Broken promises and 'the curious case of Quim' among Benfica's problems

Before the Portuguese Cup last 16 match against Braga, Benfica manager Jorge Jesus ran the rule over the clubâÂÂs dismal season. The Eagles currently trail FC Porto by eight points and had to count on Olympique Lyon coming back to hold Hapoel Tel-Aviv last Wednesday evening to ensure the completion of their shaky path to the Europa League. But even if everyone at the club says that the two cups are pretty much in there to be won, internally they should already be planning for next season.

After heavy defeats at the hands of Porto and Hapoel, it seems clear the team is already light years behind their 2009/10 vintage, and serious improvements are required in order for Benfica to reach those performance levels again.

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