Introduction
Well, well, another year, another iteration of FM, another Benfica team guide. Last year we saw Benfica losing dramatically the UEFA Europa League final against Chelsea, wasting away a 4 point lead in the portuguese championship to finish second in the last 3 games and again losing the Portuguese cup against a very determined Vit?ria de Guimar?es side. So, it was a wreck. But can you take the helm of Benfica this year in FM 14 and guide it to the glory that it missed last season? If you're up to the challenge, here's what you have to deal with!
Finances
In the real World, Benfica has a rather healthy transfer budget that allowed the club to bring in over 30M? of players this season while managing to secure the services of their most sought-after stars for yet another year. In FM 14, the starting transfer budget is fixed at 18M?, nothing to scoff at. Salary cap is at 3,1M?, 2,9 of which is already being spent. So, it seems you have some leeway to bring in one or two good players to the team. Which positions are then in need of refurbishment?
Goalkeepers
Benfica's main squad starts with plenty of goalkeepers. Artur Moraes should be, at least at the beginning, your first choice. While he is not a stellar keeper, he will perform well enough. However, you might want to look at Jan Oblak, a young and very talented goalkeeper who will surely surpass Artur if given enough time on the pitch. The choice is yours if you want to throw Oblak to the lions or slowly field him during less demanding matches. Paulo Lopes is aging and not very good, so you might want to offload him and give the third spot to either youngsters Bruno Varela or Mika (in the B team).
Centre Backs
Once the mainstay of Benfica's roster, the centre back position is starting to show some wear and tear. Sure, you have a solid all-round centre back in Ezequiel Garay. Luis?o is not too bad either, but the age is starting to creep in. However, things get more dicey if you look at the subs. Jardel is good in the air but too slow to be effective in a high defensive line. Mitrovic just doesn't have the skills needed. If you look at the reserves, there is also not much to choose from. Steven Vit?ria is underratedly bad - a sort of even slower version of Jardel. There is some hope, however, on two players out on loan - Sidnei and Lisandro Lopez, especially the latter, who seems to have a good future ahead of him.
Right Backs
This position is a rather problematic one. Arguably the best right back in your squad comes in the form of loanee S?lvio. S?lvio can perform rather well on both sides of the pitch, but analysing the quality on each flank, he would be better kept as your main right back. Maxi Pereira, long time serving defender for the club, is oddly an underperformer this year with a lot of physical and technical skills well below his actual level. Up and coming Andr? Almeida seems to not have been updated from last year as now he is an accomplished right back, even having been called to the main Portugal squad recently. In FM14, he is better off in the midfield and nothing too stellar. Young right back Jo?o Cancelo is one to look out for as a solid alternative to Maxi Pereira in the backup role.
Left Backs
On the other side of the pitch, you will have to make due with loanees only. Guilherme Siqueira is by far your best left back and, of course, you can - and probably should - use S?livo as a backup. The other option is the other loanee Cortez, who seems to be better suited at more attacking roles since his defensive stats are actually very poor.
Defensive Midfielders
If you want to play with a DM, look no further than Nemanja Matic. He has great defensive and mental skills that turn him into a great asset to the team. He is a bit slow, so he will probably work best in anticipation rather than blindly running after the opponent. As an alternative, Ljubomir Fejsa is also capable, although not really first team material. Other players that could work in this position are R?ben Amorim and Andr? Almeida, although the first is better suited further up the field. Airton, currenlty on loan, can work decently as an anchor man should you need one in the future.
Centre Midfielders
This area of the field is richly staffed in the Benfica squad, but no player really stands out from the crowd. Enzo P?rez is a real life mainstay but in FM14 he is somewhat nerfed, especially in the physical attributes. However, he should still be your first choice should you want to deploy a CM. Carlos Martins, dropped in real life from the team, is a good choice for a more creative-oriented midfield, as he has great playmaking and long distance shooting ability. R?ben Amorim, also severely handicapped in FM 14, should be a great all-rounder but he is little more than mediocre, as is Andr? Almeida. Finally, you have the young starlet Andr? Gomes, who you can develop into a cerebral midfielder that will excel in more shorter and thought out styles of play.
