-kick home from close range to earn the Mariners a point.

Sky Sports reports that Hull City are close to agreeing a deal for Celta Vigo’s 25-year-old striker Kamel Ghilas. During this transfer window Phil Brown has made a concerted effort to increase the potency of his attack as evidenced by the deal just completed to bring Jozy Altidore on a season’s loan.

At 18, Ghilas moved from Algeria to play for AS Cannes, then in the French third division. The young man settled in well in France making 18 appearances in his first season. In his three seasons at Les Dragons Rouges he netted 22 goals in 85 games.

His form caught the eye of the Portuguese Ligue 2 side Vitoria Guimaraes, whom he joined, and his spell in Portugal was a major success. In his first season he helped Vitoria gain promotion to the top flight. His second season was even better as he formed part of a team that finished third in the Superliga, earning the Minho side a UEFA Champions League spot.

This success was marred by a contractual dispute between Ghilas and the club. His two year contract had come to an end and he was expecting an offer which reflected his standing at the club. With the chairman refusing to meet his demands he left on a free transfer to Celta Vigo. During his spell in Portugal he scored 17 goals in 58 appearances. In his solitary season in Spain’s second division, he was Celta’s top striker netting 13 goals.

Ghilas is used as a deep lying striker who looks to exploit the space between defense and midfield. As his statistics show he is not a prolific striker, he looks to set up chances for others and contribute with a few goals of his own. He is predominantly right-footed and can play on either wing.

The Algerian almost signed for Blackburn Rovers for £1.7 million, however the move broke down in the 11th hour. Blackburn Rovers claimed he had failed the medical, whereas Celta Vigo claimed that Rovers had attempted to renegotiate the transfer fee and player’s wages at the last minute.

Phil Brown is taking a massive gamble purchasing Ghilas. Apart from his time at Vitoria he has never experienced top flight football, and even that was in one of Europe’s minor leagues. Questions exist over his speed and technical ability which would be exposed on a weekly basis in the Premier League. We warn the perma-tanned one to keep away.

Video evidence of Kamel Ghilas can be seen here.

Every season, there will be a club or two which exceed expectations and surprises everyone in football.

Looking around all the major European leagues, the usual big clubs are seen in the top tier of their respective leagues. However, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in the German Bundesliga and Leixoes SC in the Portugal Super Liga have tried to shake up the form book this season.

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim has been a remarkable footballing club side in the first half or the Hinrunde in German. Hoffenheim even boasts the best attack (44 goals scored) during that time en route to being crowned "Herbstmeister" (Autumn Masters).

Glancing over to the Portuguese Super Liga, Leixoes has also been nothing short of a miracle club. This is their second season in the top tier of Portuguese football and they look set to improve on their 14th placing of last season.

Leixoes' good form in the beginning of the season saw them leading the Portuguese Liga for three consecutive months (September-November'08). During that time, they defeated Porto and Sporting Lisbon and drew with Benfica! Amazing stuff indeed!

Leixoes are currently lying in 6th position, still mathematically possible to clinch a UEFA spot. However, their small squad have been stretched by the physical exertions of a long season and this showed in their failure to turn draws into wins during the 2nd half of the season (40% of matches played have ended in draws).

Both these clubs would be interesting to watch out for in the coming seasons. Whether they would be one-season wonders or continue to build on their progress remains to be seen. Two things are obvious, the board of directors in Hoffenheim and Leixoes must hold on to their respective talismanic managers and provide them with the necessary backing and finances to push on towards Europe.

Next season will be all the more interesting just by following the progress of these two clubs.

Porto v. Manchester United

Wednesday, 15 April, 2009

Estadio do Dragao

Kickoff: 19:45

Porto

FC Porto drew 2-2 away with Manchester United in the first leg of their Champions League fixture last week to pick up two vital away goals.

In their Champions League campaign this season, Porto have won four, drawn three, and lost two, scoring 13 and conceding 12 goals in the process.

Porto will be without defender Jorge Fucile (ankle) for the match.

Manchester United

The 2-2 draw with Porto last week was Manchester United's sixth of their Champions League campaign this season, with the Red Devils winning three and drawing six so far, scoring 13 goals and conceding five in these matches.

Man Utd will welcome back Dimitar Berbatov and Rio Ferdinand from injury if they feature in the match, as both players have been included in the squad that travelled to Portugal. Rafael and Anderson have also both been included, although they are still carrying minor injuries.

Prediction

Manchester United have still not recovered fully from their recent downturn in form, with their apparent defensive weakness still on show.

The Red Devils have conceded 12 goals in all competitions since the beginning of March, which is a far cry from the form that saw United go over three months (Nov. 15, 2008 to Feb. 21, 2009) without conceding a single goal in the Premier League.

However, if Rio Ferdinand does return from injury for this match, he will likely bring the experience and skill needed to stabilise the Man U backline and prevent further breaches.

Even with a strengthened defensive line, Manchester United face a very daunting task ahead of them—they will need to score at least two away goals in order to defeat a Porto side that has never lost to an English team on their home soil.

Man Utd undoubtedly have the talent and the mentality to overcome any opposition, as they have proved time and time again, but whether they will be able to do so in their current situation is far from a certainty.

At the end of the day, United's fate is in their own hands in this match; the defending champions have the stronger of the two sides, and so it will be up to Sir Alex Ferguson's men to put in the performance necessary to rewrite yet another record and progress through to the semifinals in the face of a challenging opposition.

Find the top odds from the best online bookmakers for this match at our Porto vs. Man Utd Betting Preview page now!

Then read our Arsenal vs. Villarreal preview too!