Advantage Benfica?
The Eagles of Benfica are grabbing all the attention at the continental level based on their achievements in the UEFA Champions League. They are now among Europe’s best eight teams – a record Porto don’t have this year.
The Dragons waved goodbye to European football long ago this season. Suddenly, they can only appropriate themselves with domestic success while Benfica remain hot on their heels.
Only one point puts FC Porto above the Eagles in the and Tuesday night’s Taça da Liga battle will definitely have an impact on each team’s title aspirations on all fronts.
The Estadio da Luz is already a plus for Benfica. Playing on Portuguese Primeira Liga home soil is always comfortable as long as the home crowd performs as the twelfth man.
Secondly, the Eagles are going into this semi-final game with their controversial 3-2 defeat to Porto earlier this year engraved in their aching hearts. This should motivate them enough to strike revenge against the Dragons.
Advantage FC Porto?
Benfica have regained confidence since that crucial league loss in the hands of their rivals. However, there’s room for fear ahead of the cup encounter. The Eagles could be distracted by the fact that they have another crucial league match in three days’ time away from home as the race for the Liga Sagres title gets tighter.
Meanwhile, FC Porto will have more time to recharge their batteries after Tuesday night’s clash since their next fixture is on March 25 against Pacos de Ferreira who recently lost to the Eagles.
Benfica vs Porto is undoubtedly the highlight of this midweek’s cup action in Portugal. The other semi-final clash will be contested between Gil Vicente and Sporting Braga simultaneously.
