Benfica v Villarreal

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SL Benfica forced a 1-1 draw in the first match with Villarreal CF, and are now looking to utilise home advantage against the UEFA Champions League newcomers, who had never played a Portuguese club before Matchday 3. The Spanish side scored their first goal in the competition in the 18 October meeting, and, after three successive draws, are still searching for their elusive first victory in the competition.

Source - www.Uefa.com

Viera's injured, so it'll be Barbosa between the posts for us. With most of our players healthy I hope we can get a win, even if it's away. We badly need one.

I believe we can win this game and we need to. If Lille grab points against Man Utd it will open up the group. I think the crowd can push us through, but I still think it will be very close and either team can get the points. Will Senna be back for Villareal? Miccoli is still injured for us and Moreira is out too.

Is Quim gonna be playing? because i really don't think Nereu is ready.

btw is Geovanni back? I know he has been in Brazil because his father is very ill but im not to sure if he will play in this match.

I think Senna should be alright, our team will pretty much be okay I think, except for Viera. But Barbosa's not bad, made some spectacular saves after he went in for Viera against Atleti, so hopefully we'll be alright. With Benfica's injuries, I am hoping for a victory at last...1-0 to El Submarino Amarillo. I hope!

Well Simao and Quim are likely to play. So at least we have a more experienced goalkeeper at the net.

Miccoli isn't gonna play like mentioned but Karyaka has been doing an amazing job filling in and imo looks more impressive.

Geovanni is still in the air, but we do have Joao Pereira, Karagounis etc to take his spot.

Other then that we have a full squad.

I just hope Nelson tears up the Villarreal defence again

Forca Benfica!! Forca O Glorioso!!!

Can't wait for this game. Does anyone have a video feed for this game?

I believe we can win this game,Karyaka has been playing amazing since he got his chance this season which is what ive been saying all along.But he didnt get a chance and now he got a chance and hes showing his true value.Simao will start in this game he wasnt played against Naval for rest and a procausion that he doesnt get injured for the game against Villareal

Dammit no Quim. So we will have to play with our third choice goalkeeper again Nereu.

Convocados:
Guarda-redes – Rui Nereu e Bruno Costa
Defesas – Anderson, Luisão, Léo, Dos Santos, Nélson e Ricardo Rocha
Médios – Petit, Karagounis, Geovanni, Manuel Fernandes, Nuno Assis, Beto, Karyaka e João Pereira
Avançados – Mantorras, Simão, Nuno Gomes e Hélio Roque

Geovanni and Simao are back.

I don't think we will have a problem playing with Nereu he played well last match and I think he will play well this match again, our defence just better bring it up a notch he's definitly going to be nervous but I know he can do it. Also we will have almost a full squad just without Miccoli which I wish we had but we dont anyway I am still confident playing at home and Benfica can win this match! Benfica must win this match. I think its time for Nuno Gomes to step it up in the CL he's doing so well in the Liga so he needs to score now, also I am hoping Manuel Fernandes puts another amazing goal in the net like he did last time and same with Simao. In the end I dont care what the score is as long as in the end we have more goals then our opponent.

VIVA BENFICA!!!

I think Benfica should foul one of our players in the box when it's tied up. That way Riquelme will (as usual ) nail the penalty and win!

Seriously, I hope we come out on top, we have a pretty full squad (I think Senna will play as well), and Barbosa is a class keeper for a backup. I just hope our defense holds as that's unfortunately weaker than our offense. We need to play consistently attacking football and always keep the ball in Benfica's half. If Riquelme's on form and Forlan and Jose Mari and keep pounding the net, we should come out on top.

I have a feeling the atmospehere will be intense Benficas gonna have a full stadium for sure.

anyways its a tough one to call im gonna say Benfica 2-1 but i wont be surprised if Villarrreal gets the 3 points either they are a strong team but Benfica has admittingly been playing good futebol and I bet in a game like this tomorrow in Estadio da Luz the home field will count for something.

Ah man, I'm so pumped!!

I agree, it's going to be electric tomorrow night...this is a huge game for both teams as I'm sure we both feel like a win is possible (just like last time). I'm gonna be going nuts in front of my computer screen too probably.

Edit: Nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! I just checked all my usual websites and I can't find a stream! Anyone have one? I'm desperate! Otherwise I'll be gripping my table staring at Eurosport's live commentary willing it to change.

Ya does anybody have a live stream for this match I really really really really really want to view it and I can't watch it on tv cause im here in Canada, I hate canadian tv they only show english soccer this sucks please someone help with a stream!

well looks like no one has a stream video and i have to read the game this sucks but anyway heres the line ups

Rui Nereu
Anderson
Luisao
Leo <---happy to see him back
Petit
Karagounis
Geovanni
Manuel Fernandes
Simao
Nuno Gomes
Nelson

**Bench**

Ricardo Rocha
Nuno Assis
Montarras <---- Please give him a chance
Beto <----good keep him there
Kariayka < --- I would of thought he would start
Joao Perriera

I think Benfica has a good solid line up here I want to see Montarras get some action today, if Benfica is still in a tie i nthe 2nd half put him on and take off Geovanni Nuno and Montarras will make a good pair up.

Hope villareal win to make it 4 wins for spanish teams this week

Gaah I just got home. Still 0-0. Now I'm reading Eurosport with a death grip.

Okay that's the half, still 0-0. This looks like an intense game, if you look at the Eurosport page it's practically all exclamation marks.

Edit: Eurosport says "Interestingly if you're a stat-fan, Benfica-Villarreal have 50:50 possession, 6 shots on goal each, 2 on target and 4 off target apiece. Bizarre."

and also there have been no cornerns so far.

