Benfica Lisbon vs Vitoria SC Guimaraes Prediction & Betting Tips - League Cup

Prediction published on 15/12/2020, 07:03  by James | Modified on 15/12/2020 at 08:03 in Football Predictions

Benfica are in Taca da Liga (the Portuguese League Cup) action this week when they welcome Vitoria Guimaraes to the Estadio da Luz on Wednesday night. The most successful side in the competition's history with seven titles, Benfica last won the Taca da Liga in 2016. Their record in the Taca da Liga is all the more impressive when one considers that the competition began as recently as 2007. Vitoria have never reached a Taca da Liga final. Still, they have been successful in the primary Portuguese cup competition, the Taca da Portugal, in that time, winning the trophy in 2013, and making the final in 2011 and 2017. Unfortunately for Vitoria, they come into this game off the back of a Taca da Portugal exit. The 1-0 home defeat to Santa Clara was their first loss in four games. Vitoria, sixth in Liga NOS with 16 points from nine matches, tend to play out low-scoring contests in which only one team scores. Nine of their 11 games in all competitions featured under three goals and ten featured only one team scoring. 

This low-scoring pattern continues when you look at the head-to-head record between these teams. Benfica, second in the table with 21 points, have won four of the last five, all by one or two goals. Each game has featured fewer than three goals and a Vitoria blank, the Northern Portuguese side failing to register a single goal across that sequence. Unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions, we see no reason why Benfica can't keep that trend going. Back the home side to win with a clean sheet.