Benfica host Lech Poznań on 5 November chasing direct Europa League qualification

Direct qualification at stake

Benfica host Lech Poznań at the Estádio da Luz on Thursday, 5 November, in matchday four of the Europa League league phase, with kick-off at 20:00 according to SAPO. Benfica have nine points after three matchdays and top the table, while Lech have one point and sit 32nd. The top eight teams after the league phase qualify directly for the round of 16, and a win would give Benfica 12 points from four games and a fourth consecutive Europa League victory, according to RTP.

Benfica9

Lech Poznań1

Benfica

9 points

Lech Poznań

1 points

Data from the article text

Marco Silva spoke at a press conference in Seixal on Wednesday, 4 November, and said the Lech match is the most important of the next two games for the direct route. He wants to avoid adding two play-off matches in February to a calendar that is already overloaded.

“It is very important not to add two play-off matches to an already very overloaded calendar.”

A return to a former club

Jakub Kamiński spent four years in Lech's academy before moving on to the Bundesliga, and he told reporters he knows almost everyone at the club. He said he had spoken with the club president before the game and that several former teammates are pleased to face Benfica in Lisbon. The Poland international said he expects Benfica to control the match, largely because they play at home.

“We are favourites for this game, for sure. We will try to dominate Lech and push them back into their defence.”

Kamiński warned that Lech are dangerous on the counter-attack. He described the Ekstraklasa as a league in which teams usually dominate games with possession, and he expects an open match. He also said his form was poor at the start of the season, and that an injury in recent months made it harder for him to be fit, although he now feels better. He added that Benfica is the priority for him at this moment, and that he is working to earn more chances from coach Marco Silva.

Team news and fatigue

Silva said Clement Lenglet will not play against Lech because of an injury. He described the injury as not serious but said the centre-back is not fully fit, and he remains hopeful Lenglet can be ready for the I Liga match against Estrela da Amadora the following weekend, which falls on 7-8 November. Enzo Barrenechea, who has been out with an injury since September according to Polsat Sport, is in the squad and could feature. Silva would not guarantee that Barrenechea plays 90 minutes or starts the match, and he confirmed that Banjaqui is in the squad.

Benfica played FC Alverca on Monday, 2 November, and won 1:0 with a penalty from Vangelis Pavlidis. Silva said his players lack freshness after that short turnaround, and he did not rule out changing a good number of players for the Lech match.

Next fixtures

After the Lech game, Benfica visit Viktoria Plzeň in matchday five at the end of November. Polsat Sport reports that Lech are top of the Ekstraklasa table, which the Polish outlet cites as a sign of their potential in Europe. Polish viewers can follow the match on TV 6, Polsat Sport 1 and Polsat Sport Premium 1, and online through Polsat Box Go.