Club Brugge remains hopeful to keep their campaign in the Champions League alive when they go against S.L. Benfica. This meeting will be the second leg of their Round of 16 series, as Benfica won their first leg. It was a 2-0 win for Benfica on their first leg, so Brugge needs to overcome their goal deficit to win. However, they will be needing miracles, as it is hard to overcome that goal deficit. Benfica on the other hand is confident going into this match, as they have the higher chance of qualifying to the playoffs. Benfica will also be hosting this match which will be on March 8, 2023, at 4:00 AM (GMT+8).
This will only be the second time that these two teams will meet, with their first was during their first leg. However, aside from winning the first leg, the hosts are confident coming into this match as they are in a good run. They are actually in an unbeaten run in the Champions League. From five of their seven matches in the contest, they were able to score at least two goals. The visitors on the other hand are winless in their last four games in the Champions League. Additionally, they are also not doing well on the road, failing to score in their away games in the group stage. Despite the result, they are still hopeful to progress in the playoffs with a win in this game.
Club Brugge
This team is in an unpleasant run coming into this game, as they only have one win from their last six matches. Brugge’s unpleasant run will not help if they want to have a chance for the playoffs. Additionally, they must also find ways to be able to score, as they failed to score in their away matches. Their struggles recently are evident, only having couple of wins in 2023. However, despite their struggles, they still have a chance to turn the tables around with a win in this game. But it will not be easy as they need to address their issues in order to end their struggles. It will be best if they can hold their opponents to a goalless win, chasing their goal deficit.
They will be without Hendry, who suffered an injury during his domestic league game against Gent. Andreas Skov Olsen on the other hand is also unavailable, as he continues to recover from his appendix surgery. Moreover, Raphael Onyedika will be back on the bench, as he recovers from an illness.
S.L. Benfica
Benfica had a comfortable 2-0 win on their first leg, credits to the goals of Joao Mario, and David Neres. Coming into this game, they just need to protect their lead in order to qualify for the next round. Across all competitions, they are in a four-game winning run, which is a good momentum coming into this game. They are also coming from a 2-0 win in their domestic league. If Benfica is fortunate to win in this match, this will be the first time in history that they qualified for two consecutive seasons. During the 2021-22 season, they were able to qualify for the quarterfinals. They remain to be hopeful for a spot in the semifinals, as it will be the first time they do it in the Champions League.
Benfica has no additional injury concerns, but they will still be without Ristic, and Draxler due to their injuries. Chiquinho, and Goncalo Guedes on the other hand will be back from their injuries.
Prediction:
S.L. Benfica (1.5)
Odds: 0.85
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