SL BENFICA latest news -Uefa Cup bound

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David Luiz and Mantorras Played
MEIA-HORA DO CENTRAL E GOLO DO “PONTA” COM O TORREENSE

As recuperações de David Luiz e Mantorras, os dois casos clínicos mais longos do plantel encarnado, conheceram ontem evolução importante. Defesa e avançado jogaram na Liga Intercalar frente ao Torreense, partida no Centro de Estágio do Seixal em que o primeiro saltou do banco para cumprir 30 minutos e o segundo fez o golo da vitória (2-1).

David Luiz, após operação ao pé, combateu nos últimos meses uma pubalgia. Desde Janeiro que não estava a 100 por cento. “Estes 9 meses foram complicados mas superei-os. Senti-me bem, não tive dores e quero dar continuidade a esta exibição. A partir daqui tenho capacidade para discutir um lugar entre as opções de Quique Flores. Acredito no meu trabalho, tenho saudades de jogar e estou forte e preparado”, disse o central.

Mantorras não jogava pelas águias desde Maio e passou os últimos meses em trabalho específico para recuperar a massa muscular. Moretto, Zoro, Fellipe Bastos e Makukula também ganharam minutos às ordens de Diamantino.

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Eusébio and Vieira Visited Iran
PROTOCOLO EM MARCHA

Eusébio e Luís Filipe Vieira vão visitar a capital iraniana, Teerão, em data ainda a definir, para celebrarem um protocolo de expansão e cooperação do clube encarnado no Médio Oriente.

O convite partiu do embaixador do Irão em Lisboa, Seyyed Rasul Mohajer, após uma visita efectuada ao Estádio da Luz.

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Turkish Delight At The Stadium Of Light
On their first ever trip to Portugal for a competitive fixture, Turkish giants Galatasaray grabbed a deserved 2-0 victory over Benfica and took a massive step towards qualification from the UEFA Cup group stages.

The win puts Michael Skibbe’s outfit in a commanding position at the top of Group B, where they now sit with six points after two matches, four points ahead of second-placed Hertha Berlin and five ahead of their Portuguese opponents.

It also further eases the pressure on the former Bayer Leverkusen boss, whose side had been decimated with injuries on approach to their UEFA Cup encounter.

For Benfica manager Quique Sanchez Flores, it was a contrastingly disappointing night, as the former European Cup winners suffered their first home defeat of the season.

First Half

It was the visitors who made the brighter start to the encounter, with Umit Karan almost opening the scoring for the Turks inside the opening few minutes.

A wonderful passing move by Skibbe’s side saw the ball moved out to Turkey international Arda Turan on the left of the area, from where he produced a perfectly weighted and angled ball into the penalty area.

Former Genclerbirligi striker Umit Karan took advantage of a static Benfica defence, staying onside as he lunged across the floor and came within centimetres of making contact with the ball with only ‘keeper Quim to beat.

Quique Flores’ men responded moments later though, as Nuno Gomes let fly with a driven strike that just cleared goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis’ crossbar, before Greece international Kostas Katsouranis was slightly more wayward with a long-range effort of his own.

Former Arsenal winger Jose Antonio Reyes then found himself at the centre of his side’s attacking play, curling a 12th minute free kick over the bar during a thoroughly entertaining start to the match.

With the hosts beginning to monopolize possession and dictate the rhythm of the game, it was only eight minutes later that on loan Inter Milan striker David Suazo was released down the left flank in a rapid Benfica counter-attack, where he outpaced Emre Asik before watching his fine effort flash past the far post of De Sanctis’ goal.

Galatasaray had their best chance of the game on 25’ minutes, when a seemingly innocuous floated ball into the penalty box was left unchallenged by the Benfica defenders. The lively Umit Karan managed to get his head to the ball, flicking it towards goal and forcing a good save from Quim.

With both sides intent on maintaining the fast pace of the game, it was Benfica who next registered a phase of attacking pressure, as Reyes saw his low effort from outside the area palmed away by De Sanctis.

It was David Suazo who had the Portuguese giant’s best effort of the game on 37 minutes however, volleying the ball into the ground after a cross from the right to force a superb one-handed save from Galatasaray’s Italian shot-stopper.

Second Half

Benfica goalkeeper Quim was similarly called into action after only six minutes of second half football, making an impressive save from Baros after the Czech striker sprung the offside trap to find himself through on goal.

From the resulting corner however, the ball was knocked down for centre back Emre Asik, who volleyed home emphatically from close range to give his side a priceless one-goal advantage in Portugal.

Former Valencia boss Flores introduced introduced Carlos Martins, Oscar Cardozo and Pablo Aimar after seeing his side concede, in an attempt to disrupt the rhythm of an increasingly confident Galatasaray side.

They were all powerless however, as Ayhan Akman lifted the ball over a ball-watching Benfica defence for Arda Turan on the left side of the penalty box in the 69th minute.

The 21 year-old intelligently headed it back towards the centre, where captain Umit Karan produced a wonderfully delicate touch to guide the ball past Quim and into the far corner of the net, for a fine goal deserving of a 2-0 lead.

After having dominated possession for large spells of the first-half, the Portuguese giants suddenly found themselves two goals down with only twenty minutes left to play.

Carlos Martins attempted to galvanize what was now a shell-shocked gathering of home fans at the Estadio da Luz, driving his long-range free-kick straight at De Sanctis just moments after his side conceded their second goal of the evening.

