2022-23 UEFA Champions League knockout stage team preview: Benfica
IN BRIEF
Manager: Roger Schmidt
Group stage performance: 1st (WWDDWW - vs Juventus, Maccabi Haifa, Paris Saint-Germain)
UEFA Champions Leagues/European Cups: 2 (1960/61, 1961/62)
Last season’s performance: Quarter-finals
SO FAR…
It has been on a nigh-on perfect campaign by Benfica so far this season. The Lisbon club appointed PSV Eindhoven boss Roger Schmidt in the summer and, alongside some impressive and smart recruitment, they have romped through the campaign.
They began the season with impressive UEFA Champions League qualifying performances and results against Midtjylland and Dynamo Kyiv before winning their group, which including Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus. The Eagles pulled off the double against Juve and shared two 1-1 draws with PSG. They managed to win the group on the final match day on goal difference after hammering Maccabi Haifa by six goals to one with five of their six goals coming in the final half an hour of the match.
They have underperformed in the Primeira Liga in recent seasons with some poor decision-making, both on and off the pitch, finishing third last season. The sale of Darwin Nunez for nearly £80 million in the summer was a sign that the club were getting back to a slicker way of operating in the transfer window. That has been replicated in the recent January transfer window, too with the £105.9 million sale of Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea a few days ago, just a couple of months after spending less than 20 million euros on the Argentine midfielder.
WHAT ARE BENFICA’S CHANCES IN THE KNOCKOUT STAGE?
Whilst Fernandez will likely prove to be a huge loss in the Primeira Liga league leaders’ side, they maintain an impressive squad that has a surprising depth to it which should be set up for a run in the UEFA Champions League.
With Goncalo Ramos up-front, who scored a hat-trick for Portugal in the knockout stages of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and a band of attackers in behind, such as Joao Mario, David Neres and Rafa Silva, Benfica are one of the more entertaining sides to watch in European football. They have scored 82 goals in 35 goals so far this season in all competitions.
They have benefitted from a kind draw in the Last 16, too, coming up against probably the weakest side left in the competition, Club Brugge. They reached the last eight last season and did threaten Liverpool but this time around, they are a much improved side and will be eyeing up the final four at least.
ODDS TO WIN THE 2022-23 UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: 28/1
Odds used are the best at Oddschecker at the time of writing
