English giants Chelsea will greet Portuguese team Benfica to Stamford Bridge and will be hopeful to register their place in the semi-final of the Champions League. In the first leg, Benfica were lackluster and they allowed a critical away goal as they lost 0-1 against the Blues.
Chelsea are more than capable of upsetting Benfica away from home, therefore they are now certainly the heavy favorites to progress although Benfica cannot be ruled out. A lot will be expected of Chelsea and this promises to be a cracker of a match, as they are the only English side left in the competition.
As Chelsea outfit is alive and kicking on three fronts, Roberto Di Matteo is slowly proving all his detractors wrong. While, the Champions League is the tournament that owner Roman Abramovich has been after for a long time and Di Matteo’s case for a permanent managerial responsibility will become stronger if he guides them to the final four, fourth place in the league is still achievable if outcomes go their way.
Didier Drogba has sustained a toe injury and he is doubtful for Chelsea’s Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Benfica. On Saturday, the 34-year-old failed to make the bench against Aston Villa due to the problem, while the club have substantiated they are reviewing the striker’s condition ahead of match against the Portuguese side at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. Chelsea defender David Luiz is doubtful because of an ankle ligament injury. In the 4-2 win over Aston Villa, the former Eagles man hobbled off before half time and interim head coach Roberto Di Matteo confirmed the problem.
Benfica will need to carry that form into the game at Stamford Bridge and got back to winning ways in the league by downing Braga. Chelsea’s task will be made even harder, as they are a defensively sound team and since it is imperative for Benfica to score. Benfica are to get anything out of this game, therefore Manchester United target Nicolas Gaitan will need to up his game. Striker Oscar Cardozo, after a disappointing showing in the first leg will also need to offer more upfront. He has scored a whopping 26 goals in 35 appearances this term.
Last time around, Benfica’s frontline in general was disappointing against Chelsea. They will need to improve that aspect, given the importance of this game. They, however, while going forward as Chelsea are more than capable of launching counter attacks, especially with the likes of Ramires and Torres, they will need to be careful about not leaving too much space at the back.
After leaving the Estadio da Luz with a 1-0 victory last week, the Blues in the driving seat. However, Salomon Kalou insists that when Chelsea meets in the second leg of their Champions League quarterfinal, they should fear themselves more than Benfica.
On April 18, a semi-final against Barcelona or Inter Milan awaits, if they manage to dispose of Benfica, but Kalou is wary of complacency. The UEFA Champions League has seen a lot of excitement recently. The best betting odds for Chelsea are (4/6) vs. Benfica (5).
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