Monaco welcome Benfica to the Stade Louis-II for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League round of 16 playoff. The French side can make things tricky but the visitor’s impressive away form should give them the edge in this encounter.
Monaco suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat to PSG on Friday, their fifth loss in nine matches across all competitions. Their inconsistency has been a concern, with their previous European outing ending in a 3-0 loss to Inter Milan on matchday eight, which denied them a top-eight finish.
However, Adi Hütter’s men will take confidence from their strong home form, winning their last three matches at the Stade Louis-II. They have also won three of their four Champions League home games this season, including a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in January.
Benfica, who only finished above Monaco on goal difference in the league phase arrive in France with momentum. They secured their playoff spot with a crucial 2-0 win at Juventus on matchday eight and have since picked up back-to-back domestic wins like the 3-2 victory over Moreirense last weekend.
The Portuguese giants have been strong travelers in the Champions League, winning four of their last five away games. History also favors Bruno Lage’s men, who are unbeaten in seven of their last 10 encounters against French clubs.
How the bookies view it: Monaco on top
Monaco have been favoured by the bookies for a win in this encounter with BoyleSports offering odds of 13/10 for a home win. Benfica are priced at 9/5 while the possibility of a full time draw has been set at 5/2 by BoyleSports.
Head to head: Dominant Benfica
Benfica have won three of their last four meetings with Monaco, including a 3-2 victory at the Stade Louis-II in November 2024. Monaco are still seeking their first Champions League win against Benfica after four attempts.
Players to watch: Prolific Pavlidis
Pavlidis leads Benfica with 14 goals in all competitions, including seven in his last five games, a hat-trick against Barcelona and a brace in his last outing. He also scored in the clash against Monaco in the league phase and is priced at 15/8 to score anytime by BoyleSports.
Monaco’s January signing Mika Biereth has quickly made an impact, scoring four of their last eight goals. The forward is backed at 7/4 by BoyleSports to find the net again.
Probable line-ups
Monaco remain without Folarin Balogun along with Lamine Camara, Edan Diop, Jordan Teze, Wilfried Singo and George Ilenikhena due to injuries. January signing Mika Biereth, previously ineligible for the Champions League is now included in the squad and is in line to lead the attack.
Benfica’s January signing Manu Silva, who arrived from Vitoria Guimaraes, is doubtful for this fixture. Alexander Bah also faces a race to be fit while Tiago Gouveia, Angel Di Maria and Arthur Cabral are unavailable due to injuries.
Monaco: Majecki; Vanderson, Kehrer, Salisu, Henrique; Akliouche, Zakaria, Magassa, Minamino; Biereth, Embolo
Benfica: Trubin; Araujo, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Aursnes, Luis, Kokcu, Akturkoglu, Pavlidis, Schjelderup
Anything else catch the eye?
Four of the last five Benfica games have produced over 3.5 goals and considering the five-goal thriller in the last meeting, this outcome is worth considering at 13/8 with BoyleSports.
Benfica have scored first in their last six matches and could continue the trend with BoyleSports offering odds of 11/10 for the eventual outcome.
This UEFA Champions League match between Monaco and Benfica will be played on Feb 12, 2025 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Monaco vs Benfica prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
