FC Porto
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5 - 0
This match has ended. Upcoming related matches:
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Benfica
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FC Porto vs Benfica Live Streams and TV Channels
| Country | Channels |
|---|---|
| Australia | Setanta Sports Australia |
| Spain | GOL T |
| *Don't see your country or favourite channel listed? Let us know and we will include it. | |
FC Porto vs Benfica Delayed and Repeat Broadcasts
| Country | Date/Time (US/Eastern) | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | Mon, Nov 08 12:00pm | Setanta Sports Australia |
| *Don't see your country or favourite channel listed? Let us know and we will include it. | ||
FC Porto vs Benfica Match Preview
Millions of people throughout Portugal and many more around the globe will be glued to their TVs, radios and Internet connections on Sunday evening as FC Porto host Benfica in a classic of Portuguese football.
The Estadio do Dragao is the stage for the big game in Portugal this weekend
Although mathematically correct, logic surely argues against Jesus’ statement. Should Porto beat their bitterest of rivals they will have a ten-point lead at the top of the Liga ZON Sagres table after 10 games of the Portuguese league season. More significantly, they would have dropped only two points in those ten games. So it is highly unlikely that they would allow such a healthy advantage to slip in the remaining 20 games.
The Benfica coach’s words were probably uttered more in the hope of relieving some of the pressure on his players rather than his actual convictions. Having won the league in such swashbuckling fashion in 2009/10, deep down, the Benfica players must know that victory - or at the very least avoiding defeat - is a must to get back in the title race.
Form guide
Porto have been in awesome form all season. 15 wins and 2 draws from 17 games tells its own story. In no game have the Dragons failed to find the net this season, and also in no game has at least one of their front three of Hulk, Falcao and Silvestre failed to score.
Joao Moutinho, bought from the other of Portugal’s major clubs, Sporting, in the summer has been in superb form all season, as has his midfield colleague Fernando Belluschi. The creative Argentine is playing his best football since arriving in Portugal two years ago.
With a defence well marshalled by the centre-back partnership of Maicon and Rolando and captain and goalkeeper Helton also putting in a string of impressive displays, it is currently difficult to find a weakness in Andre Villas-Boas’ team.
Benfica started the defence of their championship crown with a damaging three defeats in their first four matches, but have since picked up well in domestic play. A run of five straight victories in the league has catapulted the Eagles up to second in the table. However, performances during that run have not been overly convincing, and it has also been punctuated by some poor results in the Champions League.
On the other hand, if one disregards the last fifteen minutes of the midweek win versus Lyon, Benfica at last produced a performance to rival last season’s exhilarating displays on their triumphant march to the title. Four well-worked and expertly executed goals destroyed the French side, and if they reproduce that level of performance they will have a chance of getting a result at the Dragao.
Injury news
Both teams have important absentees. Porto cannot count on the services of midfield anchorman Fernando. Guarin or Souza will step in. Good players as they are, the consistency of the ubiquitous Fernando, aptly nicknamed the octopus as his legs invariably get to the ball whenever it nears the vicinity of Porto’s box, may prove significant.
Benfica continue to make do without their biggest goal threat, Oscar Cardozo. The Paraguayan scored a staggering 38 goals in all competitions last season, and formed a lethal partnership with skilful forward Saviola. Alan Kardec will continue to deputise up front alongside the diminutive Argentine.
Quote… unquote
Andre Villas-Boas, FC Porto coach: “We’re confident and we have a unique opportunity that rarely happens after 10 matches to create a significant gap between ourselves and Benfica. As incredible as it seems we could be 10 points ahead of the national champions, but we still have to play the game. We’ve already dropped two points, which was hard to take, and we don’t want to drop more.”
Jorge Jesus, Benfica coach: “We’ve been evolving well in all aspects in recent games, especially from the defensive point of view. Five straight victories gives us confidence that we can arrive at the Dragao and show ourselves to be a team with the quality and capacity to win.”
FC Porto vs Benfica Match Report
A Hulk-inspired FC Porto blew away Benfica at the Estadio do Dragao on Sunday night. The 5-0 scoreline was Porto’s biggest ever win against their great rivals.
Living up to his nickname - The Incredible Hulk
Both sides went into the game with an important absentee through injury. Porto’s midfield anchorman Fernando failed to recover from the injury picked up last week against Academica, while Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo remains unfit.
Benfica boss Jorge Jesus pulled a surprise by shifting usual centre-back David Luiz to left-back and bringing in Sidnei alongside Luisao at the heart of the defence. The idea was to help nullify Hulk, but the ploy backfired spectacularly.
Sweet revenge
Hulk missed much of last season through suspension due to the infamous scuffle he involved himself in at the Benfica v Porto match, and it was apparent he was clearly intent on revenge.
On 12 minutes the powerful Brazilian shown a clean pair of heels to Luiz with a lightning burst of pace before squaring to Varela, who duly put the huge crowd in good voice with a side-footed finish.
In a torrid opening half-hour Benfica soon found themselves three goals down. Belluschi made Luiz’s night go from bad to worse as he turned the Brazil defender inside-out before crossing to Falcao, who produced a wonderful acrobatic back-heeled finish.
The Colombian striker scored his second and Porto’s third soon afterwards. Belluschi again set up the chance and Falcao drilled past Roberto from 15 yards.
Jesus tried to bolster his defence at the break as he moved Fabio Coentrao and David Luiz back to their usual staring positions, left-back and centre-back respectively, as Sidnei came off and midfielder Gaitan entered the fray.
Luisao sees red
The visitors improved slightly, and David Luiz forced Porto goalkeeper Helton into a sharp save. Any remote chance Benfica had of getting back into the game disappeared on 65 minutes as Luisao swung his elbow at Guarin and was shown a straight red card.
Porto began to crank up the pressure again, and Hulk crowned his exhilarating performance with two late goals. Coentrao fared no better than Luiz in dealing with the forward as he brought down the striker for an obvious penalty after having been beaten for pace. Hulk picked himself up to confidently despatch the spot kick into the net.
Hulk then put the cherry on the cake with a venomous shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards to complete Porto’s joy and Benfica’s misery.
Goals:
[1-0] Varela, 12
[2-0] Falcao, 24
[3-0] Falcao, 28
[4-0] Hulk, 80 (pen)
[5-0] Hulk, 90
FC Porto vs Benfica Videos
Highlights
1-0 Varela 12'
2-0 Falcão 24'
3-0 Falcão 28'
4-0 Hulk (Penalty) 80'
5-0 Hulk 90'
Related News
- FC Porto vs Benfica – The Portuguese Liga Zon Sagres’ Title Decider
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