Benfica and Sporting de Braga enter the Champions League football field this Wednesday, with the ‘eagles’ trying to ‘take advantage’ of the possibility of continuing to fight for the Europa League and the ‘arsenalists’ with greater ambitions.
At the Estádio da Luz, Benfica, already eliminated from the ‘Champions’, tries, against Inter Milan, to stay alive to fight for third place in Group D and when it is fourth and last, without points, and behind Salzburg.
The Austrians, who visit Real Sociedad on this day, are also already eliminated in the ‘Champions’, but have an advantage over Benfica in the fight for the Europa League, with more points, the 2-0 victory at Luz and the difference between goals scored and suffered.
Benfica can only continue dreaming of third place in the group – which will enter the play-off to access the ’round of 16′ of the Europa League – if it does not add fewer points at home to Inter Milan than those achieved by the Salzburg in the home of the Royal Society of origin.
A scenario that would leave the accounts open for the last day, when Benfica visits the Austrians, on December 12.
In Braga, the context for the ‘Arsenalists’ is different and when today they only need to win at home against Unión Berlin to ensure continuity in Europe, guaranteeing the ‘minimum’ objectives of a third place in Group C.
Artur Jorge’s men start as favorites in the duel and, even with a draw, they can remain in the race for the ’round of 16′ of the ‘Champions’, if Naples, the Italian champion, falls to the already qualified Real Madrid.
The group is led by the ‘merengues’ (12 points), followed by Napoli, with seven – and who Braga faces on the last day -, Sporting de Braga, with three, and Unión Berlin, with one.
The Benfica and Sporting de Braga matches begin this Wednesday, at 8 p.m., with the Latvian Andris Treimanis refereed at the Estádio da Luz and the Frenchman Clément Turpin at the Minho.
On Tuesday, FC Porto lost 2-1 against FC Barcelona and, in the last round, they will decide with Shakhtar Donetsk which of the two teams will accompany the culés until the round of 16.
Source: TSF
