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30.12.21 - 22:00 CET
Liga Portugal
The 16th round of Portugal's top competition features two great rivals. Porto, currently second in the league (they will be first again with a win today), and Benfica, who are third.
These two teams played each other exactly a week ago and Porto won 3-0. Porto went 2-0 up in the seventh minute. Benfica were mentally brought down by a disallowed goal due to an offside and Porto managed to add a goal in the 31st minute to make it 3-0. Before the end of the half, a Porto player received a second yellow card for an elbow strike and the home team played the entire second half with ten men. However, Porto defended very well and despite being in 10 men, they managed to create good chances and did not concede a single goal.
Porto have not lost in the league so far, winning thirteen games and only two games ended in draws. They are currently on a run of five wins in a row, beating 14th-placed Visela 4-0 in their last match. In the league match before that, they beat sixth-placed Portimonense 3-0. However, Porto did not fare well in the Champions League, where they lost to Liverpool, Atl. Madrid and AC Milan and finished third, so they will only continue in the Europa League in the spring. Porto will only be missing striker Evanilson, who received a red card compared to their last game.
Benfica started the league very well, taking seven wins from seven games played. However, in the last eight games they have only five wins, one draw and two losses. In their last league match, they played against tenth-placed Maritimo and took a 7-1 victory. Benfica also played in the Champions League and fared better in a group with Bayern, Barcelona and Dynamo Kiev, qualifying from second place to the 1/8-finals of that competition. Benfica will miss defender Nicolas Otamendi due to a red card. Defender Lucas Verissimo and striker Rodrigo Pinho are both long-term injured.
Both teams are among the top three in the Portuguese league. Both teams are likely to field the same line-up, except for the players who have been suspended. Benfica had a big problem with their coach Jorge Jesus and only two days before this game they announced that he is quitting his position, so they currently have a B team coach. Benfica lost 1-3 against second-placed Sporting on the third of December, while Porto drew 1-1 with Sporting. Porto's advantage will certainly be their home environment (they won seventeen times at home, drew three times and lost only once in the whole of 2021).
In their last seven mutual matches, Porto have won five times and drawn two. On the one hand, I see a strong unit that has an amazing winning streak. On the other side is Benfica, who have problems with their coach and don't handle important games well. I don't see a single reason why the same scenario from the last time they played each other shouldn't be repeated, so I'm going with Porto to win.
My bet:
FC Porto @ 1.75 (bet365)
Liga Portugal
The 16th round of Portugal's top competition features two great rivals. Porto, currently second in the league (they will be first again with a win today), and Benfica, who are third.
These two teams played each other exactly a week ago and Porto won 3-0. Porto went 2-0 up in the seventh minute. Benfica were mentally brought down by a disallowed goal due to an offside and Porto managed to add a goal in the 31st minute to make it 3-0. Before the end of the half, a Porto player received a second yellow card for an elbow strike and the home team played the entire second half with ten men. However, Porto defended very well and despite being in 10 men, they managed to create good chances and did not concede a single goal.
Porto have not lost in the league so far, winning thirteen games and only two games ended in draws. They are currently on a run of five wins in a row, beating 14th-placed Visela 4-0 in their last match. In the league match before that, they beat sixth-placed Portimonense 3-0. However, Porto did not fare well in the Champions League, where they lost to Liverpool, Atl. Madrid and AC Milan and finished third, so they will only continue in the Europa League in the spring. Porto will only be missing striker Evanilson, who received a red card compared to their last game.
Benfica started the league very well, taking seven wins from seven games played. However, in the last eight games they have only five wins, one draw and two losses. In their last league match, they played against tenth-placed Maritimo and took a 7-1 victory. Benfica also played in the Champions League and fared better in a group with Bayern, Barcelona and Dynamo Kiev, qualifying from second place to the 1/8-finals of that competition. Benfica will miss defender Nicolas Otamendi due to a red card. Defender Lucas Verissimo and striker Rodrigo Pinho are both long-term injured.
Both teams are among the top three in the Portuguese league. Both teams are likely to field the same line-up, except for the players who have been suspended. Benfica had a big problem with their coach Jorge Jesus and only two days before this game they announced that he is quitting his position, so they currently have a B team coach. Benfica lost 1-3 against second-placed Sporting on the third of December, while Porto drew 1-1 with Sporting. Porto's advantage will certainly be their home environment (they won seventeen times at home, drew three times and lost only once in the whole of 2021).
In their last seven mutual matches, Porto have won five times and drawn two. On the one hand, I see a strong unit that has an amazing winning streak. On the other side is Benfica, who have problems with their coach and don't handle important games well. I don't see a single reason why the same scenario from the last time they played each other shouldn't be repeated, so I'm going with Porto to win.
My bet:
FC Porto @ 1.75 (bet365)
Porto in better shape!