Manchester United play Benfica away in their third Champions League group game this season.
Jose Mourinho’s side will be looking for their third win to maintain their spot at the top of the group.
Here are three key battles to look out for.
JONAS VS CHRIS SMALLING
Brazilian forward Jonas was once described by a local newspaper as the worst striker in the world. He’s come a long way since then, and was even in contention for the European Golden Shoe a year ago.
Chris Smalling stepped in for the injured Eric Bailly on Saturday against Liverpool and acquitted himself well, showing again that United are blessed with depth in central defence. Fellow Englishman Phil Jones picked up a knock late on in that game, which means even more responsibility will be thrust upon Smalling against Benfica.
The United defender will fancy his chances in an aerial duel against Jonas, but Benfica’s forward is adept at holding onto the ball and bringing his teammates into play, which is where the real battle lies.
LUBOMIR FEJSA VS HENRIKH MKHITARYAN
Here’s an incredible stat about Serbian defensive midfielder Ljubomir Fejsa: the Benfica man has won ten consecutive league titles, across three countries. Clearly, he’s the championship whisperer. Perhaps he should be on the radar of a certain North London club…
The 29-year-old is an accomplished ball-winner in the centre of the park, which sets up an intriguing duel with Henrikh Mkhitaryan. United’s playmaker is an elusive runner and excellent passer, and so far this season has been crucial to everything good about his team’s attacks.
He’ll no doubt pose a threat to Fejsa and the rest of the Benfica team, but he’ll also have to be alert to Fejsa’s passing ability and propensity to shoot from long range.
LUISAO VS ROMELU LUKAKU
At 36, Luisao remarkably remains one of Benfica’s best defenders, with the Brazilian having played in every minute of his side’s league and European campaigns this season. He defends in a composed manner, rarely being drawn into rash challenges even though he’s not the best tackler.
Most importantly given his opposition on Wednesday, he’s more than capable of holding his own in an aerial duel. Romelu Lukaku is a tougher challenge than most in that regard, but he won’t have as easy a time of bullying Luisao as he’s used to.
The Belgian’s pace and clever running might give him a slight edge when the ball’s on the ground, and that could make all the difference.