Porto vs Benfica
Competition: Primeira Liga
Competition: Primeira Liga
Date: 1 December 2017
Kick-off Time: 20:30 GMT
Venue: Estadio Do Dragao, Porto
Kick-off Time: 20:30 GMT
Venue: Estadio Do Dragao, Porto
FC Porto was behind their big rival from
Lisbon, so the team's only goal this season was to end this four-year rule
of Benfica in the Primeira Liga. Currently, everything is
going well for the team, since they, after 12 rounds played, are holding the 1st place on the table, while, with a victory in this great derby, they will
have six points more than the current champions.
However, Sporting is in the race for the very top, and they have only two
points less than FC Porto, after the championship leader last weekend only
played a draw 1-1 against Deportivo Aves. Previously, coach Conceicao’s players, have
with the same result played away against Besiktas in the UEFA Champions
League, so now, Porto needs any kind of victory in the last round when they
are welcoming the already written off Monaco.The only absence for Benfica in this game is the suspended striker, Corona.
On the contrary, Benfica's players have long lost all
hope for placement in the round of sixteen of the UEFA Champions League, so
it is no surprise that they were recently defeated by CSKA
Moscow away with 2-0. Benfica, the current Portuguese champions, have experienced
the same fate in the previous four rounds, which means that they no
longer have any chance to win placement in the UEFA Europa league as the third
ranked team, because they have 09 points less than Basel and CSKA
Moscow before this last round.
However, after the fifth consecutive defeat in
the Champions League, coach Rui Vitorie's players, made a convincing
home win of 6-0 over Setubal, so they are now in a better mood
awaiting the match with the leader Porto. But, because of these
three points less, it would not be a good thing for Benfica to lose at
Dragao Stadium. The injured players are: goalkeeper, Julio Cesar, and center-back, Dias.
