Benfica (A) - UCL Quarter Final 1st leg, Tue 5th Apr 2022 (8:00pm)

[Trumo]

The club season continues apace after the international break, and we enter the business end of the Champions League, taking on Portuguese giants Benfica at the Estadio Da Luz (Luz is the area of Lisbon the stadium - and the old concrete bowl it replaced in 2004 - are situated in, but that hasn’t stopped British journos ascribing the stadium with the English translation for Luz). We have a history against them, and we have a recent history with their coach Jorge Jesus. He was their coach when we played them at the fag end of Rafa’s reign, and he was coach of Flamengo when we faced them in the Club World Cup final in Qatar in 2019. With the away goals rule being scrapped, it lends a different dynamic to how teams approach the first leg. It might take a couple of years before a pattern emerges under the new (old?) format. Anyway, the game. What do we need?

 

Energy. Urgency. Strength. Effervescence. Bravery. Incision. Organisation.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

We have met Benfica at this stage of the competition before, in the old European Cup. March 1984 to be exact. The Lisbon club were coached by none other than Swedish future part-time England coach (and the unlikeliest of full-time Lotharios) Sven-Goran Eriksson. He had won the UEFA Cup with IFK Gothenburg a couple of years earlier with a side that included Glenn Hysen (not sure if the defender had grey hair in the early 80s or not). Benfica had been going toe to toe with Porto in the league and would end the season with the domestic title, losing only twice along the way.

 

The first leg at Anfield in early March was settled with a solitary goal by Rushie, but the second leg was startling in the approach of both sides. Watching the highlights, Benfica just seemed totally under-prepared for the intensity of Liverpool’s play. Time and again they were undone by their own dawdling in possession, evidently thinking they perhaps had more time on the ball like they had domestically. They were well and truly carved apart by Fagan’s soon-to-be treble winners, and their goalkeeper Bento had an absolute ‘mare in allowing Whelan’s header in the centre of the box from a right wing cross to trickle through his legs and give the Reds a 2-0 aggregate lead. Skippy blasted a fine second after a rapid counter attack and though Benfica’s top scorer Nene pulled a goal back with a looping header over the stranded Brucie, Rushie buried a header of his own the settle the match, and Whelan got his second of the night when he ran on to Kenny’s through-ball down the left and beat the hapless Bento at his near post with a pea-roller of a shot. Benfica had plenty of ability on the ball, but it was the work off the ball that was their real undoing.

 

We were through to the semis to face Dinamo Bucharest, and the winners would travel to Rome in May for the final.

 

 

Top at the box office in March 1984 was the first instalment of what was to become a fairly successful 1980s franchise. Police Academy (the film and indeed the series) has its funny moments, and is certainly better than the last few sequels. The basic plot is centred around the police department’s programme for new recruits, and the collection of quirky characters that voluntarily enrol or are forced to enrol to get themselves straightened out. Steven Guttenberg was catapulted into the mainstream off the back of the first film as the terminally smug prankster Mahoney. Michael Winslow found fame as “Motormouth” Jones, a walking sound effects machine. Lesley Easterbrook’s tits made Callahan a star attraction among the force. Bubba Smith’s soft-spoken powerhouse Hightower would get his moments. David Graf’s unhinged gun nut Tackleberry would prove to be one of the cornerstones of the franchise. It’s stupid for sure, but oddly watchable. The last few films of the franchise are just plain stupid. It would also be a few films before we saw the mismatched pairing of loud and weird anarchist Zed and the small and uptight Sweetchuck. Kim Cattrall appeared in the first film, and Sharon Stone was another who would make an appearance later on.

 

 

It’s the start of a period where we take on both Benfica and Man City twice. I don’t know that much about this season’s Benfica other that Jorge Jesus being the coach, Jan Vertonghen playing in defence, and Uruguay’s up-and-coming star Darwin Nunez playing up front. He is one that has been linked to us in the past few months. Hopefully the Watford game has helped the players shake off the cobwebs at the international break, and we see more of our usual intensity and cohesion. We have the ability to do in Lisbon what we have done in Porto in recent seasons, but as ever it requires the right motivation, focus and application to make it happen. Get the job done. Move it move it move it!

[aRdja]

Based on the team from today.

 

Alisson; Trent, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Fabinho, Hendo, Milner; Salah, Diaz, Mane

[Allan]

Benfica played on Friday evening and lost 3-2 away at Braga.

