Benfica open the 2020 season in Week 15 with an away game to take on Guimaraes in Portuguese League action. Benfica will be looking to send Guimaraes a message of the Northern Portugal club topped their Taca da Liga group moving onto the semi-finals of the tournament. Benfica will play Guimaraes at 8:30pm WEST.
They will dress 18 players from the list below.
Keepers- Vlachodimos, Ivan Zlobin
Defenders- Tomas Tavares, Jardel, Alex Grimaldo, Ruben Dias, Ferro, Andre Almeida,
Midfielders- Chiquinho, Pizzi, Gabriel, Franco Cervi, Samaris, Caio Lucas, Gedson Fernandes, Florentino, Taarabt
Forwards- Carlos Vinicius, Seferovic, Raul de Tomas
Benfica have made it official announcing the signing of German defensive midfielder Julian Weigl. Benfica have acquired the 24 year old from Borussia Dortmund for €20M and signed him until the end of the 2023/24 season. Weigl will also have a buy out clause of €100M for any future clubs that may be interested in his services. Benfica fans should enjoy Weigl's passing ability and his eye catching style of play. Weigl has enjoyed the eye of some of Europe's bigger clubs over the past couple of seasons with Barcelona, Manchester City and PSG all enamoured by his style of play. Benfica paid a hefty price making Weigl their second highest purchase ever matching Raul De Tomas' price tag from this summer.
The decade is over and what a decade it was for Benfica as the club returned to its glory days as the second half of the decade came around. Benfica finished the decade winning 6 League titles from 2010-2019 the highest by any club in Portugal, Benfica also added 6 Taca da Liga crowns, 4 Portuguese Super Cup titles and 2 Taca de Portugal crowns for a total of 18 trophies during the decade. The club also appeared in two Europa League Finals although they lost in both cases the club would like to snap its 50+ year drought without a UEFA trophy. The decade was also a money maker for the club as it came out on top of Europe with €953M in player sales since 2010 and Joao Felix's summer 2019 sale of €126M accounting for 13% of this total alone.
I now take a look at the best starting XI for Benfica this decade:
Keeper: Ederson (2015-2017)
Back up: Jan Oblak (2014-2017)
Right Back: Maxi Pereira (2010-2015)
Back Up: Nelson Semedo (2015-2017)
Center Backs: Luisao (2010-2018), Ezequiel Garay (2011-2014)
Back Ups: Ruben Dias (2017-2019), Jardel (2011-2019)
Left Back: Alex Grimaldo (2016-2019)
Back Up: Eliseu (2014-2018)
Midfielders: Pizzi (2014-2019), Nico Gaitan (2010-2016), Nemanja Matic (2011-2014), Eduardo Salvio (2012-2019)
Back Ups: Pablo Aimar (2010-2013), Enzo Perez (2011-2015), Renato Sanches (2015-2016), Rafa Silva (2016-2019)
Forwards: Jonas (2014-2019), Oscar Cardozo (2010-2014)
Back Ups: Konstantinos Mitroglou (2015-2017), Lima (2012-2015)
There you have my Benfica Team of the Decade and boy what a decade it has become here is to the next decade being even better.
