Prediction: Benfica vs Napoli

Prediction: Match to end in 1-1 draw

Best Odds: 19/4

Bookmaker: Zetbet

Benfica and Napoli will lock horns with each other in the UEFA Champions League this week. The League Stage game between Jose Mourinho’s side and Antonio Conte’s team will be held at Estadio da Luz and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Wednesday.

Benfica

Benfica are one of the biggest clubs in Portugal and Europe and are aiming to make a strong impact in the UEFA Champions League. The Portuguese giants will be keen on making it through the League Stage.

With Jose Mourinho now in charge, Benfica have started to turn things around and are currently third in the Portuguese Primeira Liga table with 29 points from 13 matches, three points behind second-placed Sporting Lisbon and eight points behind leaders FC Porto. Benfica, though, have picked up just three points from their five UEFA Champions League games.

Benfica will head into the UEFA Champions League game against Napoli at Estadio da Luz on the back of a 1-1 draw with Sporting Lisbon at home in Liga Portugal. It came after a 2-1 victory over CD Nacional away from home in the league, which followed a 2-0 victory over Ajax in Amsterdam in the UEFA Champions League.

Team News:

Benfica are likely to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Napoli. Anatoliy Trubin will be in goal for the Portuguese giants and will have Amar Dedic, Antonio Silva, Nicolas Otamendi and Samuel Dahl in front of him in defence. Richard Rios and Enzo Barrenechea will be the two holding midfielders. Fredrik Aursnes, Leandro Barreiro and Georgiy Sudakov will be the three attacking midfielders. Vangelis Pavlidis will lead the line for Benfica.

Napoli

Napoli are one of the biggest clubs in the world and have been hugely successful in recent years. Under former Juventus manager Antonio Conte last season, they won the Serie A title and are aiming to do the same this time around.

Gli Azzurri are third in the Serie A table at the moment with 31 points from 14 matches, a point ahead of second-placed Inter Milan. Napoli, though, are not doing so well in the UEFA Champions League. The Naples outfit are currently 20th in the League Stage table with seven points from five games, three points behind eighth-placed Sporting Lisbon.

Napoli will head into the UEFA Champions League game against Benfica in Portugal on Wednesday evening on the back of a 2-1 victory over Juventus at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Serie A. It came after a win against Cagliari on penalties in the Coppa Italian, which followed a 1-0 victory over AS Roma away from home at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Team News:

Napoli are likely to line up in a 3-4-3 formation against Benfica. Vanja Milinkovic-Savic will be in goal and will have Sam Beukema, Amir Rrahmani and Alessandro Buongiorno in front of him in defence. Eljif Elmas and Scott McTominay will be the two holding midfielders. Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Mathías Olivera will be the two wide players. David Neres, Rasmus Hojlund and Noa Lang will be the three forwards.

Key Factors to Consider

• Benfica have lost 4 of their 5 UEFA Champions League games so far this campaign.
• Benfica have scored 4 goals in their 5 UEFA Champions League games so far this campaign.
• Napoli have scored 6 goals in 5 UEFA Champions League matches so far this season.
• Napoli have conceded 9 goals in 5 UEFA Champions League matches so far this season.
• Napoli have scored 2 goals and conceded 2 goals in 5 UEFA Champions League games so far this season.

Conclusion

Neither Benfica nor Napoli are in good form in the UEFA Champions League at the moment, and there is a very good chance that this particular League Stage game will end in a draw, although it should be a competitive affair.

Prediction: Match to end in 1-1 draw

Best Odds: 19/4

Bookmaker: Zetbet