A victory in the Portuguese Cup on Thursday allowed Benfica to rotate their squad ahead of their clash with Spartak Moscow on Tuesday. Oscar Cardozo and Lima also got a chance to feature together for the first time since the Brazilian joined the Lisbon side.
Tomorrow's match is an important one for both sides. Benfica finds themselves in third place in the group with one point in two matches, while Spartak is in last place with zero points.
Taking a look at the stats, the Portuguese side has been unable to score a goal this campaign. Will Tuesday's affair at the Luzhniki Stadium be the chance for Benfica to finally get off the mark?
A draw in the match wouldn't be all that bad for Benfica considering they host Spartak in Lisbon in the next match day. Jorge Jesus' side can also have the thought of Barcelona playing Celtic in two consecutive matches, as the Portuguese side will be rooting for Tito Vilanova's side.
If Barcelona is able to defeat Celtic in both, or even a win and draw, Benfica would really benefit from at least four points from their two matches with Spartak. That would then setup a scintillating match at the Estadio da Luz against Celtic.
Despite the pressure to grab a result, Jorge Jesus has opted to put the pressure on the home side.
"Benfica is going to have to know how to suffer. Its a match of all or nothing for Spartak. It will be a complicated match because Spartak is a team that likes to play on the limit. We will not venture from our strategy, but we can alter our game plan a little bit," said the Portuguese manager in Monday's press conference.
Spartak's Spanish midfielder Jose Jurado also shed some light on Tuesday's match and he acknowledged the importance of their next two matches against Benfica.
"The two matches with Benfica are going to be important from a final standings perspective. We have to fully apply ourselves to try and beat the Portuguese, and then, we will have to face Celtic after at our field."
"Benfica is a strong side with some very good players. They participate in the Champions League every year and any team they face generally has difficulties," said Jurado.
The Portuguese side will need to be able to absorb a lot of pressure from the home side early on. An early goal for Spartak could really hurt the confidence of Jorge Jesus' side.
Their transition from defense to offense will have to be very quick and efficient if they look to hit the Russian's on the counter attack.
Could Benfica steal a point at the Luzhniki Stadium or will Spartak emerge victorious?
Taking a look at the stats, the Portuguese side has been unable to score a goal this campaign. Will Tuesday's affair at the Luzhniki Stadium be the chance for Benfica to finally get off the mark?
A draw in the match wouldn't be all that bad for Benfica considering they host Spartak in Lisbon in the next match day. Jorge Jesus' side can also have the thought of Barcelona playing Celtic in two consecutive matches, as the Portuguese side will be rooting for Tito Vilanova's side.
If Barcelona is able to defeat Celtic in both, or even a win and draw, Benfica would really benefit from at least four points from their two matches with Spartak. That would then setup a scintillating match at the Estadio da Luz against Celtic.
Despite the pressure to grab a result, Jorge Jesus has opted to put the pressure on the home side.
"Benfica is going to have to know how to suffer. Its a match of all or nothing for Spartak. It will be a complicated match because Spartak is a team that likes to play on the limit. We will not venture from our strategy, but we can alter our game plan a little bit," said the Portuguese manager in Monday's press conference.
Spartak's Spanish midfielder Jose Jurado also shed some light on Tuesday's match and he acknowledged the importance of their next two matches against Benfica.
"The two matches with Benfica are going to be important from a final standings perspective. We have to fully apply ourselves to try and beat the Portuguese, and then, we will have to face Celtic after at our field."
"Benfica is a strong side with some very good players. They participate in the Champions League every year and any team they face generally has difficulties," said Jurado.
The Portuguese side will need to be able to absorb a lot of pressure from the home side early on. An early goal for Spartak could really hurt the confidence of Jorge Jesus' side.
Their transition from defense to offense will have to be very quick and efficient if they look to hit the Russian's on the counter attack.
Could Benfica steal a point at the Luzhniki Stadium or will Spartak emerge victorious?
