Benficavs.Tirsense

The Eagles made light work of the first encounter at Santo Tirso, where they put five past the fourth-tier outfit to take a commanding grip on the contest.

Match preview

A routine affair unfolded as expected, with Joao Pedro da Silva Pereira Campos putting one through his own net after just 16 minutes to set the tone, before Joao Rego, Gianluca Prestianni, Arthur Cabral and Andreas Schjelderup got in on the act to all but seal a spot in the final.

Bruno Lage's side are well on course for a domestic clean sweep, having already lifted the Taca da Liga in January and now locked in a neck-and-neck title race with Sporting Lisbon in the Primeira Liga.

Benfica currently sit second in the standings with 72 points, behind Sporting only on goal difference, having chalked up nine wins from their last 10 top-flight outings, the most recent being a 3-0 success at Vitoria de Guimaraes last weekend.

The Reds have hit at least three goals in nine of their last 13 matches across all competitions, so anything short of another emphatic display here would raise eyebrows.

Benfica's journey in the Taca de Portugal came to an end at this same stage last term when they were eliminated by Sporting, and with their place in the final now all but secured, they could be set for a reunion with the Lions, who have also taken control of their own semi-final tie against Rio Ave.

Tirsense, though, can take pride in having made history regardless of the outcome, as their fairytale run to this point is the furthest they have ever gone in the tournament.

They had never made it beyond the round of 16 prior to this season but broke new ground with victory over Rebordosa before edging past O Elvas CAD in the quarter-finals, only to unravel against the first top-flight opposition they encountered.

Still, Tonau's men can draw belief from their latest league outing, a dramatic 4-3 win away at Os Sandinenses last Monday, which could offer a timely morale boost heading into this daunting return leg.

The club from Santo Tirso have now scored in five of their last six matches - the lone exception being the first leg in this tie - racking up 14 goals in that stretch, so a consolation strike would not be entirely out of the question.

Benfica Taca de Portugal form:

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Benfica form (all competitions):

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Tirsense Taca de Portugal form:

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Team News

Tomas Araujo and Angel Di Maria both came off injured in Benfica's last match and are not expected to feature, joining Alexander Bah, Manu Silva and Renato Sanches on the sidelines.

Lage is likely to rotate heavily with one eye on more testing fixtures ahead, meaning top striker Vangelis Pavlidis could be handed a breather while Andrea Belotti and Arthur Cabral vie to lead the line.

Tirsense midfielder Bruno Carvalho limped off in the first leg and remains doubtful, so Julio Alves - who stepped in on that occasion - is likely to start again in the engine room.

Daniel Rodrigues, the club's leading scorer in the competition with two goals, will be keen to add to his tally as he features in Tirsense's midfield three.

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Soares; Dahl, Otamendi, Silva, Barreiro; Bruma, Luis; Schjelderup, Amdouni, Gouveia; Belloti

Tirsense possible starting lineup:

Goncalves; J.P Caniero, P.G. Coutinho, J. Pedro, Silva, J. Perreira; Alves, Franco, Rodrigues; Reis, Mesquita

We say: Benfica 4-1 Tirsense

Written by

Adeyeye Oluwapelumi

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