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In the upcoming ninth round of the Portuguese Primeira Liga, Benfica will face Casa Pia at the Estadio da Luz. The two teams are coming into this match with contrasting recent results.
Benfica's most recent performance was a disappointing loss to Real Sociedad in the Champions League. In a match where the first half ended goalless, Spanish midfielder Brais Mendez scored the sole goal of the game for Sociedad, handing them a 1-0 victory. This loss followed a 2-0 defeat to Salzburg and a 1-0 defeat to Inter Milan in previous Champions League matches.
On the domestic front, Benfica has been in fine form in the Primeira Liga, winning seven consecutive matches since their 3-2 loss to Boavista in the league opener in August. They currently have 21 points from their first eight games and are in second place in the Primeira Liga standings, trailing Sporting Lisbon by just one point. Casa Pia, on the other hand, secured their spot in the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal.
It's a crucial matchup for both teams, as Benfica aims to rebound from their European setback and maintain their strong domestic form, while Casa Pia will be looking to capitalize on their recent success in the cup competition.
Casa Pia, in contrast, returned to the path of victory last Saturday by narrowly defeating Rabo Peixe, a team from the Campeonato de Portugal, with a score of 2-0 in the third round of the Taca de Portugal.
In a game that was mostly one-sided at the Campo Bom Jesus, the Armenian forward Artur Serobyan opened the scoring in the middle of the first half, giving the visiting team the lead. Then, Roberto Pablo secured the outcome with a goal in the 54th minute.
Casa Pia is now focusing on the Primeira Liga, where they have faced difficulties in their last three matches. They started with a goalless draw against Vitoria de Guimaraes on September 23, followed by consecutive losses to Gil Vicente and Estrela Amadora in their subsequent games.
Under the guidance of Filipe Martins, Casa Pia has managed to secure two wins, three draws, and suffered three losses in their eight league matches so far, accumulating nine points and currently occupying the 10th position in the standings. They are level on points with the eighth-placed Gil Vicente.
Casa Pia aims to continue their recent success and achieve back-to-back victories for the first time since July. However, their next challenge is a tough one, as they face Benfica, a team that has won all of their previous three meetings since July 2021.
Benfica will be missing World Cup winner Angel Di Maria, who has been sidelined for the last three matches due to an injury sustained against Inter Milan on October 3. On the other hand, Casa Pia will be without Portuguese forward Kiki Silva, who has been unavailable since March due to a muscle injury. Another Portuguese player, Rafael Brito, is still waiting to make his debut after sustaining a muscle injury in May. Meanwhile, Pablo has made an impressive start since joining the team from Brazilian side Remo in the summer. The 23-year-old has been involved in five goals in nine matches this season and is a player to watch.
The hosts are coming off a disappointing 1-0 loss to Real Sociedad at the same location in the UEFA Champions League. Brais Mendez' 63rd-minute goal turned out to be the deciding factor, resulting in Roger Schmidt's team's third defeat in continental competitions.
The Eagles are now shifting their focus back to their national league, where they secured a 1-0 victory against Estoril three weeks ago in their most recent match.
On the other hand, Casa managed to secure a 2-0 win against CD Rabo Peixe in the Taca de Portugal, with Artur Serobyan and Pablo Roberto finding the net in different halves to help their team advance. In their last league game, they suffered a 1-0 home defeat against Estrela, leaving them in the tenth position in the points table with nine points from eight games. Meanwhile, Benfica sits in second place with 21 points from eight matches, just one point behind the league leaders, Sporting Lisbon.
Benfica emerged victorious in both encounters with Casa last season. In their most recent meeting in February 2023, Benfica won 3-0 at home. Furthermore, Benfica has won their last seven league games, while seven of Casa's last eight matches in various competitions have seen fewer than three goals. Casa's previous four league games have been tied at halftime, and in five of their last six competitive matches, at least one team failed to score.
Benfica has had a forgettable UEFA Champions League campaign and is on the brink of elimination, having lost all three games without scoring. However, their domestic performance has been more positive, with seven consecutive wins following a surprising opening-day defeat, keeping their title defense hopes alive.
The first fixture among the top 4 teams this weekend features Benfica, who will be hosting Casa Pia on Saturday. Following another disappointing loss in the Champions League, they are eager to maintain their winning streak in the league.
Even though they boast arguably the most powerful squad in the league, there appear to be persistent issues within Roger Schmidt's team. Since Gonçalo Ramos departed in the summer, there has been a noticeable decline in their striking options. Despite Petar Musa's commendable efforts, Schmidt has found it necessary to acquire Caspar Tengstedt and Arthur Cabral. Tengstedt did not seize the opportunity in his surprise start in the previous league match against Estoril, while Cabral, after breaking his scoring drought against minnows SC Lusitania in the cup, seemed out of place once again in the Champions League defeat to Real Sociedad.
Casa Pia has yet to secure a point against Benfica since their return to the top tier. There were reports of club captain Vasco Fernandes being excluded from the squad following an altercation with striker Felippe Cardoso, but both the club and manager Felipe Martins have downplayed this claim. Nevertheless, Casa Pia aims to have a strong defensive lineup and continue their impressive defensive performance. They currently share the second-best defense in the league with Sporting and Benfica. This suggests that the upcoming match could be a closely contested encounter, making it essential for Benfica to see their struggling strikers regain their form.