Attacking Midfielders
The attacking midfield is where Benfica really excels. Depending on your style of play, you have players suitable to field either as pure attacking midfielders, inside forwards or more advanced playmakers. The biggest talent to field behind the striker(s) is arguably Filip Djuricic, a true advanced playmaker. In the same role, you might want to deploy Nicolas Gait?n, although he works better on the wing. Carlos Martins and Andr? Gomes perform also rather well as a playmaking AM. Play very close attention to Bernardo Silva as well, since he is by far your biggest young talent and a natural playmaker. If your intention is to use a more offensive AM, then Miralem Sulejmani can work well, although he is miles away from being the magnificent player he was at Ajax. Lazar Markovic is a potentially huge player and can effectively be deployed behind the forward players as well, if given enough liberty to create chaos.
Wingers
You'll have no lack of quality on the wings either. Nicol?s Gait?n on the left and Eduardo Salvio on the right should be your first choices as both can bring speed, flair and technique to the pitch. As backup plans, you can't go wrong with Lazar Markovic and Ola John, two very young and promising wingers - although Ola John has been nothing short of a disappointment in real life. If these four weren't enough, you still have Miralem Sulejmani that can perform reasonably well on the wing. But wait, it doesn't end here! Urreta and Yannick Djal? will make sure that you have third and fourth options for the wings if everyone else gets injured and or sent off. With so much choice, you would do well in offloading a few of these players. Oh, did I mention that you still have Ivan Cavaleiro, a rather nice young prospect for the wings? And that pretty much all these wingers can play on either side, effectively switching between winger and inside forward roles? And that, in addition to all these players, you still have the exciting portuguese prospect Pizzi and the versatile Franco Jara on loan? Now I did. So, enjoy your wingplay!
Strikers
All hail mighty Oscar Cardozo. Need a say more? Cardozo is a goal machine that will keep the goals flowing left, right and center, with his powerful left foot or with his deadly headers. He will shine as a target man or complete forward to fully take advantage of his arsenal of skills. Lima is also a good all-rounded striker that can work as a solo advanced forward or as a companion to the more prolific Cardozo. But if you want to bring in some more speed and flair to the attack, look no further than Rodrigo. He is fast and very versatile, though his composure in front of goal might need some work. Finally, you have Rogelio Funes Mori who really doesn't excel in any field and Miralem Sulejmani, who can work as a decent false nine or shadow striker. Also don't forget young Derlis Gonz?lez, currently on loan, but sure to make an impact as a technically skilled forward when he returns. There is also more talent away on loan: Franco Jara can also work well as a mobile striker, while Nelson Oliveira has bags of talent and could evolve into a very prolific striker. Alan Kardec could be a good choice should you need a big, tall forward to stick in the middle of the opposition area.
Suggestions/Considerations
Well, Benfica this year has a large and competent enough squad in almost every sector. You could go on without bringing anyone in, and still have a good shot at the league title and maybe be a surprise in Europe. The best tactic to work with would arguably be a variation of a 4-2-3-1, maximizing your attacking midfield creative force. All of your good wingers and midfielders are quick and/or flairy enough to create chances, destroy defenders and serve the prolific Cardozo for happy goal times. I prefer using a short pass, fluid system with plenty of position swapping to confuse the opposition, although this system may take a while to gel in.
However, if you are so inclined, you may want to have a look at the defence. Maybe think about bringing a two top class full backs, one for each side, and either let Cortez and Silvio go, or keep Silvio and try to offload Maxi Pereira (this would be my first choice, since you can nurture Jo?o Cancelo for an effective backup player). Your assortment of centre backs is also not very good, so you might want to bring in a solid 3rd choice or a rotation centre back for the first team. Offload two of the Jardel/Steven Vit?ria/Mitrovic group to make up for the investment. To bring in some extra cash, try to offload some of your excess wingers, like Urreta, Djal? or even Sulejmani. Funes Mori should also be let go if you play with only one striker - you really don't need four players for one position. Make use of your B team for your young players whenever you can to keep them in shape. And most of all, have fun!
Thank you for reading my guide.
