Uefa Cup: SL. Benfica(Portugal) Vs Inter Milan(Italy) [R]

[nicodemus]

Benfica to play Internazionale of Milan in the UEFA Cup round of 16, in Lisbon on March 11 and in Milan on March 25. This is an interesting draw. For one thing, it's a rematch of the 1965 European Cup final, won by Inter. Normally I'd say Inter is one of the best teams that remains in this particular group of 16, but they have looked awful of late both domestically and in Europe. Inter barely managed to get past Sochaux, a mid-table French side, giving up a two-goal lead in France and drawing 0-0 in Milan. Also, Vieri was red-carded in their last match, so he's out for at least the next match.

That said, Inter are historically a strong side, and have won the UEFA Cup a number of times in the past decade alone, so they're definitely a strong challenge, and Benfica goes into this match very much the underdog.

The winner of this match will face the winner of Liverpool-Marseille in the quarters.


Interesting how borh teams who had a costly dismissal in the second leg of the round of 32 get slated against each other. With Vieri out for the first leg, it makes the Nuno Gomes suspension less consequential. I agree that Inter has been anything but spectacular as of late, but Benfica has struggled as well. Remember, in our last four matches we have won 1, lost 2, and pulled a draw in 1. (2-3 v. Nacional, 1-0 v. Rosenborg, 1-1 v. Moreirense, and 1-2 v. Rosenborg.) We can't rely on Moreira to be our savior game in and game out! The defenders have to keep the pressure off and feed the ball to the midfield, the midfield has to be aggressive and put the ball on the strikers with a chance to score. The strikers have to take advantage of their opportunities and drill some shots home. Had we capitlaized on more opportunities in Lisbon, Nuno Gomes would not have been so careless with his tackling and diving and it would have been a waltz into this round.



your thoughts??

[nicodemus]

inter's reeling.
handled 4-1 at roma today.
i'll definitely take benfica at wm hill's 15:2 odds.

Make us benfiquistas proud :devil

[Interista]

I expect a different coach today so anything is possible which clearly is in your favour. Inter really is crap, their two world class strikers have become amateurs and their coach doesn't seem to know how to win a ducking match. You say 15-2 I say 40-1 for Benfica is more likely

[giallorosso]

I always liked Benfica best in Portugal.
That goes back to when they played AC Milan in the Champions Cup(now known as Champions League) back in 1989/90 in my hometown Vienna.

Back then Milan won by a Frank Rijkaard goal 1-0.

The Lineups back then:

1990
->Finale:
Milan-Benfica 1-0
Praterstadion, Vienna. 57.000.
1-0 68' Rijkaard.
Milan: G. Galli - Tassotti, Costacurta, F. Baresi, Maldini - Colombo (89' F. Galli), Rijkaard, Ancelotti (72' Massaro), Evani - Gullit, Van Basten. - All: SAcchi.

Benfica: Silvino - José Carlos, Aldair, Ricardo, Samuel - Vítor Paneira (76' Vata ), Valdo, Thern, Hernáni - Magnusson, Pacheco (66' César Brito). - All: Eriksson.

Picture of that day:
http://www.diabos1982.com/fotos/80/1.jpg

This season i've only seen 1 game of them so far and that was the 2nd leg of the Champions League Qualification against lazio in August.
Unfortunatly they lost 3-1 in Rome(First Leg lazio won 1-0) and were eliminated.

That sort of shows that Benfica doesn't really have a good history against italian teams, so far.
I expect Inter to go through...

http://www.diabos1982.com/fotos/02-03/49.jpg

[nicodemus]

I was three years old when that game happened..and yes benfica doesn struggle againt italian teams, i hope they defeat inter and move on to the quarter finals :bowing

[Interista]

Disciplinary background information Inter:

Suspended:
Mohamed Kallon
Marco Materazzi
Christian Vieri

Cautioned
Thomas Helveg
C.Zanetti

1 yellow card
Daniele Adani
Jeremie Brechet
Fabio Cannavaro
Julio Ricardo Cruz
Emre Belozoglu
Cristian Kily Gonzalez
Okan Buruk
Giovanni Pasquale
Alvaro Recoba
J. Zanetti

[nicodemus]

List of Benficas squad

Goalkeepers: Moreira, Bossio e Zack Thorton.

Defenders : Miguel, Armando, Hélder, Ricardo Rocha, Luisão e Cristiano.

Midfielders: Petit, Fernando Aguiar, Zahovic, Tiago, Manuel Fernandes, Alex e Hélio Pinto.

Forwards: Simão, Sokota, João Pereira

Nuno Gomes out with a suspension
Fyssas can't play in the Uefa competions, these season

I see a starting lineup like this...


...........................moriera................ ...............
.....................helder....luisao............. ........
..miguel........................................ro cha....
...................petit.....tiago................ .....
joao periera.............................simao.......
..........................zachovic..............
..........................sokota................



thats a strong midfueld and the best defense we can put up..moriera will have to shoiw my hes rated as one of the top young golakeepers in the world if he wantrs benfica to win..

damn..were not deep up front..nuno gomes, leading scorer in euro 2000 out of the first leg..sokota..not even on croatias national team :ph34r:

[nicodemus]

Sounds like an excellent game from Benfica, but it's frustrating that they couldn't convert their fluid play into a goal. It sounds like Inter were not impressive, and they'll feel lucky to come away with a draw. There are some good points: 0-0 in the first leg is the best result for the home team short of a win. Inter can gain no benefit from the away goals rule; if Benfica wins or ties at 1-1 or better, they're through to the next round. The return of Nuno Gomes will help on the goalscoring front, of course--but let's not forget that Inter will ahve their main goalscoring threat back in the lineup as well: Christian Vieri. I still like Benfica's chances to advance.

