Afghanistan
Angola
Argentina
Asia (AFC)
Asian Games
Australia
Belgium-Netherlands
Brazil
Burkina Faso
Central American & Caribbean Games
Central American Games
Congo DR
Denmark
England
Europe (UEFA)
FYR Macedonia
Finland
Germany
Greece
International Tournaments
Italy
Mediterranean Games
Mexico
National
Nepal
North & Central America (Concacaf)
Palestine
Pan American Games
Panama
Russia
Scandinavia
Serbia And Montenegro
South American Games
Spain
Syria
USA
Venezuela
World (FIFA)
Yemen
Zimbabwe

Benficavs.Casa Pia

sportsmole.co.uk, 15 August 2024, 16:57
Benfica look to bounce back from their Primeira Liga opening-day loss to Famalicao when they welcome Casa Pia to Estadio da Luz on Saturday.

The gameweek two fixture brings two winless clubs from the league-opening matches face to face, with Roger Schmidt's troops keen to secure maximum points to avoid further falling behind Sporting Lisbon and Porto.

Match preview

Benfica must be sick of the sight of Famalicao after another loss to last season's eighth-placed club.

Fama inflicted the last of the Eagles' four defeats in 2023-24 — a 2-0 loss in early May — and got the better of Schmidt's men in this season's corresponding fixture, with a concession in each half meaning Benfica have lost 50% of their last four matches across the culmination of last season and the commencement of 2024-25.

Having ended 10 points adrift of eventual champions Sporting and finishing eight points clear of Porto, a slow start opens up the threat of falling behind Ruben Amorim's side and having Porto close the gap and potentially outdo them this term.

While Schmidt's side have 33 matches to fix their false start, the Eagles need success against a local rival this weekend knowing they suffered defeats to their fellow contenders last season, which increases the need for success on Saturday.

Despite the disappointing start, the home support will demand a result this weekend, keen to extend an impressive sequence of victories on home soil with the Eagles chasing a 12th straight victory on their turf.

Only two clubs have prevented Schmidt's men from notching maximum points at Estadio da Luz since Porto beat Benfica 2-1 in April 2023 — Casa Pia in October 2023 and Farense six weeks later — and the away side will push for a similar outcome this weekend.

The Geese are heading into their third season since their 83-year top-flight absence ended in the 2022-23 season and the Lisbon outfit have done commendably in years one and two.

Former head coach Filipe Martins guided Os Gansos to 10th place before Goncalo Santos aided the club in finishing ninth last term.

With Joao Pereira now in situ, Casapianos were beaten on home turf by Boavista last week, continuing the club's wretched sequence of results in front of their fans, where they could claim just three victories in 17 matches last season.

One of last term's five road draws came against local rivals Benfica and a similar outcome this weekend will be admirable for the incumbent boss.

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

L

Casa Pia Primeira Liga form:

L

Team News

The status of Gianluca Prestianni, who was substituted early in Benfica's match against Famalicao, remains uncertain.

Angel Di Maria could start for the Eagles on Saturday after a commendable cameo at Fama last time out.

Without last season's leading goalscorer Rafa Silva (14 goals) and the league's assist leader (12), Schmidt hopes other squad members take on more responsibility.

Last season's top scorer for Casa Pia Clayton (eight goals) is no longer at the club, neither are second and third-highest goalscorers Felippe Cardoso (six) and Yuki Soma (five), leaving gaping match-winning holes in the Casapianos squad.

With no injury worries from last weekend, a repeat XI could feature at Benfica on Saturday.

