Benfica vs Otelul Galati preview - Jesus keen to nail down top spot

Posted Wednesday, December 07, 2011 by PA

Benfica coach Jorge Jesus has his sights set on securing top spot in Champions League Group C as the Portuguese side prepare for their final pool game against Otelul Galati.

Victory over the Romanians, who have yet to pick up a point in their debut season in the competition, would ensure Benfica stayed above Manchester United, potentially guaranteeing themselves a more favourable draw for the last 16.

The Portuguese side have a terrific record at the Stadium of Light, where they have lost only once in 18 European matches, although they are yet to win in Lisbon during the group stages this term, drawing with United and Basle.

Jesus told www.slbenfica.pt: "We have achieved our first goal of the season, which was getting through the group stages of the Champions League and into the quarter-finals, and we are the only Portuguese team who have already succeeded.

"This shows us that Benfica can achieve the objectives it sets itself in the season, and that makes us happy. However, we always want more. First of all we want to stay first in our group, which we will try to do by beating Otelul Galati."

Benfica have already tasted victory over Galati this season having registered a 1-0 win in Bucharest earlier in the campaign, and striker Javier Saviola knows what a big achievement it would be to finish ahead of Manchester United.

He said: "We have a lot of responsibility to finish first, and we will go into the match with the same attitude, which is to win the match and ensure Manchester United will not be in first position."

Saviola is not yet looking ahead to potential last-16 opponents, and he added: "We have had a good group stage and it is good to get to the situation we are in. Now we will wait and see."

Galati are playing purely for pride but coach Dorinel Munteanu has happy memories of Lisbon having scored the only goal for Romania in the city when they beat Portugal in qualifying for Euro 2000.