Benfica roster for Maritimo encounter

Benfica look to get back to winning ways after a bit of a tailspin the last two games after five straight victories to start the league season. As the club currently sits in fourth spot but can move back into third with a victory over Maritimo in Madeira. Benfica will play Maritimo today at 7pm WEST and they will dress 20 players from the list below.

Keepers- Vlachodimos, Mile Svilar, Helton Leite

Defenders- Diogo Goncalves, Alex Grimaldo, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Jardel, Gilberto, Joao Ferreira

Midfielders- Chiquinho, Pizzi, Franco Cervi, Rafa Silva, Samaris, Everton, Gabriel

Forwards- Waldschmidt, Seferovic, Goncalo Ramos, Facundo Ferreyra

Julian Weigl hires new agent, is Benfica exit next?

Benfica midfielder Julian Weigl could be on his way out of the club when the January transfer window opens after hiring agent Pini Zahavi to represent him going forward. Weigl arrived at Benfica last January from Borussia Dortmund for €20M when Bruno Lage was still the manager of the club but is not a first choice option since the arrival of new manager Jorge Jesus to the club. The 25 year old Weigl has only started in three games for Benfica this season, playing a total of 435 minutes. It is rumoured that Weigl's decision to hire Zahavi is to find a new club were he can play regular minutes with Italian trio AC Milan, Inter Milan and Juventus linked to his services. Benfica are said to want €25M if they are to consider moving Weigl when the transfer window opens.

Benfica manager assures Vlachodimos is starting keeper

Benfica manager Jorge Jesus surprised many today when he made the decision to start keeper Helton Leite over normal starter Vlachodimos in a crucial Europa League encounter against Rangers. The Benfica boss assured the clubs faithful that Vlachodimos will be back between the posts when the club takes on Maritimo in Week 10 action on Monday. Jesus felt that Leite's recent start in the Taca de Portugal against Paredes was not a real test for the keeper and since he is unfamiliar with Leite, he felt that the Rangers encounter would be an ideal test for Benfica's current back up. Jesus also added that even if Leite was the best player on the field today, Vlachodimos would be back in net against Maritimo. Benfica added Leite during the summer window after being linked with the 30 year old keeper for some time.

Benfica in crisis as nine players out of Europa League

Benfica are in crisis mode as a total of nine of the clubs players are set to miss their Europa League encounter against Rangers on Thursday with a mix of injuries and illness. Manager Jorge Jesus is scrabbling to piece together a squad by adding some of the clubs B team players to the main roster. Benfica will be without Darwin Nunez, Julian Weigl and Taarabt all due to COVID-19 as the trio have all tested positive for the virus. The club also have Andre Almeida, Nuno Tavares, Todibo and Pedrinho out of action with injuries, while center back Otamendi is out of action due to red card received during their last meeting against Rangers. Benfica are also unable to use the services of midfielder Samaris due to the fact that the club did not register him as an option for the Europa League competition. Benfica look set to start a strike combo of Seferovic and Waldschmidt for the first time this season when the club travels to Glasgow and expect team captain Jardel to play along side Vertonghen in the center of the back four. Benfica take on Rangers Thursday at 8pm WEST in the battle for top spot in their group.

 

Benfica linked to Famalicao defensive midfielder once again

Benfica are once again linked to Famalicao's defensive midfielder Goncalo Assuncao, as they look to strengthen their defensive play in the back end. Some may be wondering why the club is looking at a position that they had someone in place to play the role before loaning him out, in Florentino Luis but current club manager Jorge Jesus is not only looking for a defensive midfielder but one that can form one half of a midfield pair in which he felt Florentino was not capable of doing. Assuncao has also been linked with FC Porto and French side Nice and is the son of former FC Porto midfielder Paulo Assuncao and has a contract with Famalicao until the summer of 2025. Assuncao also has a €50M buy out clause that will make any negotiation difficult for any of the interested parties but Jesus has asked club President Vieira to make Assuncao a priority come January.

Benfica pair test positive for COVID-19

Benfica have been dealt a possible blow to their League and UEFA campaigns as both striker Darwin Nunez and midfielder Julian Weigl have tested positive for COVID-19 the club announced today. Nunez has spent the last two weeks with the Uruguayan national team where there was an outbreak of COVID-19 that effected players and staff, Nunez more then likely caught the virus from this outbreak. While Weigl remained in Lisbon during the international break and it is unknown how Weigl may have caught the virus. The two players will now be out of action indefinitely until they return a negative test for COVID-19.

Benfica part of group looking at next Ronaldo

Benfica are linked to what some in the football world are calling the new Cristiano Ronaldo and that is Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai who currently applies his trade with Austrian side RB Salzburg. According to 90 minutes, Benfica are on the long list of clubs that includes Bayern Munich, PSG and Real Madrid who are looking to make a move for the Hungarian International. The 20 year old has been a member of Salzburg since January 2018 and has appeared in 74 games across all competitions for the Austrian club, scoring 22 goals while adding 33 helpers. Szoboszlai's play this season in the Champions League is one of the main reasons he has caught the attention of some of Europe's bigger clubs with Salzburg looking for a minimum €25M to start discussions on Szoboszlai's departure.

