Marítimo pitch sparks fears, Benfica left with heads in hands | OneFootball

The condition of the pitch at Marítimo Stadium is causing concern at Benfica ahead of the trip to Madeira. The Eagles face the island side this Saturday in a match expected to draw a full house, but one that also raises some doubts due to the state of the Barreiros turf.

Expectations are huge among Madeira supporters, who have already sold out the tickets available for the clash with Benfica. Despite the festive atmosphere expected in the stands, the quality of the pitch has emerged as one of the main concerns for Marco Silva’s side.

The surface at Marítimo Stadium is currently ranked as the second-worst pitch in Liga Portugal, ahead of only Estádio José Gomes, home of Estrela da Amadora. According to Record, Marítimo have been carrying out treatment work on the pitch with the aim of improving the surface conditions for Benfica’s visit.

The concern is such that Mitchell Van der Gaag’s side have stopped regularly using their stadium for training. The squad would usually hold one or two training sessions a week at Barreiros, but that routine was halted during pre-season to allow the pitch more time to recover.

Marítimo have not trained at their stadium for more than a month. The team have been splitting sessions between the Marítimo Sports Complex, in Santo António, and Camacha. The only match played at Barreiros this season was against Académico de Viseu, when several chunks of turf came loose throughout the game, clearly highlighting the difficulties with the surface.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.