Benfica will host Braga in a mouth-watering Round of 16 tie in the Taca de Portugal. The Eagles will be looking for retribution after losing to Os Arsenalistas on penalties in the competition’s quarterfinals last year after a 1-1 draw after 120 minutes.
Preview (Benfica vs. Braga)
Last weekend, Benfica easily defeated Arouca 3-0 away from home in the Primeira Liga. It earned their fifth straight win and extended their winning streak to ten games across all competitions. At the close of halftime, Rafa Silva scored his tenth goal of the year to put the Eagles ahead. Orkun Kokcu and Peter Musa also added goals to the score after the break, helping the team start 2024 strong. The current Primeira Liga winners, led by Roger Schmidt. They have not lost in the top division since the first weekend of the new season back in August. They are only one point behind city rivals Sporting Lisbon at the top of the standings.
Benfica will now focus on the Taca de Portugal, a competition they have won a record 26 times in its 86-year history. However, the Eagles have not advanced to the final since 2021, when they were defeated by Braga on Wednesday. Their previous victory came in 2017. The Lisbon team has found it difficult to defeat Braga in recent years. In 11 encounters across all competitions, they have only triumphed four times. However, they did prevail in their most recent matchup with Os Arsenalistas. They won 1-0 on the road in the Primeira Liga last month.
Braga’s next challenge is to improve on their 2-0 loss to Porto in the previous season’s final. They will try to do better this time around before taking on third-placed Porto away from home on Sunday. Os Arsenalistas, who have only won the Taca de Portugal three times in their history—two of those victories coming in the last nine seasons—go to Lisbon having won five of their last six away games across all competitions.
Team News
Due to injuries, Benfica is still missing four players: David Neres (knee), Casper Tengstedt (thigh), Alexander Bah (thigh), and Juan Bernat (muscle). However, the first two may be able to make a comeback before the end of the month. While Tomas Araujo will be vying for an uncommon starting position in central defense, the most likely combination to link up at the back will be Antonio Silva and Nicolas Otamendi, with Morato and Fredrik Aursnes playing as full-backs. In center midfield, Florentino Luis will compete with Kokcu and Joao Neves for a starting position, while Marcos Leonardo, a €18 million transfer from Santos, is expected to make his debut and face off against Musa and Arthur Cabral for a starting spot up front.
While DR Congo defender Sikou Niakate and Malian forward Simon Banza are abroad on international service at the Africa Cup of Nations, Braga’s current roster is healthy. Due to Niakite’s injury, 40-year-old Jose Fonte is expected to start at center back alongside 20-year-old Sardar Saatci, with Abel Ruiz, who has only scored two goals in 26 games this season, leading the line in Banza’s place. Joao Moutinho will be facing stiff competition from Andre Horta to return to the starting lineup, and Pizzi may be able to do so before Rodrigo Zalazar in order to occupy the number 10 position.
Benfica 2-1 Braga
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