Orlando Esteves warns: Qarabag out to beat Benfica in Champions League | OneFootball

Benfica hosts Qarabag this Tuesday, September 16 at Estádio da Luz, in what will be the first round of the regular phase of the Champions League. In a preview of the match, Orlando Esteves highlighted the difficulties the Eagles have faced against lower-ranked opponents, leaving some advice for the reds.

"Benfica has found it easier to adapt to teams that are theoretically at the same level or stronger, and has had more difficulties with opponents who, on paper, are weaker and who adopt a game posture where they sit back and wait, rather than trying to match the game or even look to hurt Benfica in a more aggressive way," the commentator began on Bola TV.

Next, Orlando Esteves pointed out the lack of creativity in the team: "Bruno Lage is a coach who has shown a great virtue in my opinion, which is preparing for games against stronger opponents. When we look at Benfica, it ends up being a desert of ideas. More dynamism and more ideas are needed when it comes to attacking an opposing defense."

Not forgetting Benfica's draw against Santa Clara, Orlando Esteves warned that the Eagles have struggled against clubs considered 'weaker': "What we have seen is that Benfica has almost always had a lot of difficulties against these kinds of opponents. Benfica starts to struggle at a certain point in the game and spends the whole match trying the same types of solutions."

Finally, the sports commentator stated that Bruno Lage's team has the ability to resolve the match without needing luck, leaving a warning: "Benfica cannot wait for a stroke of luck, Benfica has the arguments and the players to have other types of solutions. I'm curious to see what the idea will be for tomorrow [today] and what the starting eleven will be. I believe Qarabag is coming to get a point; it's unlikely they can hope for a win. Benfica will have to be prepared to be the protagonist of the game and to have more offensive solutions."

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