 

FlashScore Match Summary

[Creator Supreme]

Darwin (Nunez) will evolve us out of the competition. 3-0 to Benfica!

[VladimirIlyich]

Our games in Portugal always seemed to kick off later and wouldnt finish until after 11pm at night. It was a pain when had to be up for work,or YTS for me in 1984. Listening on the radio was a tough business for the away games in Europe.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

1 hour ago, Trumo said:

The club season continues apace after the international break, and we enter the business end of the Champions League, taking on Portuguese giants Benfica at the Estadio Da Luz (Luz is the area of Lisbon the stadium - and the old concrete bowl it replaced in 2004 - are situated in, but that hasn’t stopped British journos ascribing the stadium with the English translation for Luz). We have a history against them, and we have a recent history with their coach Jorge Jesus. He was their coach when we played them at the fag end of Rafa’s reign, and he was coach of Flamengo when we faced them in the Club World Cup final in Qatar in 2019. With the away goals rule being scrapped, it lends a different dynamic to how teams approach the first leg. It might take a couple of years before a pattern emerges under the new (old?) format. Anyway, the game. What do we need?

 

Energy. Urgency. Strength. Effervescence. Bravery. Incision. Organisation.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

We have met Benfica at this stage of the competition before, in the old European Cup. March 1984 to be exact. The Lisbon club were coached by none other than Swedish future part-time England coach (and the unlikeliest of full-time Lotharios) Sven-Goran Eriksson. He had won the UEFA Cup with IFK Gothenburg a couple of years earlier with a side that included Glenn Hysen (not sure if the defender had grey hair in the early 80s or not). Benfica had been going toe to toe with Porto in the league and would end the season with the domestic title, losing only twice along the way.

 

The first leg at Anfield in early March was settled with a solitary goal by Rushie, but the second leg was startling in the approach of both sides. Watching the highlights, Benfica just seemed totally under-prepared for the intensity of Liverpool’s play. Time and again they were undone by their own dawdling in possession, evidently thinking they perhaps had more time on the ball like they had domestically. They were well and truly carved apart by Fagan’s soon-to-be treble winners, and their goalkeeper Bento had an absolute ‘mare in allowing Whelan’s header in the centre of the box from a right wing cross to trickle through his legs and give the Reds a 2-0 aggregate lead. Skippy blasted a fine second after a rapid counter attack and though Benfica’s top scorer Nene pulled a goal back with a looping header over the stranded Brucie, Rushie buried a header of his own the settle the match, and Whelan got his second of the night when he ran on to Kenny’s through-ball down the left and beat the hapless Bento at his near post with a pea-roller of a shot. Benfica had plenty of ability on the ball, but it was the work off the ball that was their real undoing.

 

We were through to the semis to face Dinamo Bucharest, and the winners would travel to Rome in May for the final.

 

 

Top at the box office in March 1984 was the first instalment of what was to become a fairly successful 1980s franchise. Police Academy (the film and indeed the series) has its funny moments, and is certainly better than the last few sequels. The basic plot is centred around the police department’s programme for new recruits, and the collection of quirky characters that voluntarily enrol or are forced to enrol to get themselves straightened out. Steven Guttenberg was catapulted into the mainstream off the back of the first film as the terminally smug prankster Mahoney. Michael Winslow found fame as “Motormouth” Jones, a walking sound effects machine. Lesley Easterbrook’s tits made Callahan a star attraction among the force. Bubba Smith’s soft-spoken powerhouse Hightower would get his moments. David Graf’s unhinged gun nut Tackleberry would prove to be one of the cornerstones of the franchise. It’s stupid for sure, but oddly watchable. The last few films of the franchise are just plain stupid. It would also be a few films before we saw the mismatched pairing of loud and weird anarchist Zed and the small and uptight Sweetchuck. Kim Cattrall appeared in the first film, and Sharon Stone was another who would make an appearance later on.

 

 

It’s the start of a period where we take on both Benfica and Man City twice. I don’t know that much about this season’s Benfica other that Jorge Jesus being the coach, Jan Vertonghen playing in defence, and Uruguay’s up-and-coming star Darwin Nunez playing up front. He is one that has been linked to us in the past few months. Hopefully the Watford game has helped the players shake off the cobwebs at the international break, and we see more of our usual intensity and cohesion. We have the ability to do in Lisbon what we have done in Porto in recent seasons, but as ever it requires the right motivation, focus and application to make it happen. Get the job done. Move it move it move it!

