Benfica buy Braga's Lima
Saturday, September 1, 2012
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Fresh from helping SC Braga to the group stage, last season's Portuguese Liga joint top scorer Lima has agreed a switch to fellow contenders SL Benfica on a four-year contract.
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SL Benfica beat the transfer deadline with the addition of Brazilian forward Lima from fellow UEFA Champions League contenders SC Braga.
The 29-year-old has moved for an undisclosed fee. Lima's switch on a four-year contract was only confirmed this Saturday by both Benfica and the Portuguese Professional League.
Joint top Liga scorer last season with his new club-mate Óscar Cardozo on 20 goals, Lima first came to Portugal in 2003/04 for second division FC Vizela and after a spell back in Brazil, was loaned to at CF Os Belenenses in 2009/10, making his top-flight debut against Benfica in a 4-0 home defeat.
At the end of that season Lima joined Braga and aided them in the UEFA Champions League and then in the run to the UEFA Europa League final. After his fine display last term, Lima scored in the UEFA Champions League penalty shoot-out against Udinese Calcio this week that ensured Braga joined Benfica in the group stage.
Benfica begin their Group G campaign at Celtic FC on 19 September with FC Barcelona and FC Spartak Moskva also in the section. Braga are in Group H, welcoming CFR 1907 Cluj first and also playing Manchester United FC and Galatasaray AŞ.
