Maccabi Haifa vs Benfica prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Group Stage betting tips on match 2022-11-01 20:00.
Unable to progress further on the UEFA Champions League (UCL) front, a transfer to the Europa League is as good as it’s going to get this year for Maccabi Haifa. Even that is out of their hands however, as by being locked on three points with Juventus, who hold a much superior goal difference, Haifa realistically have to better the result the Italians get against PSG if they are to snatch third place.
It hasn’t been an ideal return to the top table of European club competition after 13 years, but Haifa have given a solid account of themselves in a group containing three sides inside UEFA’s top-25 in the club coefficient rankings. Needing to defy the odds to snatch third place here and with Israeli clubs losing 26 of their 35 historical UCL proper matches (W5, D4), the prospects don’t look good ahead of the visit of Benfica.
Benfica have already secured their progression to the UCL knockouts after an unbeaten group stage campaign (W3, D2), but there’s little chance of a relaxed approach here from the 37-time Primeira Liga winners. Like Haifa, Benfica hold a vastly inferior goal difference to their nearest challengers PSG, so their most realistic chance of wrapping up top spot is by bettering the result the French giants secure against Juve.
If both sides claim victory, Benfica will need to hope for a five-goal swing, though they did prove they’re capable of securing such a feat with a 5-0 victory against Chaves at the weekend! However, a negative record in European away matches in Israel (L2) threatens to end any Benfica hopes of topping the group, though they can take heart from the fact boss Roger Schmidt has lost none of his last 13 UCL group stage matches (W5, D8).
Players to watch: Omer Atzili scored a brace in Haifa’s only UCL group win this term and he has scored his side’s first goal in his last six scoring appearances. Meanwhile, Benfica’s Rafa Silva has scored in three successive games, but has never netted a UCL proper away goal.
Hot streak: Maccabi have scored in nine successive UCL home games.