Well, well, another year, another iteration of FM, another Benfica team guide. Last year we saw Benfica losing dramatically the UEFA Europa League final against Chelsea, wasting away a 4 point lead in the portuguese championship to finish second in the last 3 games and again losing the Portuguese cup against a very determined Vit?ria de Guimar?es side. So, it was a wreck. But can you take the helm of Benfica this year in FM 14 and guide it to the glory that it missed last season? If you're up to the challenge, here's what you have to deal with!
Finances
In the real World, Benfica has a rather healthy transfer budget that allowed the club to bring in over 30M? of players this season while managing to secure the services of their most sought-after stars for yet another year. In FM 14, the starting transfer budget is fixed at 18M?, nothing to scoff at. Salary cap is at 3,1M?, 2,9 of which is already being spent. So, it seems you have some leeway to bring in one or two good players to the team. Which positions are then in need of refurbishment?
Goalkeepers
Benfica's main squad starts with plenty of goalkeepers. Artur Moraes should be, at least at the beginning, your first choice. While he is not a stellar keeper, he will perform well enough. However, you might want to look at Jan Oblak, a young and very talented goalkeeper who will surely surpass Artur if given enough time on the pitch. The choice is yours if you want to throw Oblak to the lions or slowly field him during less demanding matches. Paulo Lopes is aging and not very good, so you might want to offload him and give the third spot to either youngsters Bruno Varela or Mika (in the B team).
Centre Backs
Once the mainstay of Benfica's roster, the centre back position is starting to show some wear and tear. Sure, you have a solid all-round centre back in Ezequiel Garay. Luis?o is not too bad either, but the age is starting to creep in. However, things get more dicey if you look at the subs. Jardel is good in the air but too slow to be effective in a high defensive line. Mitrovic just doesn't have the skills needed. If you look at the reserves, there is also not much to choose from. Steven Vit?ria is underratedly bad - a sort of even slower version of Jardel. There is some hope, however, on two players out on loan - Sidnei and Lisandro Lopez, especially the latter, who seems to have a good future ahead of him.
Right Backs
This position is a rather problematic one. Arguably the best right back in your squad comes in the form of loanee S?lvio. S?lvio can perform rather well on both sides of the pitch, but analysing the quality on each flank, he would be better kept as your main right back. Maxi Pereira, long time serving defender for the club, is oddly an underperformer this year with a lot of physical and technical skills well below his actual level. Up and coming Andr? Almeida seems to not have been updated from last year as now he is an accomplished right back, even having been called to the main Portugal squad recently. In FM14, he is better off in the midfield and nothing too stellar. Young right back Jo?o Cancelo is one to look out for as a solid alternative to Maxi Pereira in the backup role.
Left Backs
On the other side of the pitch, you will have to make due with loanees only. Guilherme Siqueira is by far your best left back and, of course, you can - and probably should - use S?livo as a backup. The other option is the other loanee Cortez, who seems to be better suited at more attacking roles since his defensive stats are actually very poor.
Defensive Midfielders
If you want to play with a DM, look no further than Nemanja Matic. He has great defensive and mental skills that turn him into a great asset to the team. He is a bit slow, so he will probably work best in anticipation rather than blindly running after the opponent. As an alternative, Ljubomir Fejsa is also capable, although not really first team material. Other players that could work in this position are R?ben Amorim and Andr? Almeida, although the first is better suited further up the field. Airton, currenlty on loan, can work decently as an anchor man should you need one in the future.
Centre Midfielders
This area of the field is richly staffed in the Benfica squad, but no player really stands out from the crowd. Enzo P?rez is a real life mainstay but in FM14 he is somewhat nerfed, especially in the physical attributes. However, he should still be your first choice should you want to deploy a CM. Carlos Martins, dropped in real life from the team, is a good choice for a more creative-oriented midfield, as he has great playmaking and long distance shooting ability. R?ben Amorim, also severely handicapped in FM 14, should be a great all-rounder but he is little more than mediocre, as is Andr? Almeida. Finally, you have the young starlet Andr? Gomes, who you can develop into a cerebral midfielder that will excel in more shorter and thought out styles of play.