I've got a vague memory of listening to that game on the radio and being amazed by the contrast between the deafening crowd noise at the start and the funereal silence after we scored. Let's do that again.

 

Just get these beat, Reds.

[Pete]

Win please.

Thanks lads. 

[The Midnight Rambler]

Play the kids, gonna be a breeze. Fuck that fucking eagle too.

[Reckoner]

2 hours ago, aRdja said:

Based on the team from today.

 

Alisson; Trent, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Fabinho, Hendo, Milner; Salah, Diaz, Mane

I’m not averse to Milner starting but I don’t think he will. More likely Thiago. Maybe even Elliot.

[KMD7]

Let's cunt them in the bastard.

[aRdja]

12 minutes ago, Reckoner said:

I’m not averse to Milner starting but I don’t think he will. More likely Thiago. Maybe even Elliot.

Save Thiago for Sunday.

[TheHowieLama]

Play Thiago every minute he is available until he breaks down again.

[A_S]

A nice way to derail a thread is old clips of Leslie Easterbrook...fucking hell. 

[Anubis]

Get in. Get the three points. Get out again.

[YorkshireRed]

11 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Our games in Portugal always seemed to kick off later and wouldnt finish until after 11pm at night. It was a pain when had to be up for work,or YTS for me in 1984. Listening on the radio was a tough business for the away games in Europe.

Tough sometimes, but also magical. I loved turning the lights off and getting under my covers, while my transistor radio belted out that iconic theme tune and transported me to some corner of Europe, brought to life by the wondrous Peter Jones or Bryon Butler. 

[an tha]

Alisson

 

TAA

Van Dijk

Konate

Robertson

 

Fabinho

Henderson

Thiago

 

Diaz

Mane

Firmino

[an tha]

1 hour ago, YorkshireRed said:

Tough sometimes, but also magical. I loved turning the lights off and getting under my covers, while my transistor radio belted out that iconic theme tune and transported me to some corner of Europe, brought to life by the wondrous Peter Jones or Bryon Butler. 

 

[YorkshireRed]

2 minutes ago, an tha said:

 

Superb theme tune. I learned more about European geography from our travels to the four corners of Europe than I ever did in school.

 

From under my bedclothes I travelled with Kenny, Graham, Bob, Ian and the rest to; Bucharest, Lisbon, Helsinki, Sofia, Lodz, Munich and many more. 
 

Later I would tick most of these places off my list as I visited for real. They weren’t the same without Peter Jones though. 

[an tha]

5 minutes ago, YorkshireRed said:

Superb theme tune. I learned more about European geography from our travels to the four corners of Europe than I ever did in school.

 

From under my bedclothes I travelled with Kenny, Graham, Bob, Ian and the rest to; Bucharest, Lisbon, Helsinki, Sofia, Lodz, Munich and many more. 
 

Later I would tick most of these places off my list as I visited for real. They weren’t the same without Peter Jones though. 

My geography knowledge (for what it is) is pretty much solely down to football and our european adventures in the late 70's/early 80's and radio 2.

 

Peter Jones is the greatest commentator ever IMO.

 

I used to love the sport on 2 european nights, the way they'd come on and say "and there has already been a goal in (insert name of european place)" and then play the commentary of it - used to be that split second of nervousness as waited to hear from comms if it was us or the opposition that had got it - you'd know when the commentary they played started by who was attacking!

 

[YorkshireRed]

3 minutes ago, an tha said:

Peter Jones is the greatest commentator ever IMO.

100% agree. 

[Jarvinja Ilnow]

14 hours ago, Creator Supreme said:

Darwin (Nunez) will evolve us out of the competition. 3-0 to Benfica!

Of all the puns you could have chosen, that was your natural selection?

[Creator Supreme]

10 minutes ago, Jarvinja Ilnow said:

Of all the puns you could have chosen, that was your natural selection?

I've made a right Charlie of myself haven't I?

[sir roger]

14 hours ago, VladimirIlyich said:

Our games in Portugal always seemed to kick off later and wouldnt finish until after 11pm at night. It was a pain when had to be up for work,or YTS for me in 1984. Listening on the radio was a tough business for the away games in Europe.

Bleeding nightmare, still fuming at that Istanbul thing being allowed to go past midnight.

[A_S]

Let's keep Guttmann's Curse rolling for another season...up to 60 years now! 

[sir roger]

I have always quite liked Benfica as a club, but that Jorge Jesus is a complete wannabe Soprano cunt.