FC Porto v Benfica preview
On Sunday night Porto and Benfica meet for the first time this season. As has constantly been the case in recent years in Portugal, the direct confrontation between the two fierce rivals is a clash of huge significance with a potentially decisive bearing on who will end up lifting the Primeira Liga crown.
Porto are at home and are in fine form having won 7 and drawn 2 of their last 9 matches and have yet to taste defeat in the Liga. But reigning champions Benfica are top of the table, defend a three-point lead and are acutely aware that a positive result would be a huge boost to their quest for back-to-back Portuguese Liga triumphs for the first time in three decades.
In short, it could hardly be set up any better. PortuGOAL previews the Clássico.
Despite the fact the Champions League fate of both sides was already decided before this week's games, it is telling that both Eagles and Dragons fielded practically B-teams in their mid-week matches. The chance to bolster the clubs' coffers with UEFA prize money, not to mention the prestige of winning in the world's greatest club competition, were deemed secondary considerations when set against the importance of what has the makings of a titanic domestic encounter this weekend.
Porto under pressure
The hosts would appear to be under more pressure. After seeing the title go to the capital last season, club president Pinto da Costa took typically decisive action, funding a complete overhaul of the squad with a total of 17 summer signings, including an array of big-name players contracted from the likes of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid.
And the veteran president would certainly not have expected to see his team trailing their arch enemies by three points one third of the way through the season, especially after the way Benfica's squad was decimated in the summer transfer market. A draw or a defeat for Porto would also in theory put Benfica in the driving seat in terms of the head-to-head record ahead of the return game in Lisbon at the tail end of the season, thus giving the Eagles the advantage if the clubs are tied on points.
Having already been knocked out of the Portuguese Cup by Sporting, failure to get the upper hand in the Liga race will heap pressure on coach Julen Lopetegui, despite Porto's impressive showing in Europe. The message is clear for Porto - only a win will do.
Bad memories for Jorge Jesus
As for Benfica, Jorge Jesus will be keen to improve on his desperately poor record at the Estádio do Dragão in league play, with one draw and four defeats in five Liga matches since becoming Benfica coach in 2009. The losses include two famous occasions: the 5-0 thrashing at the hands of André Villas Boas' Porto and the dramatic 2-1 defeat in 2012/13, when Kelvin's 92nd-minute goal snatched the championship title for Porto from their great rivals.
Nevertheless, the intensity this fixture has acquired in recent years is testament to the fact that under Jesus Benfica have become a serious competitor for Porto, with some saying the northerners' domination of domestic football is now a thing of the past. Such a notion would be backed up by a second successive Primeira Liga crown for Benfica, and despite a disastrous Champions League campaign, the Eagles have shown excellent consistency in the league. Motivation will certainly not be lacking for Benfica to clock up an 11th win in 13 Liga games this campaign.
Quote, unquote
Nico Gaitán: "We respect Porto, but we always think only about winning the three points."
Jackson Martínez: "We realise we've got a good chance to go top. We're ready for this Clássico."
Tactical breakdown
In a league where the two major clubs have been running away with the title with increasingly greater ease, FC Porto and Benfica must now make the most of these showdowns between the two archenemies. The old saying used to act as a cautionary tale against the importance of these matches, drawing attention to the fact that smaller teams were usually the runners-up's undoing. Not anymore.
With that in mind, Sunday evening's match will treat us once again with two very different approaches - and even though the match probably won't reach the same levels of managerial proficiency of the now memorable duels between Vítor Pereira and Jorge Jesus as coaches and personalities, there will in fact be some common traits.
FCP's defence vs SLB's attack
Jorge Jesus might welcome Alex Sandro and Danilo, who has probably been enjoying his best season at FC Porto, with open arms, but truth be told the Dragon's defence has looked anything but impenetrable. While Bruno Martins Indi looks more and more like a shrewd (albeit not cheap) piece of business, his partner - whether it's Marcano or Maicon - leaves something more to be desired. On the other hand, FC Porto's ever marauding full-backs often leave space at the back that can be exploited by Benfica's Nico Gaitán and Salvio, and they're sometimes left exposed by Casemiro and Herrera.
In fact, the clash of styles may well begin on this part of the pitch. Julen Lopetegui's favoured possession-based approach relies heavily on the centre-backs seeing a lot of the ball. However, none of them look particularly adept and they are frequently found wanting while executing the strategy, which has offered more than a handful of opportunities to their opponents throughout the season. Jorge Jesus's Benfica, in turn, are more fond of transition-based matches, where they can make the most of spaces vacated by adversaries - something that might just play into the hands of Gaitán, Talisca and Jonas, with the latter being particularly keen on discovering pockets of space.
Advantage: Benfica
The midfield battle
While nominally playing with two central midfielders, Benfica might not be at a disadvantage. Jorge Jesus usually has his teams very well drilled as far as defensive duties are concerned, even when it comes to his forwards and wingers. Moreover, the team's movement and compensations improve dramatically as the season goes on and the players get to know the coach's methods. If Óliver Torres and Hector Herrera are to play ahead of Casemiro, as expected, it will probably open up spaces for the excellent Enzo Pérez, whose understanding of the game and ability to penetrate enemy lines stands head and shoulders above Herrera's huffing and puffing.
Andreas Samaris, conversely, may well be another matter, since he still does not seem too familiar with Jesus's ideas and may find it hard to patrol his assigned spaces, with all of Óliver, Herrera and Yacine Brahimi tending to converge to his area. The other side of the coin? Look for Enzo Pérez to immediately pounce the moment FC Porto give the ball away and open up acres of space with just Casemiro shielding the side's back four (or sometimes less). As Sporting showed when they played at the Dragão for the Portuguese Cup, it may be easier to take this FC Porto down by allowing them to shoot themselves in the foot.
Advantage: Benfica
FCP's attack vs SLB's defence
This is clearly where things get complicated for Benfica. While Luisão still commands a huge deal of respect by remaining able to stay ahead of the inevitable curve, Jardel is no Garay and Máxi Pereira has been showing signs of a gradual but constant decline. With Lopetegui's main attacking plan relying on 1v1 situations down the wings and Jesus's willingness to often allow his team to face even-numbers situations, the individual difference between Benfica's defenders and FC Porto's attackers might just be too much for goalkeeper Júlio César & Co. to handle.
If Gaitán is effectively deployed down the left, he will have to stay on his toes during the defensive phase, since the partnership of Danilo and (most likely) Cristián Tello will certainly prove too much for make-do left-back André Almeida, with Jardel - who will surely have his hands full with Jackson Martínez's skills and sheer strength - also wary of stepping out too far from his zone against such quick opponents.
If Benfica manage to stay compact, FC Porto will have a hard time breaking them down. If, on the contrary, the Eagles take the bait and start coming out in numbers, the Dragons' forwards will enjoy a field day.
Advantage: FC Porto
Probable starting line-ups:
Rúben Neves is the only injury absentee for the hosts having hurt his knee in the midweek game against Shakhtar, while for Benfica long-term injury victims Eliseu, Rúben Amorim and Fejsa are out, with Talisca recovering from the knock he took against Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.
Porto: Fabiano, Danilo, Marcano, Martins Indi, Alex Sandro, Casemiro, Héctor Herrera, Óliver Torres, Brahimi, Tello, Jackson Martínez
Benfica: Júlio César, Maxi Pereira, Luisão, Jardel, André Almeida, Samaris, Enzo Pérez, Talisca, Gaitán, Sálvio, Jonas
by Tom Kundert & Vasco Mota Pereira
