Express Tribune | The PAOK that Benfica will find: complete, personalized and with Abel’s finger

Today, the first official rival of Jorge Jesús’ Benfica met on the way that the eagles want to take them to the group stage of the Champions League: PAOK, 2nd place in the 2019/20 Greek league, fell in a draw in the other possibilities they were AZ Alkmaar and Rapid Vienna. In a first analysis, it can be considered that it was not a good draw for the Reds, even because it was stipulated that the only match that makes up the tie will be played in Thessaloniki, Greece, although without an audience, which mitigates the home factor. .

However, the formation of Portuguese Abel Ferreira, former SC Braga coach, seems to be the one that, at the moment, is strongest. If the Austrian team was the most limited of the three, AZ Alkmaar has even more individual quality than the Greeks, but seemed to be a notch below them in the 2nd qualifying round, where they needed extra time to beat Plzen (3 – one).

PAOK, on ​​the other hand, beat Besiktas 3-1 much more illuminating, where in the 30 minutes of the game the score was already 3-0 and, later, the team still had the luxury of wasting several opportunities, including one pain. It was, in fact, a show of strength and competition on the part of the Black Eagles, as the club is known.

Abel, in his 2nd season in Greece, had a very troubled debut year, but left good signs. In the Champions League they fell precisely in this 3rd qualifying round last year, but they did so against Ajax, who had previously been in the semifinals of the competition, and put the Dutch in a lot of difficulties, having drawn at home. He then made a great first half of the regular season, where he finished in 1st place, but a series of decisions in the secretariat undermined the club’s ambitions.

First, the club’s division division was stipulated; Then the team withdrew 7 points, a shame that would be removed at the end of the championship, when Olympiakos already had a bigger advantage.

Still, the image given by the team, the only one to beat Olympiacos in the league, was globally positive. And these positive signs seem to be confirmed after the beautiful performance against Besiktas last week. Within the four lines, Abel played most of last season with a structure with 4 defenders, but in the last games he embarked on a system with 3 back, as he already did in Braga, and that is also how he performed against the Turks, for that will be the most likely scenario for Benfica.

In a 3-4-3, PAOK started pushing hard, trying to stifle and surprise Besiktas, managing to keep the game in their offensive midfield. With the ball he attacked more and better on the left, where the 20-year-old center-back Michailidis proved to be confident in the construction, the winger Giannoulis stood out a lot and Tzolis, just 18 years old, marked differences with two goals and one assist. . Redoubled attention to André Almeida and company in the right aisle of Jorge Jesús’s training.

Once the advantage was achieved, PAOK had no problem giving the initiative to the rival, but always without ceasing to create danger in quick starts, as is the example of the 3rd goal scored. In the same context, before the strongest pressure from the rival, something that from what we have already seen in this preseason and from what we know about Jorge Jesús, must be verified from the beginning by Benfica, Abel Ferreira’s team did not force the short construction, long stretch in goal kick looking for Akpom, a forward who serves as a reference for the first ball, the second being contested by various elements close to the duel. That was, in fact, the anatomy of 2-0 against Besiktas.

Thus, it is easy to see that the Reds’ next opponent is a complete team – capable of pressing high, but also charging in a 5-4-1 that must be verified many times with the eagles, due to the rise of their flanks. ; able to come out supported, but also to play a more direct football, without taking so many risks – and with a very keen strategic sense, among other things because Abel Ferreira knows Benfica well, who never won, but who faced many times, and Jorge Jesús, who was your coach.

Faced with this possibility of playing against the Portuguese shield, the Greek coach said, last Thursday in an interview with Channel 11, “I did not care about Benfica, as long as they went home with a full stadium.” Part of the wish was fulfilled, the game will be played at home, but, as we know, it will be without an audience.

The fact that the tie is played in a single match is an advantage for the theoretically less favorite teams, and in this case it is PAOK, although the local factor is less relevant without the fervent supporters of the Thessaloniki club. In any case, it was not exactly a friendly draw for the club de la Luz and we expect a demanding first test and a well-played match, despite the favoritism of Jorge Jesús’ team.