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Benfica and Monaco meet again in the UEFA Champions League knockout play-offs on Tuesday with the home team with 1-0 from the first stage in Stade Louis II last week. The winner in Estadio da Luz will meet in the round of 16 or Liverpool in the round of 16 and the Portuguese giants will be the favorites thanks to their success in principality. Vangelis Pavlidis scored the only goal for the men of Bruno Lage for a fourth victory of five games in all competitions, which was expanded during the weekend with a Primeira Liga victory in Santa Clara, although sporty CP TOP remains. For the first time since January 2024, the Eagles chase six consecutive victories and score goals with productive regularity at home. Benfica has scored at least three goals in each of their last four games on home grass, although they admit five to Barca, which means that they only won in eight UCL games.
The way of Monaco does not suggest exactly that you are ready to exploit that if the men of Adi Hutter have endured a tough winter with four straight losses on the road with only one victory of 10 over all competitions when not at home. Les Monegasques immediately risks three Champions League matches without scoring a scoop since 2014. A 7-1 thrashing of 10-man Nantes in Stade Louis II suggests that ASM can be dangerous here for the goal here. Mika Biereth has noted his second hat trick since his arrival in January, but it will have more than needing things in Portugal with this a fifth meeting between the two in Europe, with Monaco so far none of them won.
Here are our storylines, how you can view the competition and more:
How to look and opportunities
- Date: Tuesday, February 18 | Time: 3 pm etc.
- Location: Estadio Da Luz – Lisbon, Portugal
- Watch: Paramount+
- Chances: Benfica -125; Sign +300; Monaco +290
Last time -out
Pavlidis scored his sixth Champions League goal last time to seal a narrow victory in Monaco, although the red card of Al-Musrati that mainly helped. Hutter and his players now have to go to Lisbon and beat Benfica who enjoy a strong continental and domestic form, while Low and his troops will know that avoiding defeat will endure them until the round of 16.
Team news
Benfica: Al-Musrati can be suspended, but also Florentino is also, while Angel di Maria and Tomas Araujo are wounded and expected to miss. Alexander Bah, Fredrik Aurnes, Manu Silva and Renato Sanches are all injured, while Bruma is suspended from his time with Braga in Europe.
Possible Benfica XI: Truin; Santos, Otamendi, Silva, Carreras; Amdouni, Kokcu, Barreiro, Akturkoglu; Pavlidis, Cabral.
Monaco: Al-Musrati is accompanied by Denis Zakaria and Vandersonon, although Christian Mawissa is back from his ban. Aleksandr Golovin is now injured alongside Jordan Teze and Folarin Balogun and we could see Thilo Kehrer right back, while Takumi Minamino May could also start.
Possible Monaco XI: Melecki; Kehrer, Salisu, Mawissa, Henrique; Camara, Coulibaly; Akliouche, Ben Seghir, Minamino; Biereth.
Prediction
This will be tight and is quite unpredictable because of the absence on both sides, but the fluctuating form of Monaco could benefit them here, as long as Biereth maintains its hot shape. A victory of more than 90 minutes before a success of a penalty shootout sounds like a realistic scenario. Choose: Benfica 0, Monaco 1 (ASM victory on penalties).