Benfica’s UEFA Europa League Campaign: Can The Eagles Fly Higher?The Eagles may not be the bookies’ favourites to become European champions this year. However, you cannot take anything away from them. If they’ve reached the Last 8 of the UEFA Europa League, it is because they have successfully worked over their disappointments in the Portuguese Liga to achieve good standards continentally.
Now, after finally conceding the league title to current winners FC Porto last weekend, it’s left for us to know if Benfica have recovered mentally as well as physically as they prepare to face Holland’s PSV on Thursday. If they have had a completely different European campaign than Porto’s, it is mainly because theirs commenced with UEFA Champions League football.
But the Eagles never proved strong enough to make it among Europe’s best teams and as a result of their unconvincing results in the group stages of that competition, Benfica had to settle for UEFA Europa League football. Their good run thus far in what was previously named the UEFA Cup may have even put them in a very good position to give tips on how to shake off the disappointment of failing to realize an initial dream.
Live Soccer TV reminds you about Benfica’s results in the Europa League after they finished with only 6 points from 6 games in the UEFA Champions League group stages.
UEFA Europa League Second Round
Feb 17, 2011: Benfica 2-1 Stuttgart
Feb 24, 2011: Stuttgart 0-2 Benfica
UEFA Europa League Third Round
Mar 10, 2011: Benfica 2-1 Paris Saint-Germain
Mar 17, 2011: Paris Saint-Germain 1-1 Benfica
There’s something that seems to put Benfica on top of PSV ahead of Thursday’s UEFA Europa League quarter-final match: it’s the Eagles’ impressive form on home soil. Even in the UEFA Champions League where they proved to be weak, Benfica lost at the Estadio da Luz only once as they won 2 out of their 3 home fixtures. However, PSV aren’t taking the UEFA Europa League lightly so Thursday’s battle in Portugal appears to be even more mouth-watering.
You may like this article too: UEFA Europa League: How FC Porto Succeeded In Reaching The Last 8