Tonight SL Benfica receives the team of Olympique de Marseille. The French team returns to Portugal to play against the reds twenty years after a polemic game.
The team of O. Marseille comes to Luz, to dispute the first hand of the UEFA Europa League 1/8, after eliminating the Danish team of F.C. Copenhagen and after making a good work in the Champions League, although they didn’t go on through that competition. The team orientated by Didier Deschamps wants to make a different result from the one obtained twenty years ago in Lisbon. There was a full stadium to receive the semi-final of the European Champions Cup in 1990. Marseille had a good team but the eyes of the European were in the red players like for instance Silvino, Veloso, Aldaír, V. Paneira, Valdo and the Swedish player Matts Magnusson. But in that night one Angolan footballer would become the hero, his name Vata. He had entered the game to substitute Jonas Thern and near the end of the game, when there was less than 10’ to end it, Vata sent the ball with a touch of his hand into the French nets, the referee did not see the Vata’s fault and considered the goal valid. The public was so euphoric that was created the perfect ambient in Luz to Benfica go on into the final. The results against O. Marseille were 1-0 and 1-2. That final would be later lost in Vien against the AC Milan of Frank Rijkaard, Gullit and Van Basten.
SL Benfica players are focused on winning the Portuguese League but everyone wants to play this games and most important honouring the Club. Olympique de Marseille comes to Lisbon with very good players like Brandão, Ben Arfa, Niang, Lucho Gonzalez, and Valbuena. Both teams must be concentrated and conscientious that a goal can make the difference. To the Press:
To the Press:
Jorge Jesus
The Portuguese coach said that he wanted a victory. Responding also to a reporter said that a perfect result would be victory of 5-0. In fact, J. Jesus recognised that the French are a very dangerous team and the prove of that is the good performance they had in the Champions League, where they faced teams like Real Madrid and AC Milan.
Didier Deschamps
The French coach considered that Benfica is playing very well and that playing at home are a team that scores easily but that Marseille wants to get a good result.
Referee: Félix Brych (Germany)
Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Goalkeepers: Júlio César and Moreira;
Defenders: Maxi Pereira, Miguel Vítor, Luisão; David Luiz and César Peixoto;
Midfielders: Airton, Javi Garcia, Ramires, Ruben Amorim, Carlos Martins, Fábio Coentrão, Pablo Aimar and Di María;
Forwards: Saviola, Óscar Cardozo, Nuno Gomes, Éder Luís and Alan Kardec;
Coach: Jorge Jesus.
Olympique de Marseille
Goalkeepers: Mandanda and Andrade; Defenders: Bonnart, Diawara, Hilton, Mbow and Taiwo; Midfielders: Cissé, Mbia, Be.Cheyrou, Lucho Gonzalez, Abriel, Kaboré, Ben Arfa, Valbuena and N´Doumbou;
Forwards: Koné, Niang, Morientes and Brandão;
Coach: Didier Deschamps.
