⚽Benfica vs Atletico Madrid
🍁UEFA Champions League, KO: 20:00 Oct 2, 2024, Estadio da Luz
✅Benfica go head-to-head against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday. Read our Predictions and Betting Tips with Match Preview, Head-to-head stats (h2h) and Team Form Analysis.
Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Estadio da Luz will be the centre of attention when Benfica and Atletico Madrid lock horns in the Champions League round 2. The Eagles have been showing signs of improvement of late following their slow start to the season and they are likely to adopt yet another attack-minded approach against los Rojiblancos. Summer signing Vangelis Pavlidis should continue leading the line for the hosts despite failing to find the net in a 5-1 win over Gil Vicente, while both Renato Sanches and Tiago Gouveia remain in the recovery room.
Diego Simeone’s men, on the other hand, proved their worth in El Madrileno, with Angel Correa scoring a late equalizer and, no doubt, they would be happy with one point from Wednesday’s clash as well. As Benfica are tough to beat in Lisbon, we are tempted to bet on draw. Cesar Azpilicueta and Pablo Barrios should be the only absentees in the away team.
How the bookies view it: Atleti to edge out the Eagles
Atletico Madrid are 13/10 favourites with 49JILI to emerge from the Estadio da Luz victorious.
Benfica, who have failed to win each of their last four Champions League home games, are 15/8 outsiders on WJPESO, while a point apiece in Portugal has been priced up at 5/2 with the same firm.
Head to head: One win apiece
The two teams last crossed paths in this competition during the now-defunct group stage way back in 2015/16. Atletico Madrid claimed a 2-1 win on their previous visit to this venue, while Benfica gained revenge by running out 2-1 winners in the reverse fixture in the Spanish capital.
Benfica vs Atletico Madrid Prediction
Atletico Madrid will continue their tough schedule at the beginning of the season with the trip to neighbouring Portugal.
They take on Benfica in the second round of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday evening at Estadio da Luz.
Los Colchoneros maintained their unbeaten record for the season on Sunday evening thanks to Angel Correa whose stoppage-time leveller secured a 1-1 draw against bitter local rivals Real Madrid in the city derby.
Diego Simeone’s men are third in the La Liga standings with four wins and draws apiece after the inaugural eight rounds.
They dispatched RB Leipzig at the start of the Champions League campaign via a 90th-minute strike from Jose Maria Gimenez.
Benfica also celebrated a 2-1 win at the beginning of the Champions League adventures, beating Serbian champions Red Star Belgrade away from home.
Benfica are third in the Primeira Liga table with five wins, one draw, and one defeat after seven inaugural matches.
Atletico Madrid are unbeaten in nine official matches so far in the season. They have four wins and two draws in the previous six outings across competitions.
The run includes a 2-1 win over RB Leipzig and a 1-1 draw to Real Madrid. Diego Simeone can be thrilled with his team’s fantastic defensive showings in recent weeks as Los Colchoneros allowed only three goals in the previous eight fixtures in all competitions.
Benfica head into this on the back of four straight wins across competitions. They’ve scored 12 goals in the last three Primeira Liga victories as well.
Nevertheless, Atletico Madrid are a completely different beast and the away win is the only logical betting option at the 2.37 odds here.
We also like the 1.90 odds offered for the Under 2.5 goals FT bet considering how tough to break down Los Colchoneros have been so far in the season.
Players to watch: Otamendi to be on the referee’s radar?
Nicolas Otamendi is no stranger to a referee’s notebook, making the Benfica skipper an appealing option to pick up a booking in this clash at 3/1 on UniBet. Alternatively, he is 7/5 (UniBet) to commit two or more fouls – something he has been guilty of in two of his last four Portuguese top-flight appearances.
Conor Gallagher has already netted twice across his first six La Liga appearances for Atletico Madrid. The former Chelsea man has been chalked up as a 13/2 (Bet 365) shot for an anytime strike on Wednesday night.
Predicted line-ups
As was the case for the weekend win over Gil Vicente, Benfica look set to again be without Renato Sanches and Tiago Gouveia.
Atletico Madrid trio Cesar Azpilicueta, Pablo Barrios and Thomas Lemar are all currently on the treatment table, and therefore ruled out for matchday two.
Benfica: Trubin; Araujo, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Luis, Aursnes; Di Maria, Kokcu, Akturkoglu; Pavlidis
Atletico Madrid :Oblak; Le Normand, Gimenez, Reinildo; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Lino; Alvarez, Griezmann
