Benfica Prepares for Key Match Against Santa Clara

Lisbon, Portugal – Benfica is set to host Santa Clara this Friday at 20:15 for a crucial match in the Primeira Liga. Coach Bruno Lage is making strategic adjustments, including the use of three key defenders: Tomás Araújo, Nicolás Otamendi, and António Silva.

Less than 72 hours after playing for Argentina in a loss against Ecuador, Otamendi will take to the pitch at the Estádio da Luz. Lage confirmed that he would implement a 4-4-2 formation, reinstating goalkeeper Anatolyi Trubin to the starting lineup.

Today’s lineup for Benfica features Trubin; Tomás Araújo, Otamendi, António Silva, and Dahl; Aursnes, Ríos, Barrenechea, and Schjelderup; with Pavlidis and Ivanovic in attack.

In contrast, Santa Clara’s Coach Vasco Matos will keep his lineup unchanged from their recent match. The eleven for Santa Clara includes Gabriel Batista, MT, Venâncio, and Sidney Lima among others.

The two teams last met 363 days ago when Benfica secured a decisive victory after Bruno Lage’s return as head coach. On that occasion, Benfica triumphed with a score of 4-0, an outcome Lage hopes to replicate this time.

Matos’s Santa Clara aims to improve on their solitary win against Benfica in their last 20 encounters. The last time they overcame Benfica at the Estádio da Luz was back in 2020.

As the match approaches, Lage reflects on the significance of the game, recalling the first match after his return and emphasizing the importance of crowd support.

With both teams prepared for an intense battle, Lage expressed confidence in his squad’s ability to perform at a high level against their well-organized opponents. Fans can expect an exciting showdown as Benfica seeks to extend their winning streak against Santa Clara.