Chelsea travel to Portugal to face Benfica in the Champions League quarter-final tonight. Who do they need to be worried about the most?
Oscar Cardozo
The 6 foot three Paraguayan is Benfica’s biggest threat, he has scored 18 goals in 19 games this season in the league, and 26 in all competitions. He has already scored against Manchester United this season at the Estadio da Luz, and he will be keen to repeat that feat against Chelsea. If Benfica are to win tonight, Cardozo will play a key role, and will give Chelsea’s centre-backs, which could include former player David Luiz, a tough time.
Pablo Aimar
Aimar is a player who is undoubtedly talented, but many thought was destined for even greater things. He played in Spain with Valencia and Zaragoza until 2008, when he switched to Benfica where he has remained ever since. The 32-year-old playmaker is a key part of Benfica’s attack, and has scored six goals so far this season. The dimintutive Argentine has overcome the injury problems he suffered in Spain which slowed down his career, and Chelsea will have to decide whether to deploy a defensive midfielder to track him man-to-man or cover him wherever he pops up.
Nicolas Gaitan
Gaitan will be a familiar name to many because of the transfer interest in him from Manchester United and Manchester City. He has been compared to David Silva by his height and style, as a winger who likes to drift inside and orchestrate attacks as well as the mercurial Juan Roman Riquelme. He has scored seven goals this season and will know he is in the shop window tonight. He could add to his transfer fee with a memorable performance, while he will hope he can convince interested clubs he is worth the money being touted.
Rodrigo
21-year-old Rodrigo has been one of the surprises of the season. He played last year at Bolton Wanderers on loan, where he scored just one, often being deployed out wide. It was against Chelsea that he made his first ever start for Bolton, so he will remember them well. As an out and out striker, he has excelled this season, and has even been linked with a £20 million move to Arsenal. He has bagged 14 goals in total, nine in the league, and despite being of Brazilian heritage, he is a Spanish under-21 international, originally beginning his career with Real Madrid.
Nolito
A former Barcelona player, he made just two appearances for the Spanish giants before opting for a move last May to gain first team football. The striker has been a key part of Benfica’s squad this season, scoring 13 goals. He is though yet to score in the Champions League, and will be hoping to get a chance to change that tonight. He can also play out wide as a winger, and that is often where he has found himself deployed, off main frontman Oscar Cardozo.
image: © Crystian Cruz
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