Benfica open to move for LAFC winger

Benfica are being linked with Los Angeles FC winger Brian Rodriguez from North America's Major League Soccer League according to reports coming from Portugal. The 20 year old winger has been on Benfica's radar for a bit of time and the club looks set to make a formal offer to LAFC during the next transfer window. Body Armor's annual 22 under 22 player rankings has Rodriguez as the second best ranked player in this category and reported that Rodriguez has devastating 1 on 1 skills and is elite at chance creations. Rodriguez who is in his second season with LAFC has appeared in 32 games across all competitions for the club, scoring three goals while setting up eight. Rodriguez also made his national team debut with Uruguay in September 2019 and has scored three goals in eight appearances. This display has caught the attention of many of Europe's clubs and Benfica is not alone in their interest of the Uruguayan international.

Benfica linked with Red Star youngster

Benfica are being linked to Red Star Belgrade's 18 year old winger Andrija Radulovic according to site todofichajes. Radulovic has been labelled the "New Shaqiri" in Serbia, a reference to the Swiss International Xherdan Shaqiri. Benfica are not alone in their interest of the U19 Serbian International as Inter Milan and Valencia are two clubs mentioned to be also keeping a close eye on Radulovic. Thanks to the current world pandemic of COVID-19, Radulovic is said to be available by Red Star for a bargain price of around €1.5M, the 18 year has appeared in 8 senior games with Red Star over the past two seasons, scoring on one occasion.

Jorge Jesus asks Vieira for Mineiro right back

Benfica manager Jorge Jesus is looking to add to the right side of his back four and has reached out to President Luis Filipe Vieira to make a move for Atletico Mineiro's Guga when the transfer window re-opens in January. Jesus has not been impressed by the play of summer signing Gilberto who he has been forced into action after the injury suffered to starting right back Andre Almeida. Jesus has also been working with youngster Diogo Goncalves in the role of right back from his usual wing position but the youngster is still a ways from getting a grasp of the new position. Jesus knows Guga from his time at Flamengo and feels that the 22 year old would strengthen a position that the clubs manager feels is one of his weakest. Guga joined Mineiro in January of 2019 and has appeared in 47 games across all competitions, scoring once. Mineiro is said to want €6M to depart with the services of their starting right back.

Benfica goals against has not been seen in 74 years

Benfica for the first time in 74 years have allowed three goals in three consecutive games after suffering two league defeats to Boavista 3-0 and Braga 3-2 and drawing with Rangers in the Europa League 3-3. The last time this happened was in 1946 when Benfica lost three consecutive games to Sporting 3-1, FC Porto 3-2 and Estoril 6-3. Benfica has also conceded 9 league goals after 7 rounds of play, the last time they let this many goals was during the 2001/02 season, when they had conceded 10 goals at the same stage of the season. Benfica finished in fourth spot that season. Benfica manager Jorge Jesus stated at his press conference after the Braga loss that he is not use to such poor results and will need to work with the squad during the international break to turn things around.

Darwin hopes for two year stay at Benfica

Summer signing Darwin Nunez who is off to a great start with his new side Benfica has let it be known through his agent Edgardo Lasalvia that he is enjoying his stay with the club and hopes to remain with the Lisbon side for at least two seasons. Nunez became Benfica's all time record signing when the club acquired the player from Spanish side Almeria for €24M in September and wisely added a €150M buy out clause to the Uruguayan strikers contract.

Nunez's hot start to his Benfica career has already caught the attention of Spanish giants Barcelona and English side Man City, with more clubs surely set to inquire about the 21 year olds availability as the season goes on. Nunez has scored five goals and set up six others in his first ten games with the club across all competitions. Benfica fans can thank Edinson Cavani, another Uruguayan striker who turned down the clubs advances which lead them to turn to Nunez as their secondary option. A move that now looks set to pay the club a huge dividend down the road.

Rui Costa in isolation due to COVID-19

Benfica legend and newly elected club vice president Rui Costa is in isolation due to recent contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19. Costa was not in the stands during today's 3-3 draw between Benfica and Rangers in Europa League action and it was disclosed that Costa took the initiative to quarantine himself after learning that he had been in contact with the positive COVID-19 person. Costa will also not be in the stands when Benfica host Braga this upcoming weekend before the International break.

Brazilian trio still adapting to European football

The newly acquired Brazilian trio this summer are all adapting to the style of game played in Europe from their homeland as the season continues to move forward. Brazilians, Everton, Gabriel and Pedrinho all joined the club during the summer transfer window for a combined €40M and all three have yet to make their mark this season. Benfica manager Jorge Jesus feels that the trio has a lot of talent between them but have yet to reach their potential as they adjust to the more demanding European game which provides less space to work with and more defensive responsibility.
Everton who is a regular for the Brazilian national side is the only one of the trio who has played regular minutes and also the only one to have scored across all competitions while chipping in five helpers. Gilberto has only started to play regularly with the injury to starting right back Andre Almeida, while Pedrinho has played the least minutes of the three and thus far been the least impressive. The Brazilians will continue to work with manager Jesus as they learn his system and what is required in European football as they look to help the club succeed this season.