Monday night, the Portuguese League leader's will welcome Pacos de Ferreira to the Estadio da Luz for the second leg of the Portuguese Cup. A two goal lead will have Benfica fans confident of booking their place at the Estadio do Jamor, but Pacos de Ferreira will not go down easily.
Needing to score three goals without conceding, Paulo Fonseca knows that the chances of his side eliminating Benfica will not be easy, but they are fully confident that anything can happen.
"The chances of us winning at the Estadio da Luz are very slim, although we all believe that we can do it," Fonseca told reporters.
"At home, Benfica has performed very well along with their positive results. We are at a disadvantage but we are no going to give up. We want to continue to leave a good impression, without losing our identity."
The visitors have done a great job throughout the season, but a trip to the final of the Portuguese Cup would really make an already remarkable campaign even more impressive.
Other than losing 0-2 against Benfica in the first match, Pacos de Ferreira has not lost a league match since February 24th, when they were defeated 3-0 at the Estadio da Luz by Benfica. Could Fonseca's squad have a a better outcome in the nation's capital this time around?
Benfica's current run of form does not leave much hope for the visitors, but anything is possible. Getting to the final is not Benfica's only concern at the moment, but it is certainly a title that Jorge Jesus would really like to add to his resume.
"It is a title that I would like to add to my resume," Jesus said in a press conference. "I have to win it. If it happens this year, even better."
"It is a title that is important to the fans and players, and a competition that all managers want to win."
Before Jorge Jesus can think about winning the title, he will have to get past Pacos de Ferreira on Monday night. Benfica's two goal lead should allow them to book their place in the final, but overlooking an opponent who has done well domestically this season could cause them problems.
Previous Meetings
02-24-13 Benfica 3-0 Pacos de Ferreira (Portuguese League)
01-30-13 Pacos de Ferreira 0-2 Benfica (Portuguese Cup)
09-28-12 Pacos de Ferreira 1-2 Benfica (Portuguese Cup)
03-11-12 Pacos de Ferreira 1-2 Benfica (Portuguese League)
10-01-11 Benfica 4-1 Pacos de Ferreira (Portuguese League)
04-23-11 Benfica 2-1 Pacos de Ferreira (League Cup)
Prediction
The last time Benfica played in Portugal's historic Estadio do Jamor, Simao Sabrosa had them on their way to another Portuguese Cup title, but plans quickly unraveled. Vitora Setubal overcame the odds and scored two unanswered goals to claim the title.
This time around, Benfica will not have the chance of taking on Setubal, but they could have the chance of lifting their 25th Portuguese Cup. The Lisbon side currently holds the record in this competition with 24 titles.
Without a title in this competition, Pacos de Ferreira could make history, but that seems very unlikely. Judging by their last six meetings with Benfica across all competitions, the Pacenses have lost all six. The chances of changing that tradition on Tuesday will be extremely difficult.
Benfica has only been held scoreless in one match at the Estadio da Luz in all competitions, and that was against Barcelona in the Champions League Group Stage. Other than that, Benfica has yet to lose at home in all domestic competitions, and they generally do not lose many points on their home turf.
Coming off a very important Europa League match at St. James Park which saw Benfica make it through to the semi-final of the competition, the Aguias will be full of confidence to confirm their place in another final eight years later. Their season could end in complete glory considering they are challenging for three titles, or it could end in utter disappointment.
The Portuguese League, Portuguese Cup and the Europa League are all competitions that Benfica has not won in quite sometime, with the Portuguese League being the most recent. Could Jorge Jesus lead his side to another final, setting up the possibility of a memorable ending to a brilliant campaign?
Benfica 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira
