Both Benfica and Atletico Madrid will be looking to build on their respective matchday one victories in the Champions League when the pair lock horns at the Estadio da Luz on Wednesday night.
Portuguese powerhouse Benfica kicked off their campaign by recording a 2-1 win away at Red Star Belgrade a fortnight ago.
The Eagles have since earned back-to-back wins in the Primeira Liga, the most recent of which was an empathic 5-1 victory against Gil Vicente.
Bruno Lage’s side should therefore be brimming with confidence when they return to continental matters this midweek against Atletico Madrid.
Diego Simeone’s men were pushed all the way in their Champions League opener with RB Leipzig, with Jose Maria Gimenez's late header guiding them to all three points.
Last time out, Atleti snatched a last-gasp 1-1 draw when hosting rivals Real Madrid, extending their unbeaten start to the season in La Liga to eight matches in the process.
How the bookies view it: Atleti to edge out the Eagles
Atletico Madrid are 13/10 favourites with Betano to emerge from the Estadio da Luz victorious.
Benfica, who have failed to win each of their last four Champions League home games, are 15/8 outsiders on Betano, while a point apiece in Portugal has been priced up at 5/2 with the same firm.
Head to head: One win apiece
The two teams last crossed paths in this competition during the now-defunct group stage way back in 2015/16. Atletico Madrid claimed a 2-1 win on their previous visit to this venue, while Benfica gained revenge by running out 2-1 winners in the reverse fixture in the Spanish capital.
Players to watch: Otamendi to be on the referee's radar?
Nicolas Otamendi is no stranger to a referee's notebook, making the Benfica skipper an appealing option to pick up a booking in this clash at 3/1 on UniBet. Alternatively, he is 7/5 (UniBet) to commit two or more fouls – something he has been guilty of in two of his last four Portuguese top-flight appearances.
Conor Gallagher has already netted twice across his first six La Liga appearances for Atletico Madrid. The former Chelsea man has been chalked up as a 13/2 (Bet 365) shot for an anytime strike on Wednesday night.
Predicted line-ups
As was the case for the weekend win over Gil Vicente, Benfica look set to again be without Renato Sanches and Tiago Gouveia.
Atletico Madrid trio Cesar Azpilicueta, Pablo Barrios and Thomas Lemar are all currently on the treatment table, and therefore ruled out for matchday two.
Benfica: Trubin; Araujo, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Luis, Aursnes; Di Maria, Kokcu, Akturkoglu; Pavlidis
Atletico Madrid :Oblak; Le Normand, Gimenez, Reinildo; Llorente, De Paul, Koke, Gallagher, Lino; Alvarez, Griezmann
Anything else catch the eye?
Simeone’s sides are well-renowned for being fiercely competitive, and that makes the visitors a standout selection to commit over 11.5 fouls at 4/5 on UniBet.
The Spanish giants committed 13 fouls in their 2-0 win over Leipzig, and they also covered the 12+ line in a similar type of assignment at Villarreal.
Add to that the fact that Benfica earned over 11.5 free-kicks away at Red Star Belgrade on matchday one, then the same bet looks worth getting behind in Lisbon on Wednesday night.
This UEFA Champions League match between Benfica and Atletico Madrid will be played on Oct 2, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Benfica vs Atletico Madrid prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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