Benfica vs. Bayern Munich: Areas Where the Tie Will Be Won and Lost
Benfica host Bayern Munich in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, with the tie still in the balance.
The Bavarians earned a 1-0 win in the first leg last week, with Arturo Vidal's early opener the only goal of the match. The Portuguese have a big challenge to overcome in the second leg, especially without key goalscorer Jonas. But they will be playing in front of their home fans and will hope for an extra injection of courage.
As the matchday draws nearer, B/R takes a look at the areas that could decide the tie in one direction or another. Read on for our picks.
Goalkeeping
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Having quality between the posts is important for any team, and not even Bayern are an exception. The Bundesliga leaders were almost shocked by Stuttgart over the weekend, but Manuel Neuer made a brilliant save in the first half to deny the hosts a goal that could well have changed the game.
It's something the Germany international is well known for, and many times in the past, he's come up aces in the Champions League. But he's also made some calamitous errors.
A healthy Benfica squad would have made for an interesting duel between the posts: Julio Cesar, the first-choice Benfica goalkeeper, squared off against Neuer's Schalke in 2011 and again was opposite Neuer at the 2014 World Cup as Germany hammered Brazil 7-1.
The veteran lost both of those matches, but also earned a huge victory over Bayern in 2010, when his Inter downed the Bavarians in the Champions League final.
Instead of Cesar, Ederson Moraes will start in goal for Benfica. The youngster is just 22 years old and has much to prove. But under pressure and without expectation to win, he could well shine. Young goalkeepers have had breakthrough performances against favored clubs before, and he'll look to upset the visitors. If he does his part, the hosts may only need a goal.
Mistakes at the Back
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Sometimes a wonder-goal decides a game or even a two-legged tie. In such a case, the defenders can only tip their hats to the scorer. But just as often, a defender loses possession or gets distracted at the wrong moment, and it costs his side a goal.
Bayern know that defensive mistakes can prove costly. They hurt and ultimately ended the German side's Champions League run last season and almost saw them eliminated in this season's round of 16.
Benfica, meanwhile, enter the second leg behind on aggregate due to a defensive mistake. In the opening moments of the first leg, Arturo Vidal's trailing run wasn't tracked properly, and the Chilean nodded home the only goal of the game. Despite being so early, that moment could yet prove to be the deciding event of the tie.
Moments of Magic
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Maybe a defensive error will decide Wednesday's result, or perhaps it will be a simple act of attacking brilliance. Both are possible, given the quality of the two clubs.
For Benfica, the pickings will be slim. Jonas will be sorely missed, as will Nico Gaitan, should he fail to recover from his muscular problems that began over the weekend. They are the two players Benfica could have relied upon to make a difference and create essential goals. In their absence, Benfica will need a new hero to step up. It's a big ask, but anything is possible.
For Bayern, no moment of magic is needed at this point, but one could effectively seal the result. And the visitors will come with plenty of options. Franck Ribery is one of the most widely feared wingers of the last decade and has shown resurgent form in recent weeks, while Douglas Costa has proved that he's ready to take over for the Frenchman when the time comes.
Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski, meanwhile, are having career-defining seasons. Both have been good for nearly a goal per game in all competitions. It's quite extraordinary for a team to have one such player, but two is an even more incredible phenomenon.