MORIERA DIDNT HAVE TO TOUCH THE BALL ONCE IN THE SECOND HALF!!NOT ONE SAVE :devil

[nicodemus]

Toldo keeps Benfica at bay
Thursday, 11 March 2004
By Patrick Hart at the Estádio da Luz



Inter's Ivan Cordoba races with Simão Sabrosa of Benfica


SL Benfica and Internazionale FC will resume hostilities at the San Siro in a fortnight's time on level terms, after an exciting first leg of this UEFA Cup fourth-round tie ended goalless in Lisbon.

Unbeatable Toldo
The SuperLiga club went into this match seeking to continue the feelgood factor in Portuguese football following FC Porto's UEFA Champions League defeat of Manchester United FC earlier in the week. However, an outstanding display by Inter's Italian international goalkeeper Francesco Toldo denied Benfica the victory they will feel their attacking efforts deserved.

Central control
The first half certainly belonged to José Antonio Camacho's side, who had already made history by becoming the first Benfica team in ten years to reach the fourth round of a UEFA club competition. With Portuguese internationals Petit and Tiago controlling the centre of the park, Benfica's ball players, Zlatko Zahovic and Simão Sabrosa, were able to exert their influence, aided by the willing centre-forward Tomislav Šokota.

Well-worked move
The warning signs were there for Inter when a brilliant move involving Sabrosa, Šokota and the overlapping left-back Armando ended with the latter player breaking on to Sabrosa's pass and running clear on goal before firing a shot which Toldo saved with his legs.

Spectator support
On the eve of this meeting of two European giants – their only previous encounter being Inter's victory in the 1964/65 European Champion Clubs' Cup final - the Spanish trainer had asked the Benfica fans to get right behind his players. The 64,569 home supporters were fulfilling their part of the bargain, and so were the team. On the half-hour, Armando's superb break down the left nearly got the reward it deserved, as the recipient of his pass, Šokota, cut inside his marker before chipping just over Toldo's goal.

Goalmouth scramble
Zaccheroni let out another sigh of relief on 39 minutes when defender Ricardo Rocha was unable to scramble the ball over Toldo's line in a goalmouth melee. With the statistics showing 12 Benfica shots at goal to Inter's four, the Nerazzurri coach had reason to welcome the interval break. The Italian team could only boast half-chances for Alvaro Recoba, Giorgios Karagounis and Obafemi Martins.

Inter reshuffle
Inter clearly needed a restorative result from a competition which offers their only hope of silverware this season. However, the second period began much like the first. After Šokota had been upended by Iván Córdoba, Sabrosa struck a free-kick into the defensive wall. Then Zahovic shot narrowly wide from Geovanni's half-cleared cross. In response, Zaccheroni brought on Okan Buruk in midfield and Julio Cruz in attack to provide the physical presence which Christian Vieri's suspension had denied him.

Creative threat
Still the hosts pushed forward, with the clever promptings of Sabrosa and Zahovic always threatening to undo the Inter defence. A moment's hesitation by the Benfica right-back Miguel allowed Cruz to break dangerously into the home area, but it was otherwise a red tide that swept forward. Only Zahovic's first touch was awry when he darted on to Šokota's clever through-pass on 65 minutes.

Benfica frustration
Even the introduction of winger João Pereira was a positive move. It was the 18-year-old who won the free-kick from which Cristiano headed agonisingly wide on 75 minutes. Benfica's frustration was then complete with Toldo's double save from Petit's long-range drive and Šokota's follow-up with two minutes remaining.

[nicodemus]

****!!!

Petit is out for 3 weeks!!


**** ****!!!!! :banghead :banghead :banghead :banghead

i hope the U-18 star fernandes steps up, he played well last game againt inter...

[nicodemus]

good news, Petit my be ready for the game with Inter :clap

definetelly out of the game with Beira-Mar

in other news Mantorras started to work on the field, but still no time limit

é hipótese para Milão


ASF
Petit fez hoje uma ecografia à coxa esquerda que revelou contractura e não rotura muscular, como se suspeitava inicialmente, ficando, para já, afastado do jogo com o Beira-Mar, no próximo domingo, para a Superliga.


Segundo o «site» do Benfica, o exame revelou «um edema contractural do músculo bicípede femural» e, a partir de amanhã, «o departamento médico do Benfica submeterá o jogador a tratamentos intensivos para debelar a lesão agora detectada».

Perante a menor gravidade da lesão do médio «encarnado», a sua utilização na segunda mão dos oitavos-de-final da Taça UEFA, na próxima quinta-feira em Milão, diante dos italianos do Inter, poderá, afinal, ser uma realidade, embora não participe no encontro da 27.ª ronda da Superliga.

Contudo, o departamento clínico do Benfica nada refere sobre o período exacto de recuperação de Petit.

Por seu turno, o avançado angolano Pedro Mantorras, há muito arredado dos relvados por lesão grave num joelho, iniciou hoje trabalho de campo no Estádio da Luz, acompanhado pelo fisioterapeuta Alexandre Moura.





Benfica will have atleast 10 thousand fans going with them to Milan.

http://www.abola.pt/wset/wdia.htm

I figure with their own fans down on their club, the Benfiquistas will turn San Siro into a mini-da Luz. LOL :woot :salute :devil :USA_Blue :USA_Blue :USA_Blue :clap

FORCA BENFICA