Coyb please log in to view this image Possible teams: Benfica: 1-Artur Moraes; 14-Maxi Pereira, 4-Luisao, 33-Jardel, 3-Emerson; 28-Axel Witsel, 6-Javi Garcia, 20-Nicolas Gaitan, 9-Nolito; 10-Pablo Aimar, 7-Oscar Cardozo. Chelsea: 1-Petr Cech; 17-Jose Bosingwa, 4-David Luiz, 26-John Terry, 3-Ashley Cole; 8-Frank Lampard, 7-Ramires, 16-Raul Meireles; 10-Juan Mata; 11-Didier Drogba, 23-Daniel Sturridge. Benfica UEFA milestones • Jorge Jesus oversaw his 21st win in 38 games in UEFA competition as Benfica coach on matchday six, surpassing Sven-Göran Eriksson's club record (20 from 39). • Luisão has made a record 83 appearances in UEFA competition for Benfica. UEFA Champions League statistics • Benfica have committed 125 fouls; more than any other team in the quarter-finals. • Nicolás Gaitán has provided five assists, the joint highest total in the competition along with Karim Benzema. • Pablo Aimar is available again after a one-match ban; Artur and Ezequiel Garay will incur suspensions with their next yellow cards. Latest domestic information • Friday 23 March: SC Olhanense 0-0 SL Benfica Artur; Emerson (Saviola 83), Luisão, Jardel, Pereira; GarcÃa, Witsel (Rodrigo 73), Gaitán, Nolito (Aimar 46); Oliveira, Cardozo. • Half-time substitute Aimar was sent off on 63 minutes (his first red card since January 2003) as Benfica's run of four successive wins came to an end. Bruno César missed the game through suspension. • Winners of the last three editions, Benfica will face Gil Vicente FC in the Portuguese League Cup final on 14 April after recovering from 2-1 down to beat FC Porto 3-2 on 20 March. • The Eagles have won 18 of their 21 home games this season, drawing with Manchester United FC and FC Basel 1893 in the UEFA Champions League while their sole loss was a 3-2 Liga defeat by Porto on 2 March. • Jorge Jesus' side have scored in all 21 of their home games this season. • Right-back André Almeida made his league debut as a substitute in the 3-1 victory over SC Beira-Mar on 16 March. • Joan Capdevila scored his first goal for the club on 11 March as Benfica won 2-1 at FC Paços de Ferreira. • Ãscar Cardozo has scored 17 goals in his last 19 appearances. He has 126 goals in all for Benfica, one shy of Mário Coluna in 12th place on the club's all-time scoring charts. • Benfica have kept just seven clean sheets in 24 Liga games this season. Injury news • Garay (left knee, out since 2 March) and Yannick Djaló (right thigh, 3 March) have been out with injuries. Miscellaneous • On 20 March it was announced that Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica will stage the 2014 UEFA Champions League final following a decision made at the UEFA Executive Commitee meeting in Istanbul. The stadium was formally inaugurated in 2003 in time to host several matches – including the final – of UEFA EURO 2004. • Nélson Oliveira made his Portugal debut on 29 February, as a late substitute in a 0-0 draw away to Poland. Chelsea UEFA milestones • None UEFA Champions League statistics • Raul Meireles is available again after a one-match ban; David Luiz and Ashley Cole will incur suspensions with their next bookings. Latest domestic information • Saturday 24 March: Chelsea FC 0-0 Tottenham Hotspur FC Čech; Bosingwa (David Luiz 60), Cahill, Terry, Cole; Ramires, Essien (Torres 76), Mata, Lampard, Sturridge (Kalou 89); Drogba. • Juan Mata and Tottenham's Gareth Bale both struck the woodwork as Chelsea were held to a draw that keeps them five points adrift of their opponents and fourth place in the Premier League. • The Blues are unbeaten in nine games at Stamford Bridge in 2012, winning six. • The match marked Petr Čech's 250th Premier League appearance. • Roberto Di Matteo's winning run as interim first-team coach ended with a 2-1 loss at Manchester City FC on 21 March, the visitors conceding twice in the last 12 minutes to let slip an advantage given to them by Gary Cahill (60). • Chelsea have won only nine of their last 22 matches in all competitions and only four of 15 league fixtures. • Di Matteo's winning sequence had extended to four matches with a 5-2 home win against Leicester City FC in the FA Cup quarter-finals on 18 March. Fernando Torres scored twice, ending a run of 24 club matches without a goal; his last had come in a 5-0 victory over KRC Genk on matchday three. • Chelsea, who have lifted the cup in three of the past six seasons, have lost only two of their last 31 FA Cup matches – one of those was on penalties0 . • Chelsea have failed to convert five of their nine spot kicks this season. • Fourteen of the 34 league goals Chelsea have conceded this season have come in the final 15 minutes. • The Blues will face Tottenham or Bolton Wanderers FC in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on 15 April. • Chelsea dismissed manager André Villas-Boas on 4 March having won just three of their previous 12 league matches. His assistant Di Matteo was placed in charge until the end of the season. • Frank Lampard's goal in the 3-0 win against Bolton on 25 February made him the first player to score ten or more in nine successive Premier League seasons. Injury news • John Terry returned to the side on Saturday having missed Chelsea's previous two games with a calf injury. • Branislav Ivanović missed the Tottenham match with a thigh problem suffered in the first half at Manchester City. Miscellaneous • Chelsea signed Kevin De Bruyne from KRC Genk in January, although the winger will spend the rest of the season back on loan at the Belgian club before moving to London in the summer. • Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba were part of the Ivory Coast side that finished runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations. Drogba missed a penalty in normal time in the final against Zambia but converted in the 8-7 shoot-out defeat. http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=1770321.html Hope this helps
I've got a good mate (supports the Spuds ) who moved out to Portugal 5 years ago and now lives there as a permanent resident! He follows a Portuguese side called Ohlanense and keeps me up to date with the goings on in their League! In his opinion having seen Benfica a lot this season(who are 2nd in the table) he reckons Chelsea should have too much for them and says Chelsea will make the semis! He not often wrong!
From a Spurs fan I genuinely wish you good luck, hope you make it through to the semi's. Arsenal apart I will always support the english teams in europe.
I'm looking forward to it for once...a team that will give us a game, and I didn't expect us to get this far and possibly into the semi's so even better. And the wife is away tomorrow
One disappointing aspect for me. Meireles will probably be recalled. For this one, I'd like to see Luis in midfield, he'll run his nuts off against his old club.
I think we have a good chance at winning there but they do have a very good home record. My concern is a little lack of concentration that has crept in to some of our C.L away games this year. To think despite being ahead in all 4 away games we didn't win any of them. Our home form is very good but this is the sort of tie we should look to nick by one and come back to the Bridge and finish off. Benfica are good but we've bought their best 2 players in the last 2 years!!
I really don't think this is the time to be trying anything radical to be honest. Luiz is a 'failed' midfielder turned defender. Lampard and Ramieres plus either Mata (if playing in the middle) or Mikel/Essien as the holder.
I hope we play: ----------Cech --Iva-Cahill-Terry-Cole -------Mikel-Ramires Sturridge-Mata-Miereles -----------Torres Playing Luiz because he knows Benfica would be a mistake. He knows them but they know him. With Rambo this isn't such an issue. I reckon a 2-1 to us to take to the Bridge.
b4f Cracking day here today, perfect to develop a nice positive frame of mind going into the match...well looking forward to it now.
