Benfica’s Lineup Challenges for Monaco Clash in Champions League

Benfica is set to face AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League return leg, but they’ll have to do so without several key players. Most notably, Argentine star Ángel Di María will be absent due to a hamstring injury sustained after his rushed return in the first leg.

The Portuguese club is also dealing with other significant absences. Defenders Alexander Bah and Manu Silva are out for the season with ACL injuries, while forward Tiago Gouveia is sidelined as well. Renato Sanches, on loan from Paris Saint-Germain, remains unavailable, and Florentino Luis will miss the match due to suspension.

Despite these setbacks, Benfica will look to capitalize on their first-leg advantage, with Vangelis Pavlidis, who scored the lone goal in the previous encounter, expected to lead the attack once again.

Benfica’s Probable Starting Lineup

Goalkeeper: Anatoliy Trubin
Defenders: Álvaro Carreras, Nicolás Otamendi, Antonio Silva, Tomás Araújo
Midfielders: Orkun Kökçü, Leandro Barreiro, Fredrik Aursnes
Forwards: Andreas Schjelderup, Vangelis Pavlidis, Muhamed Kerem Aktürkoglu

This lineup reflects Benfica’s need to adapt to their current player availability while maintaining a strong formation capable of securing a positive result against Monaco in this crucial Champions League fixture.