Benfica gear up to take control of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Marseille at the Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on Thursday. The Eagles aim to secure a lead before heading to the Stade Velodrome next week for the second leg. The winner will face either Liverpool or Atalanta in the semi-finals next month.
Benfica boss Roger Schmidt faces a slight selection headache in defense. Despite receiving a red card against Sporting last week, Fredrik Aursnes is expected to start alongside Nicolas Otamendi, Antonio Silva, and Alexander Bah. He’ll serve his suspension in the domestic league this weekend.
Up front, all eyes will be on former Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria, who has been on fire in Europe with three goals in four appearances. He’ll likely partner with the highly-rated 19-year-old sensation Joao Neves in midfield. Neves has been linked with a summer move away from the Portuguese league, but for now, he’ll be crucial in Benfica’s engine room alongside Florentino Luis.
Marseille travel to Lisbon with a significant injury list that includes Michael Murillo, Bilal Nadir, Valentin Rongier, and Pedro Ruiz. Centre-back Chancel Mbemba is also a doubt but could potentially recover in time for the clash.
Leading the charge for the French side will be former Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The striker has been unstoppable in the Europa League, bagging an impressive nine goals in nine appearances. Marseille’s defense will likely rely on the partnership of former Borussia Dortmund prospect Leonardo Balerdi and French defender Samuel Gigot.
Predicted Lineups:
Benfica :Trubin; Bah, A. Silva, Otamendi, Aursnes; Neves, Luis; R. Silva; Neres, Cabral, Di Maria
Marseille : Lopez; Mbemba, Gigot, Balerdi, Merlin; Kondogbia, Veretout, Harit; Ndiaye, Moumbagna, Aubameyang
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