Benfica Away

[evertony]

Was having a post-Christmas clean up at home on Friday and came across the programme from Benfica away a few years ago....having witnessed the drubbing in the flesh I was a little surprised at the quality of players they had in their squad that night...don't think I appreciated it at the time.

Ramires, David Luiz, Pablo Aimar and Oscar Cardoza......that night against young lads, injured pro's and players out of position and absolutely no plan at all from Ginge.

It got me wondering, if we had come up against them that night with the team we have now, and the positive approach we have, how would we fair....and would we have beaten Villareal away and Fiorentina away with this team?

All hypothetical, but interesting all the same. Can't wait for the next round of European aways because it's going to be ace.

 

[Muggins]

Wasn't that Seamus Coleman's full debut??

 

[Goat]

13 Julio Cesar
04 Luisao
23 David Luiz
25 Cesar Peixoto
05 Ruben Amorim
06 Javi Garcia
08 Ramires
10 Aimar (Carlos Martins 69)
20 Di Maria
07 Cardozo (Fabio Coentrao 77)
30 Saviola (Weldon 85)

24 Howard
02 Hibbert
15 Distin
31 Coleman
07 Bilyaletdinov (Saha 60 yellow card)
17 Cahill
19 Gosling yellow card
25 Fellaini
26 Rodwell
11 Jo
22 Yakubu (Baxter 71)

 

[BigBlueConk]

Ignore, was Coleman!

 

[harry]

Great trip, awful result.

 

[pfim]

Yeah, that was a pretty strong Benfica side.

 

[Pat's Van]

date of this one please lids ???

 

[andy4efc]

13 Julio Cesar
04 Luisao
23 David Luiz
25 Cesar Peixoto
05 Ruben Amorim
06 Javi Garcia
08 Ramires
10 Aimar (Carlos Martins 69)
20 Di Maria
07 Cardozo (Fabio Coentrao 77)
30 Saviola (Weldon 85)

24 Howard
02 Hibbert
15 Distin
31 Coleman
07 Bilyaletdinov (Saha 60 yellow card)
17 Cahill
19 Gosling yellow card
25 Fellaini
26 Rodwell
11 Jo
22 Yakubu (Baxter 71)

As much as Moyes held us back at times, he had no choice but to play this defence;

Gosling - Hibbert - Distin - Coleman

We had seriously bad injuries and not only that Yobo decided to say he was injured, then play for Nigieria a couple of days later so wasn't playing.

I also remember Everton fans decided themselves that the seat number and row on each ticket counted for nothing.

 

[Goat]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xaw5uz_benfica-5-vs-0-everton-22-10-2009_sport

 

[Anna]

I know they all gave us a hiding but I remember Di Maria in particular giving us the run around, every time I see him mentioned for Madrid now it always reminds me of the Benfica drubbing.

 

[sageyefc]

I dont arf miss euro away days

 

[Goat]

Everton, with 11 players unavailable, struggled and Benfica goalkeeper Julio Cesar did not have a save to make.

Regularly outmanoeuvred in midfield and frequently embarrassed in defence, the closest Everton came to a goal was when substitute Louis Saha hit the outside of the post having been released by Jo.

Toffees manager David Moyes had not had an easy build-up for his team's trip to Lisbon's Estadio da Luz and his injury worries increased when Leighton Baines joined the list of absentees.

It meant an entire team was unavailable - nine out injured and two Cup-tied in Johnny Heitinga and Lucas Neill - so Moyes had a threadbare, inexperienced squad at his disposal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/europe/8318447.stm

 

[evertony]

DIY Maria was the one I was thinking of.....some reason I thought Duffy played too and we had Mustaphi on the bench.

Remember the weather coming home was shocking and we got moved from gate to gate about 4 times in the airport.

Cracker trip though.

 

[Goat]

Imagine if we had 11 players unavailable now.

 

[evertony]

Imagine if we had 11 players unavailable now.

True, but the players we would put out, and most definitely the tactics, would be more positive.