Vizela welcomes Benfica to Estadio do Vizela for a Taca de Portugal quarter-final match on Thursday night.
Vizela seeks payback after losing to Benfica in the fourth round of this tournament in 2019.
Match preview
Vizela is having a tough time, sitting at the bottom of the Primeira Liga after four straight losses, including a recent 1-0 defeat against Vitoria de Guimaraes.
Ruben de la Barrera took over as manager in December following Pablo Villar’s departure, yet he hasn’t managed to secure a league win with Vizela since his start.
The team has only won once in their last 10 matches across all competitions, which was a 1-0 win against Arouca in the Taca de Portugal’s round of 16.
They’ve made it this far in the tournament without needing extra time, netting four goals and letting in just one across three matches.
Facing Benfica next, they’re up against a team they’ve never beaten, with six losses and one draw in seven meetings, including their previous encounter in this competition.
Benfica has been victorious in almost all of their last 11 games in all competitions, except for a penalty shootout loss to Estoril in the League Cup after a 1-1 tie in regular play.
Their latest game saw them winning 3-0 against Gil Vincente with goals from Arthur Cabral, Joao Neves, and Rafa Silva.
As the current Primeira Liga champions, Roger Schmidt’s squad hasn’t faced defeat in the league since the season started in August and currently leads the table, slightly ahead of Sporting Lisbon.
Now, Benfica shifts focus to the Taca de Portugal, aiming to add to their record 26 wins in the tournament’s 86-year history. Their last triumph was in 2017, and they haven’t made it to the final since 2021, when they were defeated by Braga.
Their journey to the round of 16 this year includes wins over Lusitania, Famalicao, and Braga in the previous rounds.
Vizela Taca de Portugal form: W W W
Vizela form (all competitions): D W L L L L
Benfica Taca de Portugal form: W W W
Benfica form (all competitions): W W W L W W
Team News
Vizela will be without Pedro Ortiz, who’s been out since December due to an injury sustained against Moreirense.
Samuel Essende is doubtful for the upcoming game after leaving the match against Arouca with an injury.
On Benfica’s side, Juan Bernat has been out with a muscle injury since October, and Casper Tengstedt has been sidelined with a thigh injury since December.
Arthur Cabral, scoring in his last two appearances, is expected to lead the attack again on Thursday.
Vizela possible starting lineup:
Buntic;
Oliveira, Anderson, Goncalves, Escoval;
Pereira, Silva, Mendez;
Moreira, Soro, Ba-Sy
Benfica possible starting lineup:
Trubin;
Aursnes, Silva, Otamendi, Morato;
Neves, Kokcu;
Di Maria, Silva, Mario;
Cabral
Prediction: Vizela 0-2 Benfica
Facing a challenging season, Vizela meets a Benfica team in excellent form. Benfica is likely to continue their winning streak against Vizela in Thursday’s match.
