Benfica is a Lisbon to the rhythm of bossa nova. What should Inter expect

It was Antonio Tabucchi who said that the best description of Lisbon was given by the singer João Gilberto, one of the fathers of the Bossa nova. João Gilberto was there for three concerts, they had met by chance for dinner together with other friends, he heard them say: “Lisbon is so fascinating, enveloping and dear that it is necessary to slap it and run away as soon as possible”. At first the Italian writer thought that the singer hadn’t understood anything about the Portuguese capital, then he convinced himself that it really was like this, that João Gilberto was right, that he had grasped the point in a few hours.

It’s a description you should have keep in mind too Simone Inzaghi’s Inter during the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Benfica. And the Nerazzurri coach has probably already formulated something similar, perhaps in a less elegant way, certainly less bossa nova.

Benfica is these days the perfect copy of the Portuguese capital, or at least the most responsive to the one described by João Gilberto. The team coached by the German Roger Schmidt plays a fascinating football, capable of enveloping and disorienting the opponent, it is beautiful after every European match, more and more expensive. To the fans and for the wallets of the richest European teams who have always tried to do business in Portugal, not always lucky, lately more and more moneyed.

A team once constantly looking to the future, now clinging to reality and the awareness that this year should be the fulfillment of a project that may not have a long future. Partly because the market is resisting less and less, partly because it’s a team that was made up of a delicate, and so far successful, generational puzzle. There are young players with a bright future: António Silva, 19, Florentino, 25, Gonçalo Ramos, 21. And they have mixed wonderfully with players who were once young players with a bright future, but who then, in one way or another others, they got a little rusty looking for themselves: like Nicolás Otamendi, who at 35 seemed to be a former great defender and who has returned to being one (but he won’t be there against Inter); or João Mário who from a refined midfield interpreter seemed to have turned into a pitcher: it wasn’t like that.

Roger Schmidt packed everything in the best way, created an excellent amalgam, eliminated Juventus, made Paris Saint-Germain suffer, ridiculed a solid and insidious team like Club Bruges. Now he’s waiting for Inter and as usual he caressed, praised and polished his opponent: “The draw is a draw: both teams deserved to be here. Inter may be struggling in the league, but they have a lot of experience and a lot of quality. It’s a special match for everyone, from me to the players: I expect extra motivation from them, it’s a great match. But I also expect it from my opponents. I have no doubts about their qualities, they will be ready and we must be ready in the same way. Without forgetting that then there will also be a return”.

And it sounds like a threat. Because home or away for Benfica it’s the same: same average points per season, same ease of play. It is worse than Lisbon, Benfica. It’s not just “so charming, enveloping and dear that you need to slap her and run away as soon as possible”: she’s the one chasing you and slapping you.