Eagle plunges into crisis

Now Roger Schmidt has run out of arguments to cover up the obvious: Benfica are in a crisis of unprecedented results and exhibition performances this season. In just two games, he lost almost as many points (6) as in the previous 26 (7); in just two games they lost more than half of their 10 points ahead of Porto. It’s now 4 and the championship is more excited than ever. This will be until the end of May. This Saturday in Tras os Montes, Benfica received another lesson in football humility and were defeated by Despas. Keys 1-0. He had more ball, more shots, he was stronger, but he lacked the most important thing: a goal.

Benfica entered the game with a clear desire to score and thereby completely remove the “ghost” from the exhibition break. He imposed his game, but on the other hand there was a team with a well-learned lesson, which got along well with the ball in possession of the opposition, making fast and dangerous transitions to the attack. After several corners (there were nine in the first half), Rafa struck in the 19th minute. Chávez answered for Benny, but it was António Silva who missed a great opportunity in the first half in the 30th minute, when he shot alone in the penalty area. Chavez well withstood the onslaught and zero.

In the second half, João Mario shot twice in the 47th minute, but Paulo Vitor and Bruno Langa saved the ball. In the 52nd minute, Juninho isolated himself and Odysseas defended himself. As time went on, Benfica were terrified of losing points. Gedesh entered in the 70th minute and did little. A minute later came Abass Issa, who on 90+5′ made the score 1:0 after an incredible mistake by Otamendi.

Positive
Team Chavez
The team led by Vitor Campelo played a very competent game. He allowed the opponent to have the ball, but at every opportunity he organized fast transitions. So it was in the fatal goal.

Negative
Where is Benfica before the holidays
This Saturday, the Benfica team returned to being a team without intensity, defensive and attacking, its image being promoted before the spring break by a technical team. Rafa, is he back yet?

Arbitration
goal penalty
The refereeing team led by Braga’s Joao Pinheiro played very positively until 90+3′ when Otamendi was stepped on and scored a penalty – a move that the referees missed.

“Let’s go around”
“We went into this game to win three points, we tried to do everything from the very beginning, and of course we are sad that we could not win. But we are the first and we want to win the League. This is the most important thing,” said Gonzalo Guedes, who called for “unity” among the supporters: “We are going to change this less good phase.”

Worst episode this season
The defeat in the last two rounds of the League and in the first leg of the 1/4 finals of the Champions League is the first time that Benfica has not won three games in a row.

argument at the end
When the Benfica players came out to thank their fans in the Chávez stands, many whistled. “Fans can do whatever they want. I think we have shown fantastic football at home and abroad and we are still in the lead. We want to make them happy again,” commented Roger Schmidt.

Allocated
D. Keys
Paulo Vitor
Goalkeeper Chávez regally guarded his goal. He made four important and decisive saves, the most spectacular being at 90+3 feet when he deflected a header from Otamendi.

Benfica
Odyssey
It was the best result for Benfica due to the apparent lack of players in front. In the 52nd minute, he made an amazing save from Juninho’s shot. In the conceded goal, there was little he could do to avoid disaster.