MOREIRENSE – BENFICA PREDICTION (26.01.2017)

Moreirense – SL Benfica (League Cup)

Moreirense and SL Benfica are in action on Thursday at the Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas Stadium in Moreira de Cónegos, in a tie for the semi-finals of the League Cup. Moreirense arrives here motivated after having managed to add an important triumph in the championship, but now faces the triple champion in both the NOS League and this competition. SL Benfica come here after another victory, this time in the reception to Tondela, having scored 10 goals in the last two consecutive games, with the rest to be for the Portuguese Cup against Leixões.

Moreirense is, for the first time in its history, to have success in the race, after eliminating Estoril Praia in the second stage, and being superior in Group B to FC Porto, Belenenses and Feirense. The Canons arrive here motivated after having beaten Paços de Ferreira, in hostile terrain, in the last round of the Portuguese championship, adding 3 points that made them climb two positions in the table, reaching 14th place and moving away from the relegation zone , Counting now with 5 points above the water line. This formation led by Augusto Inácio won 4 of 11 matches played in their hometown in all national competitions, losing another 4, while scoring 13 goals and conceding 14 in the process.

Although they are getting good points in the last games, the Canons find themselves here with Benfica, the team that is currently in the best shape in the Portuguese league, and it will become quite complicated to get to the Incarnated, So they must adopt a defensive strategy in order to try to sustain the opponent’s offensive power as long as possible. Still, it will be anything but easy, given their defensive difficulties and the fact that they face the most intense attack of the event.

In his last 5 official matches, Moreirense has a record of 3 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss. This sequence of results began with a 3-3 draw at the Belenenses reception in the League Cup game. There followed a 1-0 win at FC Porto in the League Cup game, a 1-0 home win at Belenenses, a 3-0 defeat at FC Porto, and Final, a 0-2 victory at Paços de Ferreira. Romeo Rocha, Rabiola and Cicero are out, all injured.

Probable team Moreirense: Makaridze – Sagna, Rooster, Micael and Rebocho – Cauê and Alexandre – Podence, Schons and Boateng – Roberto.

League cup The SL Benfica, in turn, is again appointed as a favorite to win the event, having already won the League Cup 7 times in its history, this in 9 editions of the competition. After a disappointing 3-3 draw at Boavista’s reception, where they were even losing by 0-3, the Eagles re-launched their way to the victories where they beat Leixões in the quarterfinals of the Portuguese Cup, and The Tondela for the Portuguese championship, scoring 10 goals while conceding only 2 in that time. This formation led by Rui Vitória is currently leading the Portuguese championship, with 45 points, 4 more than 2nd place FC Porto.

With 10 victories in the last 11 consecutive matches in all competitions, with the rest being a draw, the Incarnates have not only shone in national competitions but have played a very appealing football, coming here as a strong candidate to reach the final of the proof. In all the domestic competitions he played out of doors, Rui Vitória’s team win 10 games, losing only 1, scoring 23 goals and conceding only 6 in the process. With the best attack and the second defense less beat of the League NOS, the Eagles present a greater quality collective and individual than the equipment of the house.

In his last 5 official games, Benfica has a record of 4 wins and 1 draw. This sequence of results started with a 0-2 victory at Vitória de Guimarães. There was a 0-2 victory at Vitória de Guimarães in the League Cup game, a 3-3 draw at Boavista’s reception, a 6-2 win at Leixões, in game To count for the Portuguese Cup, in game to count for the Portuguese Cup, and in the last day, a 4-0 victory at the Tondela reception. Grimaldo, Fejsa and Horta are both injured and Mitroglu are left out of the game for technical reasons.

Probable team Benfica: César – Semedo, Jardel, Luisão and Eliseu – Samaris, Horta, Salvio and Cervi – Jonas and Rafa Silva.