Right I've got a 100% thread starting/games winning Ratio. Benfica in Lisbon ARE beatable!! FACT We've got to watch out for Saviola as he's got afaik a goal every 2 games at this time. But, if Rafa leaves the shakles off the team as he did today i think we should beat them. Team should be the same team that started today with Benayoun on in place of Maxi. Reina Johnson Carra Agger Insua Mascherano Benayoun Gerrard Babel Kuyt Torres or Reina Johnson Carra Agger Insua Mascherano Kuyt Gerrard Babel Torres Ngog but alas i think it'll be Reina Johnson Carra Agger Insua Mascherano Lucas Kuyt Gerrard Babel Torres A win is a win and i would take a 1-0 win, but preferable put Benfica away in the first leg!!!
Right I've got a 100% thread starting/games winning Ratio. Benfica in Lisbon ARE beatable!! FACT We've got to watch out for Saviola as he's got afaik a goal every 2 games at this time. But, if Rafa leaves the shakles off the team as he did today i think we should beat them. Team should be the same team that started today with Benayoun on in place of Maxi. Reina Johnson Carra Agger Insua Mascherano Benayoun Gerrard Babel Kuyt Torres or Reina Johnson Carra Agger Insua Mascherano Kuyt Gerrard Babel Torres Ngog but alas i think it'll be Reina Johnson Carra Agger Insua Mascherano Lucas Kuyt Gerrard Babel Torres A win is a win and i would take a 1-0 win, but preferable put Benfica away in the first leg!!! Come on you REDMEN
2 threads!! Your keen... Anyway, Im in agreement with you, it all depends on what Reds team shows up in Lisbon however, Ive a feeling Lucas will start alongside Mash for this, hopefully Im wrong as Gerrard alongside Mash can be so effective, Gerrards runs from deep today reminded me of him in his early years with us as a CM.
I really hope that Rafa and the players dont undersestimate Benfica like it seems a lot of our fans I've been talking to are, talking about the semis and Hamburg already. Watched them twice against Everton (ok poor opposition) but they took them apart both games. Will need to play Masch and Lucas to stop the likes of Aimar, Di Maria and Ramires getting around Saviola and Cardozo up top. Would take a score draw in Lisbon and then hopefully a big European night at Anfield to make up for the disaster night against them in 2005/6 season. But fcuk it we are playing better recently and I have faith in Rafa and the lads to do a professional job.
shackles will be on again away from home but i think our confidence is on the rise again and we can get a result in benfica to bring back to anfield
Benfica are a good solid tough team, depsite what some people seem to think. They are unbeaten in their last 25 games in all competitions. They are top of the Portugese League by 6 points with 6 games to go. Their record in the League is as follows : Pld: 24; Won 19; Drew 4; Lost 1; For 61; Against 12; An impressive record no matter what League you are in. They won their equivalent of the League cup last week beating Porto 3-0 in the final, having beaten Sporting (away) 3-1 in the semis. They go with the little and large partnership upfront in Saviola and Cardozo (6ft4) and Cardozo is top scorer in the League this season and with his height he will cause problems but can also shoot and also takes some of their free-kicks. In Angel Di Maria they have one of the best left wingers in the world who will cause us problems. He is apparently being chased by Chelsea and the Mancs among others and is going to cost at least €20 million and probably more if he has a good World Cup. He would solve our never ending left wing problems. They also have Pablo Aimar who plays behind the front two pulling the strings and on his day he can be extremely effective. I think Rafa will go with Dirk on the right to help Johnson out with Di Maria and will go with Lucas & Masch in the middle with one of them picking up Aimar. The link below shows our record against Benfica http://www.footymad.net/head-to-head-statistics/?teama=342&teamb=923 A score draw over there will be a very good result in my opinion and take them at Anfield. A win would be a fantastic result! Come on Redmen
Looking Forward to seeing Di Maria play against us .... As said a score draw would be a good result even a 2-1 defeat wouldn't be the worst result but will be looking for a win to keep the confidence up going into Sundays game v Birmingham. Expecting .... Reina Johnson ..Carra ..Agger ..Insua Mascherano ..Lucas Kuyt ...Gerrard ...Babel Torres
Vital we get an away goal. Even at 2-0 up against Lille we were still in a precarious position. These are no mugs either.
Yeah I think we definately need to score. Rocco's team above looks most likely, especially with Maxi cup-tied. Might be Benny for Babel but apart from that it picks itself
Rethink ... Don't want to break Torres and Gerrard partnership up but would leave him in CM until somebody else can do as a good a job .. Reina Johnson ..Carra ..Agger ..Insua Mascherano ..Gerrard Kuyt ..Yossi ...Babel Torres or Aquilani for but imo the support striker role is not the correct spot for Aquilani Yes please ..... Reina Johnson ..Carra ..Agger ..Insua Mascherano Gerrard ....Aquilani Kuyt ..Torres ...Babel
Just watching highlights of Benfica v Braga from the weekend. These boys are well able to play football. They also have a long ball merchant like Delap from throw ins! Useless fact .... Luis Garcia's first cousin plays for them, Javier Garcia!
I say either leave stevie in the middle or get Aqua in there from the start. That would be the last thing they would expect. An nice away goal to take back to L4 & job done.
I'll settle for us losing by a single goal. If we managr to knock an away goal it would be brilliant. Benfica are in insane form this season. Lost only about 3 games in all competitions, running away with the league and won their League Cup beating Porto, of all teams, 3-0. Can go either Lucas and Masch in midfield to stop them playing their brilliant passing game or we can go Gerrard and Masch, putting them on the backfoot and attacking from the off. Only problem is their forwards and wingers are quite pacy and we could get caught out.
Be very careful about what you wish for. That was the result 4 years ago in Lisbon. It is very important that some key players watch their discipline on Thursday night because if either of Torres, Mascherano or Insua get booked they would not be eligible for the 2nd leg.
i think it will be a tough game but i still think we'll nick it 1-0 especially the form el nino is in
Carry on from Sunderland. Keep Gerrard back in the centre and lets get at them! By no means an easy tie so will need to be on our toes! Reina Johnson Carra Agger Insua Yossi Macherano Gerrard Babel Kuyt Torres
Cant see us playing 4-4-2 { its been a while and it didn't suit us}especially away in Europe ... Imo Rafa will Start Lucas where i have Stevie and Stevie in for Yossi .... and either Yossi or Ryan on the left. Reina Johnson ..Carra ..Agger ..Insua Mascherano ..Gerrard Kuyt ..Yossi ...Babel Torres score draw would do nicely ... even 2-1 ...imo we will need a goal to bring back ....