Benfica-Tolosa is a match valid for the first leg of the play-offs for access to the round of 16 of the Europa League and is played on Thursday at 9 p.m.: TV, probable formations, predictions.
One of the biggest (negative) surprises of the Champions League group stage that went into the archives last December was the elimination of Benfica. After making it to the quarters two years in a row, the Encarnados missed qualifying for the knockout stage, relegating to the Europa League.
From the stars to the stables, then: Roger Schmidt’s men risked being left out of everything, and had it not been for victory achieved on the last day against Austrian Salzburg (1-3), Joao Mario and his teammates would be devoting themselves exclusively to the league and national cups by now. Benfica, in fact, was stuck with zero points after the first four rounds: decisive were the pyrotechnic draw with an Inter side already certain of qualification (3-3) and the aforementioned success at the Red Bull Arena, which were crucial to regain third place in extremis. In the Liga de Portugal, on the other hand, the red and white, since last Sunday, have to share first place with rivals Sporting.
In the away match in Vitoria, Schmidt’s team took a big risk and if they were able to return home with at least a point in their pocket (2-2) they have Di Maria and Cabral, two old acquaintances of Serie A, to thank for it: the Argentine ex-Juventus player in the 90′ set up the assist for the Brazilian center forward seen at work in the last two seasons at Fiorentina, who seems to have definitively unlocked himself (4 goals in the last 4 matches).
Tolosa, Europe to try to turn over a new leaf
In the play-offs for access to the round of 16, Benfica will face Toulouse, which finished second in the group won by Liverpool and in which the Occitans scored 11 points (one less than the Reds).
In Ligue 1, however, things are looking bad: the White and Violets are struggling, are fully involved in the fight not to be relegated, and have only one point ahead of the third-last. The team coached by Spaniard Pol Garcia on Sunday was defeated again in front of its own public – for the third time in a row – surrendering 2-1 to Nantes. Genreau and Aboukhlal will be absent in Lisbon, while in Benfica it will almost certainly be Cabral who will start Schmidt is expected to field the typical lineup against the transalpines.
The Prediction
Benfica now gives the impression that it has overcome the problems it had in the first part of the season.Toulouse is one of the best opponents that could happen to the Lusitanians, and on the night at da Luz a convincing victory should come. We expect at least three goals overall.
Benfica-Tolosa’s likely lineups
BENFICA (4-3-3): Trubin; Bah, Antonio Silva, Otamendi, Aursnes; Joao Neves, Kokcu, Joao Mario; Di Maria, Cabral, Rafa Silva.
TOULOUSE (4-3-3): Restes; Mawissa Elebi, Costa, Nicolaisen, Diarra; Sierro, Spierings, Casseres; Donnum, Dallinga, Babicka.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 3-1
