ITV's live Europa League offering on Thursday night is the clash between Benfica and Stuttgart, and with that in mind Portuguese football writer Ben Shave offers his thoughts on five of the best players on show for the home side.
Benfica have been in fine goalscoring form since the new year, scoring thirty-four goals in twelve outings, and conceding just six. The Eagles will be looking to continue in that vein at the Estadio da Luz against Stuttgart
Here are five players worth looking out for on Thursday evening:
Luisão
The Brazilian has been at the Luz since 2003, and will be the only starter on Thursday who also took to the field the last time these two sides met in 2004. Strong, aggressive and more than capable of causing trouble at set-pieces, Benfica's captain is currently in the finest form of his career, at the age of 30.
The departure of David Luiz to Chelsea has increased his responsibilities, but the early indications are the veteran will rise to the challenge. Luisão was instrumental in Benfica's recent 2-0 win over F.C Porto, with his interventions and reading of the game more than enough to nullify the Dragons' significant attacking threat.
Fábio Coentrão
Undoubtedly the best left-sided defender in Portugal, and arguably the country's stand-out performer at the World Cup, Coentrão's name will be familiar to regular readers of football transfer gossip columns. The 22 year-old Vila do Conde native has been linked with the likes of Real Madrid, A.C Milan and both Manchester clubs, and looks all but certain to follow David Luiz out of the Luz this summer.
His meteoric rise is all the more remarkable when you consider that this time two years ago, Coentrão was just beginning his third loan spell away from the club, in a career that was beginning to stagnate. The arrival of Jorge Jesus and an admitted change in attitude has seen the youngster shift his focus towards football, and he now forms a key component of Benfica's attack. At his best when surging forward on the overlap and delivering pinpoint crosses, stopping Coentrão will be vital for Stuttgart.
Nicolás Gaitán
A summer signing from Boca Juniors in Argentina, the diminutive Gaitán endured a slow start to his time in Lisbon, but has become increasingly influential as the season has unfolded. Although he has also been fielded out wide, Gaitán is better suited to the central playmaking position, where his technical skills and eye for a through ball really come to the fore.
He was a revelation against Porto, controlling the flow of the game and finding his teammates with unerring calm and accuracy. Although his compatriot Pablo Aimar (who scored a wonderful goal on Sunday evening) represents stiff competition for the role, Gaitán, who turns 23 the day before the second leg, looks well-placed to be Benfica's creative fulcrum for years to come.
Eduardo Salvio
Another Argentine summer arrival – on loan from last season's Europa League winners Atlético Madrid – Salvio is nevertheless quite a different player to Gaitán. Short but powerfully built, and equally adept as a second striker or a wide man, 'Toto' has enjoyed an outstanding beginning to 2011, with his surging runs and close control the stuff of nightmares for opposing defenders.
Physically perfect for the European game, with more than enough strength to hold his own, Salvio has visibly improved since Jorge Jesus began handing him regular starts. Having only been allowed to depart on loan from Atlético because the Spanish side had too many non-EU players on their books; Benfica must surely be hoping to exercise a €15m option clause to make the move permanent come June. Such a significant outlay may be beyond the financial means of the Eagles, something that Atléti may well be counting on.
Óscar Cardozo
With the suspension of Javier Saviola, Benfica's forward line will be anchored by the lanky Paraguayan Óscar Cardozo. The club's top scorer this season with fourteen goals, Cardozo is a classic number nine, or 'ponta da lança', as they are termed in Portugal. His ungainly running style and tendency to drift into offside positions belies the importance of Cardozo to Benfica, who are otherwise a team of energetic but distinctly small outfield players.
Simply put, Cardozo has that striker's knack of being in the right place at the right time, with most of his goals coming from in and around the penalty area. Effective with either his back to goal or when running onto long passes, he nevertheless possesses a surprisingly deft touch for a man his size, as well as the more orthodox physical attributes you'd expect from a six foot plus figure. His only notable weakness is penalties - his heartbreaking miss for Paraguay at the World Cup has been followed by three failed attempts in his last four matches. In the absence of Saviola, Cardozo's success in linking up with his other attacking colleagues will be crucial for Benfica.
Ben runs a Portuguese football blog, Cahiers du Sport. You can also find him on Twitter
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