Benfica has scored 19 goals in all competitions so far and 14 of those goals came in the second half. Lets score a couple. GO BENFICA!!!

Yeah for that to happen Koeman is going to have to make some changes in the midfield. Benfica is loosing the midfield battle.

We need a substitution. Forlan is injured and Josico was apparently limping. Stop injuring our players!!!



edit: Okay there's the substitution. Figueroa on for Forlan...too bad I wanted him to get a goal. Figueroa's a solid player though, we can still win this!

like I said we need to put on Montarras I think we need some more attacking power, i would say to take off the greek and put on the russian to help with the midfield.

Nuno Gomes scored, but didn't count because he was apparantly offside.

Nuno Gomes had another good chance. It sounds like we are playing better now.

Nooooo....we need to attack constantly! Like at the end of the Atleti game! Otherwise this is going to end up either 1-0 to Benfica or another damn draw. We need a goal now!

edit: There are so many injuries too. Stop injuring our players!!!

I think Villarreal will win this 1-0, a Riquelme penalty.

cmon Benfica keep attacking this game is yours for the taking, seems like Nuno Gomes is playing well he's getting alot of opportunities ... seems like these refs don't like us scoring thats 2 dissallowed goals now against Villarreal that sucks.\


YES!!!!

João Pereira (in) - Geovanni (out) (Benfica)
Mantorras (in) - Karagounis (out) (Benfica)

Koeman is trying to win this game CMON BENFICA !!!!!!!!!! FORCA!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah that's what usually happens in Liga games...Riquelme wins it on a penalty. I can only hope!!!!

VERY CLOSE. Villareal scores but offside.

What?! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Where are you getting this commentary?? I'm looking at UEFA and Eurosport and neither of them has it.

Im listening to it on the radio. The Uefa is a bit behind.

Benfica made 2 subs.

Geovanni out - Joao Pereira in
Karagounis out - Mantorras in

Radio? Online radio? Can you give a link if it is?

Its in Portuguese though.

Oh never mind then. Thanks anyway.

thats alright can you give it to me as well, im sure he will understand it anyway im assuming he speaks spanish close enough.

go to cirv.com and click on "listen radio" link

http://www.cirvfm.com/

Click on live radio on the left

NOOOOOOOOOO DAMMIT!!!!!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SENNA SENNA SENNA SENNA SENNA SENNA SENNA SENNA!!! WHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

Ahem. Sorry about that.

Haha that radio link was PERFECT! It just finished connected and I hear them all screaming. You are the man!

damit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

well looks like we got to fight for the tie now ... CMON BENFICA LETS TIE THIS UP PLZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Apparantly a frango by Nereu. Dammit, i really don't feel confident with him in net. Why at such an important time our top 2 goalies are injured

NO! Fools!!! Stop getting fouled!! We're up already! DEFEND! Don't get fouled out!!

Hey these Portuguese radio guys are really animated...I like this! Thanks so much mate!

Anderson comes off for Nuno Assis.

Why isn't Karyaka playing? He should have been starting.

Holy cow I'm gonna have a heart attack the next time these guys yell.

lol i love listening to these guys. They make it so exciting and nerve racking.

I agree I don't understand why Karyaka isn't starting he's beeng playing so well .. omg cmon Benfica how many more chances do you want!!!! lets go score already!!!!!

They speak as a good soccer announcer should. Waaaay too fast to understand, but as long as they yell player's names and yell really loudly at goals I can understand it (I speak enough Spanish to understand).

Aaah they're driving me absolutely nuts though!!!! I'm going to die of shock!

What the hell...the Eurosport commentary for this match switched with the Man Utd/Lille commentary. Now I'm on the wrong page getting the right commentary.

Noo! I don't think I can survive four minutes of injury time.

They yelled! What happened?!

edit: AAAAAAAAAHH!! THey're really yelling a lot now!!! What happened?!??!?!

edit2: WE WON?!?? WE WON!!!!!!!!!!! We're in the lead!! I cannot believe this! We have a solid shot of qualifying! And the stress has subsided...that radio was the time of my life.

NOOO We came so close to score at the end. But went out for a corner which was cleared.

Game over. We are now in last. This is terrible!!!! We should have won this match, so many chances!!!.

The biggest mistake was not playing Karyaka at all. Wtf is Koeman thinking? Karyaka has been amazing in the last couple of matches and he doesn't even play.

We now have to beat Lille away and beat Manchester at home.

wow this seemed like it was truly an amazing game to watch sadly it didn't go the way it should have imo, seems like Benfica just kept pooring on the pressure and shots but just couldnt get one in wow now Benfica takes bottom of the group this isn't going to be good we got to play Lille which played amazing against Man U then we got to play Man U on the plus side I think we shuld be able to beat them both but imo Karayak should of been playing and we need a more expierenced goalie extremly BADLY and we need Miccoli back! why at the most important time we lose 2 goalies not just 1 we lose 2 holy *^T% this is not good at all

Congrats Villareal

Hope they qualify

Yeah it's not looking good for Benfica, as Lille are looking exceedingly strong. But Man Utd seems very beatable, especially if Benfica put on a performance like I assume they did today. This match was pretty even for the first half, and in the second half we delivered when we needed, and thankfully, that was all we needed. Definitely the highlight of the season for us. Man if we qualify...aaah! I'm gonna go nuts. Good game.

Damn Senna

this is so upsetting I can't beleive we lost at home....I dunno whats going to happen now even Lille is back in this competition I dunno were thigns are going to go now the 2 strongest teams r now the ones who look more likely to go out, Benfica must beat Lille and Man U I don't except anything less.