Europa League quarter final first leg: Benfica v Liverppool

Spiritoftheseventies

Our friends on 3e are showing this. "coverage" begins at 7.30 pm. Beggars cant be choosers I guess.

mike65

Or you can watch on Channel 5

Spiritoftheseventies

mike65 wrote: »

Or you can watch on Channel 5

Believe me if I had it I would. Stuck with Jimmy from Fair City by the looks of it

Ush1

Can't wait, Benfica are fantastic to watch this season.

evil_seed

nando, another 2 please

LuckyLloyd

Going to be a very uncomfortable 90 minutes...

Spiritoftheseventies

Ush1 wrote: »

Can't wait, Benfica are fantastic to watch this season.

Any players to watch out for?

Frisbee

I've had Benfica to win the Europa League since the start. 2-0 please

xabi

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

Any players to watch out for?

Keep an eye out for a young lad by the name of Torres.

X.

Spiritoftheseventies

too bad he doesn't play for Benfica :rolleyes:

Ush1

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

Any players to watch out for?

Aimar - Classy creative midfielder.
Saviola - Impish quality striker.
Ramires - Lightening fast winger, bit light weight though.
Di Maria - Will be a future star IMO. Winger.

SlickRic

i am very nervous about tonight.

1) Benfica are a very good team.
2) I'm always worried Torres will be injured, and if he is, bye bye trophy and 4th.

Mr Alan

be very happy wit a draw tonight. score draw preferably.

ROCKMAN

Tough game , score draw would be a good result
Then again any team with Torres , is always going to have a more an realistic chance of napping that all important away Goal or even better

Chardee MacDennis

a score draw would be a great result considering the team benfica have put together and the run they are on. if we play like we did in the first half against sunderland i cant see many teams beating us, but the odds of a repeat performance are shockingly low...

Gillington

Ush1 wrote: »

Aimar - Classy creative midfielder.
Saviola - Impish quality striker.
Ramires - Lightening fast winger, bit light weight though.
Di Maria - Will be a future star IMO. Winger.

Oscar Cardozo has been banging them in for fun this season

ShamoBuc

This should be a very good game, we seem to have our mojo back and Benfica are playing very well currently with a sprinkling of good if not spectacular players.
I can see us winning tonight 2-1, although a score draw would also be very much appreciated. An away goal is a must in Europe at this stage, roll on 5 at 8!

MR NINE

Ush1 wrote: »

Aimar - Classy creative midfielder.
Saviola - Impish quality striker.
Ramires - Lightening fast winger, bit light weight though.
Di Maria - Will be a future star IMO. Winger.

I dunno why but there's something very Eamon Dunphy about that post.

Ush1

MR NINE wrote: »

I dunno why but there's something very Eamon Dunphy about that post.

That's a good post but not a great post.

Iago

mike65 wrote: »

Or you can watch on Channel 5

Channel 5, Thursday nights??

Spiritoftheseventies

Really pissed off. Thursday used to be the night I watched Lost. Now its Lost and that bloke from Fair City posing as some former Irish international:(

Gillington

Saviola injured for this?

spockety

Liverpool to win.

0-2.

Ush1

Gillington wrote: »

Saviola injured for this?

Yep, looks like he'll miss both games actually.

Ush1

http://www.goal.com/en/news/166/europa-league/2010/04/01/1858734/europa-league-debate-which-superstar-will-make-the

dsmythy

The Europa League's reputation has increased quite a bit recently. Did the name and rules change work or was it just lucky this year to have so many decent teams competing in the latter stages?

3hn2givr7mx1sc

dsmythy wrote: »

The Europa League's reputation has increased quite a bit recently. Did the name and rules change work or was it just lucky this year to have so many decent teams competing in the latter stages?

Probably because Liverpool are in it, I'd say.

Looking forward to this match, haven't seen Benfica play since last season, but I've heard great things about them.

D'Agger

Kinda afraid of seeing a repeat of the first leg against Lille tbh

We were flying against Portsmouth the weekend then went to Lille and played muck - that said the pitch was horrendous.

Just afraid after seeing us play so well against Sunderland that lightning will strike twice. Fingers crossed that's not the case though!!

LuckyLloyd

We could well get played off the park tonight and be completely eviscerated.

greendom

Did Gerrard really getting injured doing ballet ?

