CSKA sense Benfica danger

With the UEFA Cup set to resume after its winter break, uefa.com looks at the form of the 32 clubs involved in first-leg ties this week.

PFC CSKA Moskva v SL Benfica
CSKA will be playing in the spring stages of the UEFA Cup for the first time, but face tough opposition from Benfica because of a difficult winter in which they have lost two influential players - Jirí Jarošik and Sergei Semak - and not signed any replacements. CSKA finished behind Chelsea FC and FC Porto, Benfica's domestic rivals and reigning European champions, to drop down from the UEFA Champions League to the UEFA Cup. The pair played key roles for CSKA and will be missed.

Coach Valeriy Gazzaev could even field a 3-6-1 formation against Benfica in which Chidi Odiah and Osmar Ferreyra act as wingers and Elvir Rahimic, Evgeni Aldonin, Daniel Carvalho and Rolan Gusev operate more centrally. Jurijs Laizans and Miloš Krasic will also be in the running for places as Lithuanian defender Deividas Semberas and talented winger Yuri Zhirkov are both suspended. Croatia striker Ivica Olic is still injured and a doubtful starter, although Vágner Love should start after his proposed move to Corinthians SC fell through. The Russian season does not start until next month.

Registered players: Aleksandr Salougine, Vitali Denisov, Sergei Samodin (B list).
Players out: Jirí Jarošik, Denis Popov, Sergei Semak, Serghey Dadu.

After being beaten to first place in UEFA Cup Group G by VfB Stuttgart, Benfica ended 2004 with a 1-0 home win against minnows FC Penafiel. Giovanni Trapattoni's side started 2005 with a 2-1 away defeat at fellow UEFA Cup contenders Sporting Clube de Portugal, but recovered in style in seeing off another Portuguese title hopeful, Boavista FC, 4-0. However, a shock 2-0 home defeat by SC Beira-Mar left Benfica adrift before they bounced back with consecutive wins against FC Moreirense (2-1) and A. Académica de Coimbra (3-0).

In addition, the Eagles ousted Lisbon rivals Sporting from the Portuguese Cup with an astonishing 7-6 penalty shoot-out win after a 3-3 draw. Despite the erratic nature of some of their league results, Benfica are one of five teams separated at the top of the table by just one point and with some greater consistency they could go on and win the most open title race for years and claim their first championship since 1994. Of the four players who joined the club in the January window, only Nuno Assis has established himself in the first XI so far.

Registered players: Nuno Assis, Alcides, André Luiz
Players out: Yannick Daniel Quesnel, Euripides Amoreirinha, Argél, Zlatko Zahovic.