Benfica will meet Pacos de Ferreira for the third time this season on Sunday, but this will be their first meeting at the Estadio da Luz in the current campaign.
The first match ended in a 1-2 victory for Benfica, with new signing Lima getting a brace to lead his new club to the victory. Their second match was for the Portuguese Cup, with Benfica emerging victorious with a 0-2 scoreline.
Sunday's match will be slightly different, with the hosts needing the full three points, knowing Porto already won their match on Saturday.
Jorge Jesus is well aware of the great campaign Pacos de Ferreira has had up until now, so he will need to make sure he does not take the opposition lightly.
"If one player does not play, another one will. The team will be strong. If we do not play well it is because our opponent did not allow us to do so, and not because of our last match against Leverkusen," Jesus told reporters on Saturday.
"Pacos de Ferreira has been a pleasant surprise this season, even for their own board members. No one would have thought that at this stage in the season, they would be where they are."
Currently third in the Portuguese League, Pacos de Ferreira can see themselves solidify their position with a win on Sunday. Although 14 points separate them from Benfica, they are only up one point on Braga who is fourth, so even a point will help distance themselves.
Paulo Fonseca, Pacos de Ferreira manager says he will not take his team to the Estadio da Luz on Sunday to park the bus and defend.
"Benfica is always strong and proof of that is that they always win, or almost always, but I am only worried about what Pacos de Ferreira needs to do," he told the media on Saturday.
"We have to keep our image and we are not going to park the bus in front of our goal. We are ambitious and we want to have success. Pacos can legitimately think about winning the match. If we did not think like that, we are better off staying home."
Previous Matches
01-30-13 Pacos de Ferreira 0-2 Benfica (Portuguese Cup)
09-28-12 Pacos de Ferreira 1-2 Benfica
03-11-12 Pacos de Ferreira 1-2 Benfica
10-01-11 Benfica 4-1 Pacos de Ferreira
04-23-11 Benfica 2-1 Pacos de Ferreira (League Cup)
03-21-11 Pacos de Ferreira 1-5 Benfica
Prediction
Looking back on all their meetings at the Estadio da Luz, the Lisbon side has many reasons to smile. In a total of 15 matches in Lisbon between these sides, Benfica has won 14 and lost only one. Their only loss came in the 2000/01 season when the visitors won 2-3, with goals from Rafael and Leonardo for the visitors, while Roger and Carlitos scored for the hosts.
Since that loss, Benfica has won the last 11 in the nations capital. They also have an impressive 38 goals scored, with only eight conceded in that 11 game stretch.
This Pacos de Ferreira team will be much stronger than the ones they have faced in previous seasons, but having already beat them twice in the current campaign, Jorge Jesus' side will know what to expect from their opponents.
Coming off a hard fought match against Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, many fans, as well as Jorge Jesus should be worried about some of the players fitness levels. Competing in four competitions at the moment can cause fitness issues, but keeping the confidence with another victory will be important.
The hosts will need to make sure they have a better performance than they did in their last home match in the league. Although Academica defended for their lives, Benfica was only able to break through in the final minute of stoppage time, thanks to a penalty converted by Lima after Gaitan had been brought down in the box.
Pacos de Ferreira has already defeated Sporting and Braga away from home, so they will be full of confidence on Sunday. Whether or not they sit back and defend is not very important, but what does matter is that they keep their shape and composure throughout the match if they want to have a shot at grabbing points.
Benfica should be able to claim the full three points, having already defeated Pacos in their previous two meetings this season, away from home. With their fans support, Jorge Jesus' side should be able to pull level with Porto on points on Sunday, although it will not be an easy match.
Benfica 2-0 Pacos de Ferreira
