Benfica run of poor play proves costly in Inter loss

Benfica's run of poor performances proves to be costly in their loss today to Inter Milan. The Portuguese side has been struggling since the end of the International break and their lack of form was evident on the pitch against the Italian giants today in Champions League play. Despite coming into the game as favourites, Benfica failed to produce the free flowing attack that fans have become accustomed to seeing this season.

The two clubs played a scoreless first half before Inter struck twice in the second half, with the second marker coming of a harsh penalty call that saw the ball deflect off Joao Mario's head onto his out of position arm inside the box.

Benfica's struggles to break down a stingy Inter defense was no more apparent then down the right side of the field where Gilberto, playing in place of an injured Alexander Bah and Joao Mario failed to click time and time again before the introduction of David Neres changed that.

With just one win in their last three competitive games, which include two straight losses at home, Benfica must find a way to turn things around quickly if they hope to progress further in Europe's elite competition.

The pressure will be on Benfica manager Roger Schmidt who will need to find his best XI for a must win second leg at the San Siro next week and shake off his apparent lack of confidence with his bench options when things are not working to plan.

Benfica need to move past FC Porto loss

Benfica, who are one of the most successful football clubs in Portugal, suffered a humbling 2-1 loss to their arch-rivals FC Porto in their latest league match at the Estadio da Luz, reigniting Porto's title hopes tol capture the league crown with seven games remaining and trailing the Eagles by seven points. 

This defeat has left many Benfica fans, myself included, disappointed and frustrated, but it is important for the team to move past this loss and focus on their upcoming Champions League quarter-final match against Inter Milan coming up mid-week at the Luz.  

The club will need to analyze their mistakes from the FC Porto match and work on improving their performance in upcoming future games. 

It will be crucial for Benfica to maintain a positive attitude and not let this loss affect their morale as one thing is certain from the outcome of this encounter and it is that manager Roger Schmidt does not have confidence in his current bench making only two substitutions with the club looking to equalize last night, the return of injured Goncalo Guedes and Julian Draxler can not come soon enough.

Benfica manger Roger Schmidt looks to lead club past Porto in Classico

Benfica Manager Roger Schmidt is gearing up for the highly anticipated Classico match against FC Porto this Friday. The two teams have a long-standing rivalry, and this match will be crucial in determining who will come out on top in the Portuguese Primeira Liga with a Benfica win almost cementing the league crown as the season winds down.

Schmidt has been working tirelessly with his team to ensure they are fully prepared for this important fixture. He knows that FC Porto is a formidable opponent, but he is confident that his team has what it takes to secure the win. A victory by Benfica would also place Schmidt in rare company as it would be a season sweep of the Dragons which has only happened twice in the last forty-six years.

Benfica currently sit ten points ahead of second place FC Porto with eight league games to go as they look to capture there first league title since the 2018/19 season.