Benfica vs Toulouse prediction: EUROPE: Europa League – Play Offs betting tips on match 2024-02-14 20:00.
Benfica’s previous UEFA contest (3-1 at RB Salzburg) was the first of an impressive 11 wins they have enjoyed from their last 13 competitive games across all competitions, ensuring they should enter their Europa League knockout round play-off tie with Toulouse flying despite a 2-2 league draw at the weekend. Whilst that result against Salzburg was their only win of the Champions League group stage, it earned them a transfer to the knockout round play-off of UEFA’s second-tier competition.
It’s still a long fall from consecutive Champions League quarter-final appearances in the two previous years, and looking further back it was the old Round of 32 (last 32) of the Europa League where Benfica fell in the two seasons before that. But a case can be made for them grabbing an advantage from this home leg with Benfica winning or drawing each of their 26 home games (W21, D5) in this competition since its rebranding to the Europa League in 2009.
Toulouse are here courtesy of a second-place finish in Group E, winning three of their six games (D2, L1) including at home to group leaders Liverpool. In their return to European football after an absence of more than a decade, Toulouse have for the first time in their history progressed beyond the group stage of any UEFA competition, albeit at the expense of their French Cup defence and potentially even their Ligue 1 survival.
In stark contrast with their hosts, the French club won just three of nine competitive matches (D1, L5) since their last continental commitment, which sees them one point ahead of Ligue 1’s relegation play-off place. They were also dumped out of the French Cup by a third-tier club, but did at least pick up two Europa League group stage wins away from home, so there is some inspiration in the absence of sound form.
Players to watch: Since he netted just one minute into his substitute appearance in Benfica’s most recent UEFA game, Brazilian forward Arthur Cabral scored in six domestic appearances, including each of his last four. Toulouse forward Thijs Dallinga scored in all three of their group stage away games, as well as their last two Ligue 1 fixtures.
Hot stat: All but two of Benfica’s last 11 games produced over 2.5 total goals.