Prediction: Chelsea vs Benfica

3rd April 2012

Chelsea are in front after the lucky win in the first leg, but that doesn’t mean the Blues are in for an easy job in the return leg. Having showed a lot of promise in the first leg at La Luz, Benfica players believe they can produce an upset and Stamford Bridge and everything suggests there will be a lot of fire in this clash.

Boasting little coaching experience and replacing Andre Villas-Boas midway through the season, Roberto Di Matteo was hardly seen as a saviour by Chelsea fans. But, those who doubted the Italian manager were soon made to eat their words as the Blues undergone a major resurgence during his reign. A team that appeared to be heading towards a very disappointing season is now back in contention for a top 4 finish in the Premiership, they are set to meet Tottenham in the FA Cup semis and are on the verge of qualifying for the Champions League semi-finals. Do you think the situation would be the same if Andre Villas-Boas hadn’t been sacked? I don’t think so. Chelsea proved a lot of character by recording a hard-fought win at La Luz, seeing they had been completely outclassed by Benfica, but after their good run continued with a 4-2 victory at Villa Park, the Blues can be forgiven for feeling optimistic about their chances of reaching the next stage. Roberto Di Matteo faces small selection problems with Branislav Ivanovic, David Luiz and Didier Drogba all doubtful through injury, but Fernando Torres look set to continue in attack after contributing with a goal and an assist against Villa.

Benfica missed a great opportunity to gain the upper hand of the tie after missing a number of goalscoring chances in the first leg and after the Eagles were punished for their profligacy in front of goal, they arrive to Stamford Bridge looking to overturn a one-goal deficit. That may be a difficult task but is certainly not impossible, and the Eagles have proved on numerous occasions this season that they can match even the best sides in Europe. With the likes of Cardozo, Aimar, Gaitan and Bruno Cesar up front, Benfica certainly look like they can score at Stamford Bridge, especially seeing that their opponents have some defensive worries, but the Eagles have problems of their own at the back, as centre-backs Ezequiel Garay, Jardel and Miguel Vitor are all sidelined through injury. This basically means that full-back Emerson will form a defensive partnership with Luisao, whereas Joan Capdevila is expected to start at left-back.

Conclusion

Chelsea are on top of their game at the moment and they have got to be favourites to go through. Benfica have no choice but to attack their opponents, which should guarantee us an open encounter at Stamford Bridge and with both sides missing some important defenders, we could see goals galore in London.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals

Best Odds: 19/20

Bookmaker: BetVictor