Attacking Midfielders
The attacking midfield is where Benfica really excels. Depending on your style of play, you have players suitable to field either as pure attacking midfielders, inside forwards or more advanced playmakers. The biggest talent to field behind the striker(s) is arguably Filip Djuricic, a true advanced playmaker. In the same role, you might want to deploy Nicolas Gait?n, although he works better on the wing. Carlos Martins and Andr? Gomes perform also rather well as a playmaking AM. Play very close attention to Bernardo Silva as well, since he is by far your biggest young talent and a natural playmaker. If your intention is to use a more offensive AM, then Miralem Sulejmani can work well, although he is miles away from being the magnificent player he was at Ajax. Lazar Markovic is a potentially huge player and can effectively be deployed behind the forward players as well, if given enough liberty to create chaos.
Wingers
You'll have no lack of quality on the wings either. Nicol?s Gait?n on the left and Eduardo Salvio on the right should be your first choices as both can bring speed, flair and technique to the pitch. As backup plans, you can't go wrong with Lazar Markovic and Ola John, two very young and promising wingers - although Ola John has been nothing short of a disappointment in real life. If these four weren't enough, you still have Miralem Sulejmani that can perform reasonably well on the wing. But wait, it doesn't end here! Urreta and Yannick Djal? will make sure that you have third and fourth options for the wings if everyone else gets injured and or sent off. With so much choice, you would do well in offloading a few of these players. Oh, did I mention that you still have Ivan Cavaleiro, a rather nice young prospect for the wings? And that pretty much all these wingers can play on either side, effectively switching between winger and inside forward roles? And that, in addition to all these players, you still have the exciting portuguese prospect Pizzi and the versatile Franco Jara on loan? Now I did. So, enjoy your wingplay!
Strikers
All hail mighty Oscar Cardozo. Need a say more? Cardozo is a goal machine that will keep the goals flowing left, right and center, with his powerful left foot or with his deadly headers. He will shine as a target man or complete forward to fully take advantage of his arsenal of skills. Lima is also a good all-rounded striker that can work as a solo advanced forward or as a companion to the more prolific Cardozo. But if you want to bring in some more speed and flair to the attack, look no further than Rodrigo. He is fast and very versatile, though his composure in front of goal might need some work. Finally, you have Rogelio Funes Mori who really doesn't excel in any field and Miralem Sulejmani, who can work as a decent false nine or shadow striker. Also don't forget young Derlis Gonz?lez, currently on loan, but sure to make an impact as a technically skilled forward when he returns. There is also more talent away on loan: Franco Jara can also work well as a mobile striker, while Nelson Oliveira has bags of talent and could evolve into a very prolific striker. Alan Kardec could be a good choice should you need a big, tall forward to stick in the middle of the opposition area.
Suggestions/Considerations
Well, Benfica this year has a large and competent enough squad in almost every sector. You could go on without bringing anyone in, and still have a good shot at the league title and maybe be a surprise in Europe. The best tactic to work with would arguably be a variation of a 4-2-3-1, maximizing your attacking midfield creative force. All of your good wingers and midfielders are quick and/or flairy enough to create chances, destroy defenders and serve the prolific Cardozo for happy goal times. I prefer using a short pass, fluid system with plenty of position swapping to confuse the opposition, although this system may take a while to gel in.
However, if you are so inclined, you may want to have a look at the defence. Maybe think about bringing a two top class full backs, one for each side, and either let Cortez and Silvio go, or keep Silvio and try to offload Maxi Pereira (this would be my first choice, since you can nurture Jo?o Cancelo for an effective backup player). Your assortment of centre backs is also not very good, so you might want to bring in a solid 3rd choice or a rotation centre back for the first team. Offload two of the Jardel/Steven Vit?ria/Mitrovic group to make up for the investment. To bring in some extra cash, try to offload some of your excess wingers, like Urreta, Djal? or even Sulejmani. Funes Mori should also be let go if you play with only one striker - you really don't need four players for one position. Make use of your B team for your young players whenever you can to keep them in shape. And most of all, have fun!
Thank you for reading my guide.