![]() ![]() He hobbled off in the last ten minutes to a prolonged ovation that seemed to say 'thanks, and good luck'. It reminded prospective purchasers that the Argentinian is not only a cultured defender, but a skilled menace in the opposition penalty box. Garay headed the second goal which sealed Benfica's 2-0 win and sent the Luz wild. Man-of-the-match Matic was almost matched by defender Ezequiel Garay, another heavily linked with a move to the Premier League, and specifically Manchester United. Matic's dependability is just what Chelsea need. He did it so well that it's now "difficult to imagine this team without him," as respected website Mais Futebol put it. He was handed an unenviable task at the beginning of last season, left to prop up a Benfica midfield decimated by the exits of Javi Garcia to Manchester City and Axel Witsel to Zenit St Petersburg. The Serbian was immense, showing exactly how far he's come since being used as a makeweight in the deal that took David Luiz to Stamford Bridge in January 2011. One crunching second-half foul which welcomed Ricardo Quaresma back to the Portuguese Liga brought a yellow card, and exemplified his commitment. ![]() He battled for every ball, stretched every sinew and - showing exactly why he has become such a hot property on the market - demonstrated his skill in bringing the ball into the opposition half as Benfica went for the jugular. It was something that coach Jorge Jesus flatly denied following the match, but either way, there was no question of Matic sparing his effort here. Portuguese daily O Jogo had even suggested the Benfica midfielder had threatened to pull out of the game in order to avoid possible injury ahead of an imminent return to Chelsea. These sales are a fact of life in Portugal, and the exit of both these giants from the Champions League before Christmas has quickened the need to cash in.įoremost among these was Nemanja Matic. If Benfica's victory will impact on the title race, the match was a showcase for some of the top players who could well be plying their trade in a different nation come the end of the month. Benfica did him proud.Īfter a week of nostalgia in Portugal, this was about the here and now. Just as he never lost that lilt of wonder in his voice when he relived his triumphs of the 1960s, he never got over that all-consuming desire to win either, as a spectator just like he had as a player. Benfica and Porto are never far from each other's thoughts, and there is no option but to take the bull by the horns in these encounters which can define seasons.Įusebio knew this. Yet when the whistle went for kick-off, it was business as usual in O Classico. As soon as you passed the ticket barriers at Colegio Militar metro station, the mood of the day was apparent, with middle-aged women selling clutches of black "Eusebio Sempre" (Eusebio Forever) scarves, replete with an image of The King in their centres.Ī magnificent tifosi tribute and a video tribute preceded Sunday's game with Porto, and we were again reminded of Eusebio's universal appeal as a few imbeciles among the away support who sought to interrupt the minute's silence were shouted down by fellow fans. ![]()
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