Porto vs Benfica as it happened

BENFICA VS PORTO


One's to watch...


Benfica...                                                        Porto...
TALISCA                                                          MARTINEZ

10 goals in 12 games.

8 goals in 12 games.

KICK OFF

The game started very slowly and it took quite a while for the game to get started but when the flood gates opened half an hour into the game when Jackson Martinez finally got away from Luisao for the first time but it was saved by Julio Casear, and just four minutes later Porto were made to rue their missed chances as a long throw caused havoc for Porto and some poor defending let Lima slip in behind the defence and hit it in with his stomach! A very important goal for the Brazilian as it was his first since september.

HALF TIME 0:1

Early on in the second half challenges are flying in on Talisca but he breaks free and has a shot which is saved by the keeper but only for Lima to tap home the rebound, Lopetegui brings on Quintero to try and turn things around. Quarsema caused the Benfica defence some troubles but not enough. Ten minutes from time Martinez hit's the bar from 3 yards out as his header smacks the crossbar another great cross from Quaresma. Talisca didn't cause many problems in the second half and get's substituted for Ola John.

FULL TIME 0:2

Weekend Three DEC 13-14

Welcome to weekend three where I will be talking through and predicting the scoreline's of three of this weekends games. This week I will be reviewing Manchester United vs Liverpool, Arsenal vs Newcastle and finally Crystal Palace vs Stoke.

MANCHESTER UNITED VS LIVERPOOL

Firstly to Old Trafford as the travelling Liverpool need to bounce back quick from their knock out of the Champions League but it's not going to be easy against an in form United side who seem to have finally found form and fluidity under Louis Van Gaal. Last time these sides met Liverpool ran away 0-3 winners, but this time I think it will be a completely different story unfortunately for Liverpool fans.

I think United will start quick really going at Liverpool in the first twenty minutes and getting the fans behind them.  A positive for Liverpool is that the Red Devils haven't looked hard to score against this season but I can't see them taking a massive advantage of this weakness.

I feel we will see a game that only has one goal in it to split the two sides, this is a perfect time for Brendan Rodgers to try and implement the fast flowing football we were so use to seeing last season and not anymore lacklustre performances of we have seen recently.

A close match, but at this moment in time I can't see Liverpool getting the victory. Im going for a 2-1 Manchester United win.

ARSENAL VS NEWCASTLE

Now on to the Arsenal game as they welcome a Newcastle side that is oozing confidence.

This game could go two ways in my opinion a game where Newcastle dominate through midfield being led by Moussa Sissokho where the Magpies midfield dominate and bully Arsenal or a very dull game for the mutual fan where there's only one goal in it like when Arsenal took on Southampton and the game was only decided by a late Alexis Sanchez goal.

I don't think Arsenal will be as awful as they were last weekend against Stoke and they can't be but I don't think Arsene Wengers side will give much for Gooners to shout about.

Newcastle will go into the fixture with high hopes and start very positively but over time try to break Arsenal down and get ahead late on in the first half or early on in the second. Like the United vs Liverpool game I can only see a goal to split them.

Im going to say it will be a 1-0 win for Arsenal but not an overly convincing performance.



CRYSTAL PALACE VS STOKE 

Two sides who haven't been performing that well recently and this weekend they go head to head, I can see it being a very physically tough game. The main thing I'm looking forward to is all the inform attacking threat we will be seeing in the game with the likes of Bojan, Diouf, Bolasie and Zaha.

I can see it being a high scoring game, and maybe Stoke just pulling through. Like I said a very physical battle in midfield with Jedinak lining up against N'Zonzi who are both powerhouses for their sides.

Overall I'm going to say Palace will lose out to the Potters by a scoreline of 1-3.

Champions League Dropout and Rodgers Debate

Following Liverpool’s failure to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League I review what went wrong and comment on the current ongoing debate of wether Brendan Rodgers is the right man to lead Liverpool forward right now. 

The most important match of the season, to revitalise Liverpool’s season and to possibly revitalise and maybe even save Brendan Rodgers Anfield career, and for me  Brendan failed the fans yet again by continuously starting Glen Johnson and a Jose Enrique who has no where near been on the form of Alberto Moreno who looked a much more vibrant and exciting player than Enrique. Also to bring Moreno on anyway at half time seemed to be a waste of a substitution, why not start Moreno in the first place? Also there is something wrong with the playing style of the squad all together as it saddens me to think we could play the sought of football we played in the last 10-15 minutes for 80 or so last season,without even putting that many men forward and yes of course no one can replace Suarez straight away and the missing Daniel Sturridge leaves a big hole in the squad and if the Englishman was playing last night maybe we would be into the next round but still maybe sticking with the philosophy of last season maybe could’ve saved Liverpool last night. Also not putting a backup striker anywhere in the squad was very naive and foolish from Rodgers.

I will certainly not forget last seasons success with Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool Football Club have a history of sticking with their mangers but when the manger is making obvious tactical mistakes week in week out should Brendan’s job be safe? 

One of the most frustrating things this season has to be that not only has Rodgers overspent with some summer signings but he doesn’t back these players that he has spent hefty prices on like Emre Can for example who has looked fairly good in games he has played this season but that he hasn’t started for a while now really puzzles me and how the £20 million Lazar Markovic did not even get a look in the team for the past five matches, with no injury problems on the player. 

Brendan Rodgers has been one of my favourite Liverpool mangers of recent time but I will not be blinded by my personal opinions of the manger and these problems that I have mentioned need to be solved sooner rather than later.