The former Juventus ‘keeper fumbled the effort but bravely regathered before a slightly overzealous David Suazo could capitalize on the rebound.

It was Benfica’s last attempt on goal as a frustrating second-half came to a close for the hosts, with the Turks maintaining their discipline whilst simultaneously posing more of an attacking threat for the remainder of the match.

Benfica 0
Galatasaray 2 (Asik 51’, Karan 69’)

Line-ups:

Benfica: Quim, Pereira, Luisao, Sidnei, Jorge Ribeiro, Di Maria, Katsouranis, Yebda (64’ Martins), Reyes (57’ Aimar), Gomes (60’ Cardozo), Suazo

Galatasaray: De Sanctis, Sarioglu, Cetin, Asik, Balta, Lincoln Meira, Akman, Turan (93’ Yaman), Baros (82’ Guven), Karan (85’ Yildiz)

Goal.com - UEFA Cup - Turkish Delight At The Stadium Of Light

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Benfica eager to cooperate with IFF

Benfica's chairman Luis Filipe Vieira and the club's legendary Eusebio express eagerness to cooperate with Iran's Football Federation.

Portuguese club officials said Tuesday they would like to meet with IFF officials to boost sports ties between the two countries.

Iran's ambassador to Lisbon, Rasoul Mohajeri, asked the IFF in a letter to pave the way for close cooperation.

The Iranian envoy had already conferred with Benfica officials concerning an expansion of soccer cooperation with Iran.

Eusebio, nicknamed “The Black Panther” or "The Black Pearl", was elected the European Footballer of the Year in 1965. He played for Benfica for 15 years, and is the team's all-time top scorer with 727 goals in 715 games.

Press TV - Benfica eager to cooperate with IFF

[Frank Cunha]

Carlos Martins questionable for upcoming games
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Suazo with a car accident on the way to today's workout, but it seems will be ready for the game with Academica

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Mantorras said today still working to comeback on top form

I keep on saying, he would be better off going on loan to another team

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2 yrs Benfica new stadium will be paid
Vieira: «Estádio pago daqui a 2 anos»
PRESIDENTE FAZ BALANÇO POSITIVO DO MANDATO







O presidente do Benfica, em entrevista à SIC, fez ontem um balanço positivo do seu mandato. Recordando a obra feita, Luís Filipe Vieira destacou a nova Luz: “Fez renascer a família benfiquista e acredito que o estádio fica pago daqui a 2 anos”.

Sobre Quique Flores, referiu ter “outra qualidade”, quando comparado com outros treinadores que já representaram o clube e não se mostrou preocupado com a cobiça do Real Madrid.

Em relação a projectos futuros, destacou o canal de televisão e apontou a Fundação como o “próximo projecto a completar”. Resta acrescentar que o dirigente vai inaugurar amanhã a Casa do Benfica em Castelo de Vide.

[Frank Cunha]

Di Maria to Real Madrid

Huntelaar And Di María – Madrid’s Two Winter Arrivals?
Following Ramón Calderón’s announcement that Real Madrid will sign two young attacking players in January, the Spanish press have begun speculating as to who the two names might be.
»Comments (107) Print This Story Send To A Friend Contact Us galleria zoom Having revealed that Real Madrid will make two exciting signings during the winter transfer window and even going as far as to profess that the deal could be completed in ten days’ time, Los Blancos president Ramón Calderón would not disclose the names of the two potential winter arrivals.

The only clue he gave was that they will be two young attacking players who will be eligible for the Champions League. And that shroud of mystery has sent the Spanish sports journals, particularly those based in Madrid, into an uncomfortable frenzy as they desperately attempt to dig for more details.

Marca, who broke the news two days ago in their radio program ‘La Futbolería’, have taken matters into their own hands as they begin speculating over the two possible signings.

Lazio’s Argentine forward Mauro Zárate, Wigan’s on-loan Egyptian striker Amr Zaki, Benfica winger Ángel Di María and Ajax Amsterdam hitman, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar appear to be the main four candidates to don the famous white shirt, with the Madrid-based daily showing an inclination towards the latter two.

The 25-year-old Huntelaar, although injured at present, continues to demonstrate his goal-scoring capabilities under Marco van Basten and he would be a suitable temporary deputy for countryman, Ruud van Nistelrooy, who is ruled out for the rest of the campaign, as well as a permanent future replacement.

Di María, 20, will be an ideal back-up for the injury prone Arjen Robben on the left side of midfield, a position that has become hideously overstretched ever since the departure of Robinho to Manchester City in the summer, despite Royston Drenthe’s best efforts to fill the void.

Both players will be more than capable of helping Madrid this season in La Liga and the Champions League, as per Calderón’s pre-requisite, as neither of their clubs are involved in any of the stages of Europe’s blue ribbon competition.

UEFA’s ruling states that a player is eligible to feature in both the UEFA Cup and the Champions League with two different clubs.

KS Leong

[EURODAD]

They will have competition from Chelsie, Inter, Man U and Man City who have been given the go ahead and spend what ever is needed for Man City. This should get interesting. Either way, DM is gone. Would be nice if we got a player back along with the money though. Maybe a defender ?

[EURODAD]

There is interest in a few Benfica players this year. Man City are interested in Luisao. Inter are interested in both Di Maria and Hassan Yebda. Sevilla are still interested in Suazo. This should be an interesting January