Club Brugge vs Benfica Lisbon Prediction & Betting Tips - Champions League

Benfica will head to this game with the favorites’ tag, having been given odds of 1.94 for a win whereas a draw comes with odds off 3.75 and a home win has odds of 4.4. Benfica have also led at half time in four of their last five matches and this presents an interesting market offered by the bookies. The best odds for the Portuguese side to lead at the break are 2.52, a draw at half time ispriced at 2.52 and Club Brugge leading at the break is offered at 4.5. Benfica are also deemed favorites to score first in this game, with odds of 1.65 for that and 2.6 for Brugge to score first while no goal comes with odds of 14.

Club Brugge finished second in a tricky Group B with 11 points while Benfica topped Group H with 14 points. Brugge are in the knockout stage for the first time in their history and qualified from their group ahead of Bayer Leverkusen and Atletico Madrid. The Belgians won three matches with one of them a stunning 4-0 victory away to eventual group winners, Porto. Club Brugge registered two home wins in three group matches, and they suffered a 4-0 loss in the most recent home game in the competition. The Belgian side has just three wins in 12 home matches in ten Champions League. They however come into this tie in woeful form as they have won just one of their last 10 matches across all competitions. Their struggles have led to a coaching change with Scott Parker replacing Carl Hoefkens. However, the Englishman’s appointment hasn’t brought about a change in fortunes slightly over a month into the job. Brugge are out of the Belgian Cup and find themselves in danger of slipping out of the playoffs for the title as they sit in fourth place (last slot) just three points above fifth. In their last five matches, they have one clean sheet, and at home they have no win in six matches, though they scored in all six. Club Brugge have no win in their last eight matches at home.

Benfica are flying high in the domestic league; they are top with a five-point cushion and have won six of their last eight matches. In four of their last five matches, theyve scored two or more goals and they have four clean sheets in the last five matches. Away from home, Benfica have suffered just one loss in normal time in the last 10 matches. They however go into this match after being eliminated from the Portuguese FA Cup at the quarterfinals stage, which came through post match penalties. In the Champions League, Roger Schmidt’s men finished top of Group H ahead of PSG on goal difference after winning four matches and losing none. The Portuguese giants are actually unbeaten in 11 Champions League games. Away from home, they've only lost once in 12 in this competition, but they've posted six wins in that run. Benfica are through to the second round of the Champions League for the second successive year. They will be hoping to better last season’s performance, which saw them reach the quarterfinals.