music avenged sevenfold
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EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: BENFICA V CHELSEA
TACTICAL BRIEF
How might Chelsea's last tilt at a trophy this season be a successful one? We have the crucial insights.
Key battles
Some observers rate this Benfica side more highly than the team we beat home and away in last season's Champions League. Once again David Luiz, Ramires and Nemanja Matic are playing against their previous clubs.
Former Blue Matic has become the crucial cog in the Benfica machine, rated among the best midfielders in Portugal. He is the deeper-lying of the Eagles' middle three, and his main task will be to close down his former club's attacking midfielders, especially king of the assist and near namesake Juan Mata.
The Serb can deliver incisive passes himself from deep. Chelsea will ensure that he is closed down quickly and his avenues closed.
Enzo Perez is generally given more licence to roam but still presses hard, just higher up the field; Carlos Martins is a grittier alternative. Attacking midfielder Nico Gaitan, who departed the field at Porto injured, can be the Portuguese side's main advanced playmaker.
Wingers Eduardo Salvio and Lima are also in fine form. Jorge Jesus likes his team to play the ball from the back, with heavy reliance on the flankers to take the game to opponents, allowing others to join the attack. Once in the final third their swift and well-rehearsed interplay regularly produces chances.
Again, hard-working sides can close those wide channels, after which Benfica sometimes resort to longer balls forward that bypass the middle.
One target is regular centre forward Oscar Cardozo, who can be an enigmatic presence, capable of brilliance or anonymity in the manner of Dimitar Berbatov.
Elusive fellow forward Pablo Aimar (pictured below) is still a fans' favourite but he may live to regret his suggestion in an interview that this is the 'weakest Chelsea team there has been' in the 10 years since Roman Abramovich arrived.
Cardozo and Lima are especially dangerous in the box and standing off attackers has proved a costly habit for Chelsea recently. Cardozo has notched 32 goals in UEFA competitions and is clever with his aerial distribution, often looking to Aimar.
One offensive weapon the Portuguese will be without is the long-throw of Maxi Pereira, who is suspended.
Although they have conceded fewer goals in the Europa League than the Londoners, Benfica do have weaknesses at the back, even with Pereira, especially wide.
Their lack of pace can be exposed. The Eagles have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last five Europa League matches (however with Rafael Benitez's side it is more: seven).
Luisao is the key organiser and leader in the heart of their defence but is not fast nor especially strong.
He could be troubled by the kind of delivery of which Juan Mata and Oscar in particular are capable. Equally, Chelsea's top scorer in this tournament Fernando Torres - our only available striker as Demba Ba is ineligible - may not be Luisao's physical master but his hassling and ingenuity may well prove fruitful.
The loss of Eden Hazard to injury is a blow but his possible replacement Victor Moses has delivered brilliantly in this competition, scoring in his last four successive matches. Similarly Oscar's last few weeks have been the most prolific of his first season with the Pensioners. The Brazilian was rested at Villa Park.
The Portuguese will also be concerned by the prowling threat of Frank Lampard, so often a history-maker for the Blues. The club's new record goalscorer, who skippered his side to European glory this time last year, brings with him unique experience and mental strength.
For the Blues to prevail will take a performance of high intensity, focus and pace, which Benfica are well capable of producing themselves. Chelsea must banish the recent inefficiency in front of goal as, like so many finals, this may be a game decided by one momentary lapse or spark of inspiration.
Let us hope, in the birthplace of a famous lager, this match refreshes the Chelsea parts other finals this season couldn't reach.
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