Benfica secured a slender lead the previous week after defeating Monaco 0-1 in France. That puts the Portuguese outfit in a favourable position as they will host the second leg. Looking at how close the first match went, expectations are that this will be another hard-fought encounter for both sides.
Benfica Team News
A slender advantage with a second-leg match at home puts Benfica in the driving seat in this knockout tie. But despite the advantage the Portuguese have carved out, they still must be war primarily because Benfica did not show the best of faces when it came to their home fixtures – 2 losses, one win and one draw in their four such matches during the league phase. This would mean that Benfica’s last home victory in the UCL came against Atletico Madrid in November. Looking at it from the bright side, Benfica have progressed in 3 of their previous four UCL knockouts, in which they secured a win in the first leg.
Monaco Team News
Monaco’s woes in front of goal in the UCL continued last week as their 0-1 loss to Benfica was the second consecutive UCL game in which the team failed to score. Broadly looking, Monaco has managed to find the net just once across their last four tournament fixtures. Recent performances on the road are looking bleak as well – the Monégasques are on a six-game-winless away streak across all competitions, with their most recent three away matches all ending in defeat. During the league phase, Monaco did not have the best travelling form either – 2 losses, one win and two draws, with their last 2 UCL trips ending in 3-0 defeats.
Head-to-Head-Games
This will be the third game in the trio of matches between Benfica and Monaco. The Portuguese side have won their previous two encounters this season, with a curious detail being that both were held in France. The game now will be held in Portugal, and Benfica has one the only competitive games between them and Monaco held here.
Benfica – Monaco Betting Prediction
My pick is for a Benfica win. Both sides have displayed some fragile performances – Benfica at home and Monaco on the road, but we have a clear point of reference for how the H2H between these two usually go – in Benfica’s favour. I am confident they will want to win here and secure their place in the next stage, as their advantage over Monaco is slim at best. This will likely push them to secure a vital win here as well and continue their good record of progressing in knockout ties, where they have won the first leg.
Betting Tip: Benfica To Win
Bookmaker: BC.Game
Odds: 1.88
BC.Game
Place your bet on Benfica – Monaco at BC.Game