Quaresma retains his starting position on the right side of the defense, with Aursnes partnering with Ríos or Barreiro in the Eagles’ midfield.
Sporting and Benfica face off at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, starting at 6:00 PM, and the starting lineups of Rui Borges and Jose Mourinho shouldn’t present any major surprises… just a few minor adjustments.
On the Lions’ side, the home team, the coach admitted that Fresneda is doubtful for the match, but the possibility of him playing on the right side of the defense remains, even though Eduardo Quaresma is in pole position to repeat his starting role from London. Otherwise, the midfield of Hjulmand and Morita should remain the same, with Suarez leading the attack, supported by Geny Catamo, Trincao, and Pedro Goncalves.
On the other hand, Benfica, looking to close the gap on Sporting and still dream of second place in the league, will have Aursnes as the main new addition to Mourinho’s squad. The question remains who will partner him in midfield: Richard Ríos or Leandro Barreiro; or perhaps both, a solution that would allow for a midfield overhaul and push Rafa to the substitutes’ bench.
Further back, Dedic is expected to start on the right side of the defense, alongside Antonio Silva (or Tomas Araujo?), Otamendi, and Dahl. The two teams are separated by two points in the standings, although Sporting still has a game in hand (Tondela = April 29).
