After the first match between these two sides last week at the Estadio da Luz, Benfica fans will be really hoping their side can put on a much better performance on Thursday. The Portuguese side did manage a 1-0 victory over Bordeaux, but the performance could easily go down as their worst this season.
Fans instantly let the players know they were unhappy with the performance immediately after the final whistle, leading team captain Luisao to walk off the pitch in clear frustration at the fans reaction.
On Thursday, although the Portuguese side will be playing in France, due to the large number of Portuguese immigrants, Benfica will most likely have a significant amount of support.
Bordeaux's domestic form has not been that impressive, so knocking out Benfica against all odds would be a big boost of confidence for the club, the players and the fans. Their latest victory came over Bastia with a 1-0 win, after they had been defeated by Benfica just a few days earlier.
"It was important to break that run of four league defeats. After a big game at Benfica on Thursday, getting the win was very important for the team's confidence," defender Marc Planus told the club's official website.
"I think in the Benfica game you could see how much it meant to the boys. But unfortunately that effort didn't pay off. After the way we played at Benfica, we have every reason to hope and believe. Qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Europa League is a big deal, that doesn't happen many times in a players career," Planus added.
So judging by how concentrated the Bordeaux players appear to be for this match on Thursday, they will have been given a boost of confidence knowing that Benfica's two starting central defenders will be unavailable for this match.
Team captain Luisao is suffering from a groin injury, while Argentine international Garay picked up a shoulder injury, forcing them both to miss Thursday's match.
"We were surprised with Garay's injury, but we have full confidence in all our players," said Jorge Jesus.
"The starting squad is in my head, with the exception of who will play in his [Garay's] spot. My doubts are between Roderick and Miguel Vitor. I am still going to analyze the pro's and con's in reference to the two of them, for me to then decide."
Benfica is coming off a 5-0 victory over Gil Vicente at home, which helped the Lisbon side pull two points ahead of Porto in the domestic league.
Previous Meetings
03-07-13 Benfica 1-0 Bordeaux (Europa League)
Prediction
Benfica was far from brilliant in the first match, and a similar performance will most likely see them knocked out of the competition on Thursday. The French side showed courage in the away match, causing all sorts of problems for the Benfica back line.
Playing at home and in front of their fans who are very passionate, the Bordeaux players will play with a little more confidence in their game. When you throw in the fact that Benfica will be missing their captain and anchor in the back four, along with Garay's absence, the French side have every reason to believe that they can pull this off.
Needing at least one goal will force Bordeaux to play slightly open, giving Benfica some space to penetrate their back four, but if Bordeaux stick to the plan, Benfica may need Artur Moraes to have another dazzling performance in the Benfica goal.
The hosts will want to dictate the pace of the game and not allow Benfica to be the one who does it. If Bordeaux come out nervous, the Portuguese side has more than enough talent to get an away goal.
Keeping Jorge Jesus' side off the score sheet is going to be quite difficult given all their options, but if not for a fortunate bounce in the first match, Bordeaux could well have earned a draw in the first match.
Bordeaux's start to the match will really say a lot in regards to how confident they are. If they can take advantage of either Roderick or Miguel Vitor, they could have a chance, but failure to do that will certainly see the French side's campaign get even worst.
Bordeaux 1-1 Benfica
