Benfica vs Monaco prediction: EUROPE: Champions League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2025-02-17 20:00.
[p]Benfica are in the driving seat of this UEFA Champions League (UCL) play-off tie after a 1-0 victory away against ten-man Monaco in last week’s first leg. The Liga Portugal outfit have progressed from three of the four previous UCL knockout ties in which they came out on top in the first leg, and a run of five straight wins across all competitions would suggest that record will improve here. [/p]
[p]Just one win from their last eight home matches in the UCL (D2, L5) offers a note of caution, but those recent games have at least been entertaining, with four of the last five seeing at least four total goals. Benfica won’t be worried about goals here though, just securing the avoidance of defeat they need to advance, and having already beaten Monaco twice in the UCL this season, Bruno Lage’s side hold the psychological advantage.[/p]
[p]With a last-16 tie against either Barcelona or Liverpool at stake, Monaco surely can’t feel overly confident of progressing after registering three scoring blanks in their last four UCL games. They showed their prowess at the weekend by netting seven in Ligue 1 against Nantes (7-1), and have managed 12 across their first five UCL games this term, but the goals have dried up in Europe in recent weeks.[/p]
[p]Adi Hütter’s side have also lost their last two UCL away games, being beaten 3-0 at both Arsenal and Inter, but they haven’t lost three consecutive games on the road in the competition since October 2000. The French side also haven’t gone three away games without scoring in this competition since November 2014, though the third game in that run was a 1-0 defeat at Benfica![/p]
[p]Players to watch: Two of Kerem Aktürkoğlu’s three UCL goals this season have come in the opening 15 minutes, with all three being Benfica’s opener. Christian Mawissa returns from suspension for Monaco after a red card in his last UCL appearance. Four of his five appearances in the competition this season have seen him shown a card.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Monaco have conceded at least twice in five of their last six UCL away games.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Ben Olawumi[/i][/p]