EDIT: I'm pretty sure I've been April Fooled

5starpool

This could be bad if the Liverpool travelling team from recent months turns up in Portugal tonight.

Columbia

Benfica made light work of Everton earlier this season, winning 5-0 and 0-2. I hope they win tonight, it'll be a bit embarrassing for us otherwise.

Fear Liverpool might nick a draw though, 1-1 or 2-2.

ilovelamp2000

Mr Alan wrote: »

be very happy wit a draw tonight. score draw preferably.

Benfica have apparently only conceded 5 goals at home all season, but then again Torres hasn't played there yet.

I haven't seen them play so I wonder if they haven't conceded much because they have a good defence, retain possession so well that the opposition don't get a look in or both.

Either way we're going there in reasonable form and while they have some good attacking players, we've got better ones.

Hoki

Rosco1982 wrote: »

Benfica have apparently only conceded 5 goals at home all season, but then again Torres hasn't played there yet.

I haven't seen them play so I wonder if they haven't conceded much because they have a good defence, retain possession so well that the opposition don't get a look in or both.

Either way we're going there in reasonable form and while they have some good attacking players, we've got better ones.

They havent conceded many because they play in the Portugese league & the standard apart from the top 3 over there is poor .

mike65

Team in early (Portugese media)

---

Reina
Johnson Carra Agger Insua

---

Lucas, Masch
Kuyt---Gerrard---Babel

---

Torres.

That_Guy

Should be a cracking game. Benfica are a really good team. Liverpool will need to start quickly.

Kess73

LuckyLloyd wrote: »

We could well get played off the park tonight and be completely eviscerated.

This is true, but just as possible is a scenario where Benfica get beaten at home.

I see a Liverpool win in a high scoring game though, maybe 3-2. Torres (2) and Babel.

redout

Spiritoftheseventies

mike65 wrote: »

Team in early (Portugese media)

---

Reina
Johnson Carra Agger Insua

---

Lucas, Masch
Kuyt---Gerrard---Babel

---

Torres.

whats wrong with aqua?

MementoMori

Team as posted about and subs bench from BBC
Cavalieri, Kyrgiakos, Benayoun, Plessis, Dave, El Zhar, Pacheco

Pretty weak looking bench there - very little in the way of game changers.
Pacheco and Plessis played 90 mins for the reserves on Monday and El Zhar and Dave played 45 mins each


Benfica
13 Julio Cesar
04 Luisao
14 Pereira
23 David Luiz
06 Javi Garcia
08 Ramires
10 Aimar
17 Carlos Martins
18 Fabio Coentrao
20 Di Maria
07 Cardozo
Substitutes

01 Moreira, 24 Luis Filipe, 27 Sidnei, 02 Airton, 05 Ruben Amorim, 21 Nuno Gomes, 31 Alan Kardec

MementoMori

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

whats wrong with aqua?

Knock on ankle

D'Agger

Good to see Plesis on the bench thought he'd gone off the radar completely although I'm sure he's only there because Kellys gone and crocked himself

Nice to have Pacheco back too though!

That_Guy

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

whats wrong with aqua?

Ankle injury according to SSN.

Spiritoftheseventies

That_Guy wrote: »

Ankle injury according to SSN.

Its one thing after another now. Totally depressing especially after his MOTM display against Portsmouth. Had hoped he had turned the corner.

That_Guy

Spiritoftheseventies wrote: »

Its one thing after another now. Totally depressing especially after his MOTM display against Portsmouth. Had hoped he had turned the corner.

He did turn the corner........ but probably didn't look where he was going.

D'Agger

In attempting to turn the corner he did his ankle - damn 90 degree angles >:(

IvySlayer

20:05, why the wierd times?

That_Guy

IvySlayer wrote: »

20:05, why the wierd times?

Not as weird as 20:03

Fcuk, it means I have to put up with half an hour of 3e build up. Oh dear.

D'Agger

IvySlayer wrote: »

20:05, why the wierd times?

Give us time to make a cuppa after the soaps I'd imagine

IvySlayer

PaulieC wrote: »

Give us time to make a cuppa after the soaps I'd imagine

Ah **** Eastenders is on. Laters!

Spiritoftheseventies

PaulieC wrote: »

In attempting to turn the corner he did his ankle - damn 90 degree angles >:(

Heard the guy was injury prone but this is to coin a phrase from an T shirt "beyond the pale"