Benfica Eager To Heal Wounded Pride Against Porto

By Daily Sports on December 30, 2021

Leaders Porto will host wounded rivals Benfica, who are still recovering from a tumultuous week after a player revolt led to the dismissal of manager Jorge Jesus, in their final Portuguese league match of the year on Thursday.

It will be a second meeting within seven days for the clubs after 10-man Porto thrashed Benfica 3-0 to reach the Portuguese Cup quarterfinals.

Third-placed Benfica, who trail Porto and Sporting by four points, will not only be looking to close the gap with the pace setters in the league but will also be eager to bury memories of the past week.

The Lisbon club endured a tumultuous few days during which manager Jesus sparked a revolt among the players after he expelled captain Pizzi from practice.

The 67-year-old Portuguese, who had earlier told Brazil's Globo that he could be heading back to Flamengo for a second spell at the club, was then handed his own marching orders by Benfica president Rui Costa. Flamengo, however, hired another Portuguese, former Poland coach Paulo Sousa as their new coach.

Caretaker manager Nelson Verissimo will take charge of Benfica until the end of the season, the club announced. He will also have the difficult task of snapping Porto's seven-match unbeaten streak against Benfica in all competitions. Porto are also on a four-match winning streak without conceding a goal.

Benfica will be missing at least six players due to Covid-19 cases and suspensions, including Darwin Nunez, Nicolas Otamendi and Alejandro Grimaldo.

Porto manager Sergio Conceicao will also be without starters Evanilson and Luis Diaz, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday. Pepe and Mehdi Taremi's availability is still in doubt. (Reuters)

•PHOTO: Benfica players Julian Weigl, Haris Seferovic & Goncalo Ramos © Getty Images

Source Daily Sports

Posted December 30, 2021


 

You may also like...
Arsenal Overcome Burnley To Record Back-To-Back Victories

Winning AWCON, dream come through – Ordega

Ahmed Musa opens multi-million Naira sports centre, bags...

I’m happy in London, says Ozil

Ronaldo scores on Juve debut

Katsina Utd End Akwa Utd Unbeaten Run, Dakkada...

 

Latest News CAF awards: Ajibade, Nnadozie, Edo Queens bag nominations Lagos SWAN, PAACC Hold SWAN Day At Golfview Hotels, Ikeja Crisis looms as Eagles’ form raises AFCON, W’Cup concerns Ex-Nigerian Super Falcons player handcuffed, children assaulted as police storm Anambra Football Academy Sports NFF, teammates console Nwabali on father’s death Abia Govt hails Nigeria Olympic Committee over staging an admin course in Umuahia Libya deliver Eagles 2025 AFCON ticket Eagles battle Cheetahs for 2025 AFCON ticket Yellow Greens gear up for T20 W’Cup qualifiers Tyson tips Fury to beat Joshua Sadiq absent as 22 Eagles train in Abidjan Eagles’ striking trio hot for Cheetahs, Amavubi clashes

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,164 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,308 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,370 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (44,015 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,949 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,905 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,744 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,312 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,366 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,054 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,507 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,932 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media