The second leg of the 2024/25 Champions League playoff between Benfica (Portugal) and Monaco (France) will take place on February 18 at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. The first match ended 1-0 in favor of Benfica. Benfica vs. Monaco: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Benfica
Bruno Lage's side secured a 1-0 victory in the first match. To advance to the round of 16, the Portuguese team needs only to avoid defeat in the return leg. Benfica has lost just one of their last five Champions League matches (3 wins, 1 draw). Additionally, the team kept clean sheets in 3 of their last 4 games in this tournament, conceding only to Barcelona during this period.
- At least four goals have been scored in 4 of Benfica's last 5 home matches in the Champions League.
- The club has failed to win 7 of their last 8 home matches in the Champions League (2 draws, 5 losses).
- Benfica has conceded in 9 of their last 11 home games in this tournament.
Predicted lineup for Benfica (4-3-3)
Anatoliy Trubin – António Silva, Álvaro Carreras, Samuel Dall, Nicolás Otamendi – Leandro Barreiro, Zeki Amdouni, Orkun Kökçü – Andreas Schjelderup, Vangelis Pavlidis, Kerem Aktürkoğlu.
Midfielder Florentino will miss the match due to yellow card accumulation. Midfielders Renato Sanches, Manu Silva, Fredrik Aursnes, Ángel Di María, defender Alexander Bah, and forward Tiago Gouveia are injured.
Monaco
The defeat in the previous match marked Monaco's fourth loss in their last five Champions League matches. In the return leg, Adi Hütter's team needs to win by at least two goals to advance in regular time. However, Monaco has won by more than one goal in only one of their last 13 Champions League matches. If the French side beats Benfica by exactly one goal, extra time will be required. Notably, Monaco has not won against Portuguese clubs in their last 9 European encounters.
- At least one team failed to score in 5 of Monaco's last 6 Champions League matches.
- The club has failed to win 12 of their last 14 away matches in this tournament (6 draws, 6 losses in regular time).
- Monaco conceded at least two goals in 5 of their last 6 away games in the Champions League.
Predicted lineup for Monaco (4-4-2)
Radoslaw Majecki – Vanderson, Thilo Kehrer, Mohammed Salisu, Caio Henrique – Eliesse Ben Seghir, Takumi Minamino, Lamine Camara, Maghnes Akliouche – Myka Beret, Breel Embolo.
Due to suspensions, midfielders Al Musrati and Denis Zakaria, as well as defender Vanderson, are unavailable. Defender Soungoutou Magassa, midfielder Aleksandr Golovin, and forward Folarin Balogun are injured.
Referee
Glenn Nyberg (Sweden)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 23;
Average yellow cards per match – 2.9;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 25%.
Match Prediction for Benfica vs. Monaco
The first encounter could have seen more goals. Both teams had their chances, but finishing let them down. I expect the return leg to be an open affair. Monaco has no choice but to attack, and Benfica will likely embrace this approach, aiming to catch their opponents on the counter. The defensive issues on both sides should contribute to a goal-fest.
The Portuguese side has conceded in 9 of their last 11 home matches in the Champions League, with at least two goals in six of those games. It's worth recalling one of the standout moments of the Champions League's main round – the clash between Benfica and Barcelona, which ended in a thrilling 4-5 scoreline.
Monaco, on the other hand, managed to keep a clean sheet only against Bologna, the lowest-scoring team in the main stage, in their last six away matches in the Champions League. Adi Hütter's side conceded at least two goals in all other games during this period.
My prediction: Total over 2.5 goals
