Headlines News :

15.05. (Wed) 20:45 Benfica - Chelsea

Written By maxtv on Tuesday, 14 May 2013 | 20:45


PROBABLE LINEUPS

BENFICA
Arthur
Pereira, Luisao, Garay, Melgarejo
Matic, Perez
Salvio, Lima, Gaitan
Cardozo

CHELSEA
Cech
Azpilicueta, Cahill, Ivanovic, Cole
Luiz, Ramires
Oscar, Mata, Moses
Torres

Benfica go into the game on the back of a disastrous last-minute defeat to arch rivals Porto which could cost them their domestic title - their first loss since September.

On the injury front, though, manager Jorge Jesus doesn't have any problems to contend with.

Rafa Benitez is set to be without John Terry (ankle) and Eden Hazard (hamstring) for the Europa League final after both picked up injuries in Saturday's 2-1 win over Aston Villa.

Fernando Torres will continue in attack for the Blues as Demba Ba is cup-tied having already turned out in the competition for Newcastle earlier in the season.

Apart from that, Chelsea have a fully fit squad to take to Amsterdam.

DID YOU KNOW?

Wednesday will see Benfica take part in their ninth major European final.

The Portuguese giants are on a run of six straight European final defeats since lifting the European Cup in 1962.

Benfica striker Oscar Cardozo has scored in six of his team's last ten matches against English teams. He is 11/2 with Paddy Power to open the scoring on Wednesday.

The Portuguese outfit go into the final having played exactly twice as many European games as their rivals, 362 to the Blues' 181.

The sides met for the first time last season when Roberto Di Matteo's Chelsea won 1-0 in Lisbon and 2-1 at home to eliminate Jorge Jesus' men in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

The Blues are aiming to become the first team to win Uefa's top-two club competitions in reverse order in successive campaigns.

Chelsea could also become only the fourth team to lift all three of Uefa's major club trophies, after Juventus, Ajax and Bayern Munich.

Prediction
Jorge Jesus' side are a mixed bag. At times they are capable of producing some exhilarating passing football at an intensity which carves teams open at will. Whereas, on other occasions, such as over the two-legged quarter-final tie against Newcastle, they can look laboured and uninspired for long periods.

Chelsea have an embarrassment of creative talent and, if afforded time and space, the likes of Juan Mata and Oscar can pick apart even the tightest of defences. A lot could depend on which Fernando Torres turns up, if the Spaniard has his shooting boots on, it's hard to look past the Blues.

Editor's Prediction
Benfica 1-3 Chelsea

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