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Trubin; Bah, Araujo, Morato, Carreras; Luis, Barreiro; Mario, Kokcu, Di Maria; Pavlidis

Casa Pia possible starting lineup:

Batista; Goulart, Fonte, Zolotic; Geraldes, Segovia, Mukendi, Lelo; Fonzalez, Pablo, Moreira

We say: Benfica 2-0 Casa Pia

Previews by email

Top News

22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly joined the race for Atalanta BC attacker Ademola Lookman, with the Red Devils potentially battling Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain for his signature. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk With all eyes fixed on the January transfer market, clubs around the UK and Europe are already lining up potential mid-season moves. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Fortuna Sittard will be looking to secure a fourth home win on the bounce when they take on Twente at the Offermans Joosten Stadion in round 13 of the Eredivisie on Saturday. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Monaco vs. Brest (Friday, 6.00pm) The first game in Ligue 1 since the final international break of 2024 will see Monaco welcome Brest to the Stade Louis II on Friday night. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea have reportedly told Mykhaylo Mudryk that he is still in their first-team plans ahead of the January transfer window. 22 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka has reportedly not yet made a full recovery from the knock he suffered prior to the international break. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Legendary striker Robert Lewandowski has revealed he was close to joining Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United in 2012. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Xabi Alonso will hope that his Bayer Leverkusen side can return to winning ways when they welcome strugglers Heidenheim to BayArena in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign on Saturday. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Wayne Rooney gives Romeo Montague a run for his money with wife Coleen revealing he writes her love poetry. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Six places separate Wolfsburg and Union Berlin in the Bundesliga table ahead of Saturday's gameweek 11 match at the Volkswagen Arena. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Borussia Dortmund have already fallen behind in the title race and will at least aim to stay within touching distance of the Champions League qualifications spots when they welcome Freiburg to Signal Iduna Park on Saturday in their 11th Bundesliga game of the campaign. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A crunch clash at the bottom sees Heracles and RKC Waalwijk go head to head at the Asito Stadium on Saturday evening in gameweek 13 of the Eredivisie season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Stuttgart sit a disappointing 11th in the Bundesliga table before welcoming cellar-dwelling VfL Bochum in Saturday's gameweek 11 action at the MHPArena. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brentford boss Thomas Frank has confirmed that Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa will both be available for Saturday's Premier League away meeting with Everton. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Benfica and Estrela Amadora return to action on Saturday when they go head to head at the Estadio da Luz in the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal. 21 November 2024 talksport.com West Ham have sounded out former Borussia Dortmund boss Edin Terzic as a potential replacement for Julen Lopetegui, talkSPORT understands. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to move back into the top six of the League One table, Huddersfield Town will welcome Charlton Athletic to the John Smith's Stadium on Saturday. 21 November 2024 talksport.com talkSPORT's Ally McCoist has opened up about living with Dupuytren's contracture, an incurable hereditary condition that affects the hands. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Luton Town will welcome Hull City to Kenilworth Road on Saturday for a crucial game at the bottom end of the Championship table. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Martin Odegaard is everything for Arsenal - he's at the heartbeat of everything positive they do. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to go top of the Championship table with a fifth straight victory, Sheffield United will travel to take on Coventry City on Saturday. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk RB Leipzig will aim to prevent the five-point gap to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich from extending by claiming all three points at Hoffenheim's PreZero Arena on Saturday. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Champions League hopefuls Eintracht Frankfurt will hope to maintain their five-point advantage over Werder Bremen after hosting them on Saturday at Deutsche Bank Park in their 11th Bundesliga outing of the season. 21 November 2024 talksport.com Newcastle defender Lewis Hall says his lack of game time in the first-team left him 'in a dark place' last season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two teams who could really do with a victory kick off round 13 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season as Go Ahead Eagles welcome Almere City to De Adelaarshorst on Saturday afternoon. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Promotion-chasing Barnsley are favourites heading into Saturday's gameweek 17 League One match at Oakwell. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Feyenoord and Heerenveen will both be looking to pick up where they left off right before the international break in Saturday's meeting at De Kuip in matchday 13 of the 2024-25 Eredivisie season. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City officially announce that manager Pep Guardiola has signed a two-year contract extension. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Girona will be bidding to make it three straight wins in La Liga for the first time this season when they welcome Espanyol to Estadi Montilivi on Saturday evening. 21 November 2024 sportsmole.co.uk An in-form Las Palmas will be aiming to make it five wins from their last six matches in all competitions when they continue their La Liga campaign at home to Mallorca on Saturday night.