Benfica and Barcelona will meet in the 2nd round of the Champions League group stage. Benfica plays in great shape, Jorge Jesus has found a recipe for positive results, and the goal is to fight for the top two spots in the group. Barcelona finally beat Levante in La Liga, and perhaps this is a hint of a series of victories.
September 29th, 2021 – 21:00
Benfica vs Barcelona Betting Tips & Predictions
Barcelona to win @2.50
Over 2.5 FT @ 1.85
Correct score 1:3 @19.00
Reason for Benfica vs Barcelona Predictions
Benfica is four points clear in Liga Portugal Bwin after rattling off seven straight wins in that competition but have had a kind fixture list. The Eagles made smooth progress past Spartak Moscow in qualifying but then only scraped past PSV Eindhoven 2-1 on aggregate. On Matchday 1 in Group E, Benfica was regarded as very fortunate to return from facing Dynamo Kyiv with a goalless stalemate. Their hosts hit the woodwork, had a last-gasp goal ruled out for offside by VAR, and were denied on several occasions by excellent saves from Eagles keeper Odisseas Vlachodimos. Their most recent results show that not much more can be done by the Benfica defense. Benfica has been miserly, resulting in the number of goals that have gone past their goalkeeper over the course of their past six outings, standing at 3. That pattern isn’t assured to follow through into this match, of course. Roman Yaremchuk finally shows his proper form and scores important goals. He creates a lot of problems for the opposing defenders. Pizzi found the right role in the team, he moves great in the middle of the field, and it isn’t easy to take the ball away from this guy.
Of course, it is hard to gloss over some of Barcelona’s early issues this term as they struggled to adjust to life after Lionel Messi. Bayern Munich ruthlessly exposed some mental frailties and defensive fragility when powering to a 3-0 Camp Nou triumph in this pool. Barca could then only draw with Granada and Cadiz in La Liga, prompting strong calls for Ronald Koeman to be sent packing. However, there was a lot to like about a 3-0 triumph over Levante, when Memphis Depay (penalty) and Luuk de Jong struck inside the first quarter of an hour. Substitute Ansu Fati, handed the number 10 shirt following Messi’s move to PSG, capped a fine afternoon by marking his return from a long-term knee injury with a third in the 90th minute. With De Jong ending a lengthy goal drought and Philippe Coutinho working his way back to full match sharpness, the vibes are suddenly much improved. Philippe Coutinho finally is the engine of this team, his greatest virtue is speed, and he has excellent ball control and can be satisfied with his performance. Pedri showed that he is a great player, he moves well and cooperates with the attackers, all praise for him.
Conclusion
It is going to be an exciting clash, as Benfica is not without a chance of remaining undefeated. However, we believe Barcelona should meet the expectations and deliver a win.
The prediction for this match is over 2.5 goals. This clash should be a real treat for all football fans.