The draw for the 1/8 finals of the Champions League has already taken place, which means that we have the opportunity to analyze the upcoming matches. Of all the couples formed, the most unremarkable match, according to football fans, is the meeting between Benfica and Brugge. However, it may seem so only at first glance, because the Portuguese took 1st place in the group with PSG and Juventus, and the Belgians left Atlético Madrid outside the playoffs.
If you are planning to bet on this match at mostbet.uz com bookmaker, then be sure to analyze the current form of the teams and their performance at the group stage. We will help you with this.
Benfica’s path to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League
Roger Schmidt’s Benfica had an amazing campaign in the group stage, leaving behind Juventus and PSG. The Portuguese finished 1st in the group and overtook Paris in away goals after both teams were level in head-to-head matches, points scored and goal difference.
Benfica play good football, they have fun both in Europe and in the league. After selling Darwin Nunez to Liverpool in the summer, the Portuguese have already shown the world some promising young talents in Rafa Silva and Enzo Fernandez, as well as adding experienced players to their squad in the form of Joao Mario, David Neres, Draxler and Otamendi.
The Portuguese started their way in the group stage of the Champions League with a home match against Maccabi Haifa, where they achieved a confident victory with a score of 2:0. Then there was a guest game with Juventus, in which the guests won (1:2) in a difficult struggle. In rounds 3 and 4, Benfica fought against PSG, however, in both matches, the winning teams could not be identified. The meetings ended with the same score 1:1. In the 5th round at the home stadium, the Portuguese gave a real scoring extravaganza with Juventus and turned out to be stronger (4:3). The club from Portugal played the final match in Israel, where Maccabi did not leave a stone unturned, defeating the latter with a score of 1:6.
Brugge’s path to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League
Porto won Group B, overtaking Club Brugge in the last round thanks to a victory over Atlético Madrid and a draw by the Belgians against Bayer Leverkusen. However, hardly anyone could have expected before the start of the group stage that the Belgians could even take 2nd place.
Club Brugge players started their Euroseason in an amazing way, beating Bayer (1:0), Porto (0:4) and Atlético (2:0) at home. In each match, the Belgians managed to keep the gates shut, as well as in the 4th round, when the club from Belgium painted a goalless draw with Atlético. However, in the 5th round, the defense of Brugge failed when the Belgians lost to Porto with a score of 0:4 at home. In the final meeting, the Brugge players played 0-0 with the Leverkuseners and secured the second place and a ticket to the playoffs.
Odds for the match Benfica – Club Brugge
Benfica shockingly topped Group H, overtaking Paris Saint-Germain, albeit only on away goals. However, the Portuguese did not lose a single game in the group stage. Their only drawback was just two draws with PSG, although these fights can probably be added to the asset of the Portuguese.
As for Club Brugge, they barely finished second in Group B. The Belgians are one point behind Porto. Club Brugge players defeated Atlético Madrid in the group, which means that this team has character.
However, the odds of the bookmakers indicate that the Portuguese club is considered the clear favorite in this meeting:
- Access to the 1/4 finals of Benfica – 1.30.
- Quarterfinals Brugge – 3.50.
Benfica are better in attack and have scored more in the group stage than Club Brugge. However, the Belgian team conceded only four goals and is one of the leaders of the tournament in terms of defensive play. Of all the group winners, Club Brugge may consider Benfica to be the least dangerous and therefore likely to be pleased with the draw.
However, the Portuguese remain one of the most talented teams left in the competition and it’s hard to imagine them not reaching the quarter-finals.
We believe that the Portuguese should have superiority in both matches, therefore, we put Benfica on a confident pass in this game.
