Benfica’s leaders are looking to hold off pursuers Porto and Sporting de Braga on matchday 22 of Football League 1 with a trip to the Vizela Stadium that they narrowly won in the first round.
The Lisbon team has a five-point advantage over second-placed national champion Gil Vicente and seven points against third-placed Braga, who contest Minho’s hot duel at Vitória de Guimarães citadel.
Benfica will not forget the challenges that the current ninth player in the league posed for them less than half a year ago, in the heart of the Luz stadium, where they lost to Wiesela with 15 minutes left to win 2-1. thanks to a goal scored by Joao Mario in the 90+12th minute from the penalty spot.
The midfielder proved to be one of the most influential players for the Eagles and also finished as the second top scorer in Ligue I with 12 goals, one less than teammate Goncalo Ramos, both sent off in the game. with Wisela, whose number at Benfica was reduced to nine players.
Unlike the previous tour, in which the team under the leadership of the German Roger Schmidt played the final match and were under pressure from the triumphs of the opponents, this time Benfica are the first to enter the field, on Saturday, and can make the opponents in the duty of victory to keep their distance for commands.
Porto will host 14th-placed Gilles Vicente on Sunday, four days after losing 1-0 to Inter Milan, in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16, which could leave manager Sergio Conceição fiddling with team.
The national champion has no wiggle room to spare, but he can be forced to do so given how several players – midfielders Uribe, Otavio and strikers Galeno and Evanilson – returned to the competition in Italy in a very tight match, after being stopped due to injury.
In theory, Sporting de Braga faces their toughest opponent when they travel to Guimarães to face a team that wants to stay in fifth place at all costs, while the men from Braga keep an eye on Porto’s second place. gives direct access to the next season’s Champions League, as well as to the fourth position of Sporting.
The Lions are eight points behind the Arsenalists, well away from last place in the Champions (via the third qualifying round), betting perhaps more on the Europa League campaign in which they play Midtjylland this Thursday in Denmark in the play-off second leg to reach the round of 16 after a 1–1 draw at home.
Sporting take on 15th-placed Estoril Praia – first above the classification red zone – on Monday, the same day as the Minho derby, as Sporting Braga also plays this Thursday in Italy for the European Championship . A conference league he will have to say goodbye to as he lost 4-0 to Fiorentina in the first leg.
Attentive spectators of the final match of the 22nd round (in the first match of which the “quiet” Famalicao and Portimonense will meet on Friday) will be Casa Pia and Aroca, who took sixth and seventh places, two and four points behind Guimarães, respectively. each other on Saturday, in the land of the Arukens.
Program of the 22nd day:
– Friday, February 24:
Famalican – Portimonense, 20:15
– Saturday, February 25:
Aroca – Casa Pia, 15:30
Maritimo – Santa Clara, 18:00
Vizela – Benfica, 20:30
– Sunday, February 26:
Rio Ave – Desportivo de Chaves, 15:30
Pacos de Ferreira – Boavista, 18:00
FC Porto – Gil Vicente, 20:30
– Monday, February 27:
Sporting – Estoril Praia, 19:00
Vitoria de Guimarães – Sporting de Braga, 21:15
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.