SC Lusitania Angra vs Benfica Lisbon Prediction & Betting Tips - Taca de Portugal

Prediction published on 19/10/2023, 08:00  by Devesh Jaganath | Modified on 19/10/2023 at 08:04 in Football Predictions

The third round of the Taca de Portugal will see Lusitania play host to Benfica on Friday evening. The hosts currently lead Group C in the Portuguese third division, while the visitors are second in the top flight. Lusitania beat Os Mara 1-0 in round two of this competition. They come into this match in solid form and will need every advantage going up against the Primera Liga defending champions. The hosts won their last match 3-1 against Uniao de Tomar over the weekend to extend their record to five matches unbeaten. They won four and drew one, while they also kept three clean sheets in that time. Lusitania are also unbeaten in their last four home games, last tasting defeat on home soil in this competition against Praiense last season. Still, against the reigning champions, the hosts are expectedly massive outsiders in this one. 

Meanwhile, with the international break just ended, Benfica will be extremely grateful for this fixture. Against a lower-league opponent, the visitors will likely opt to rest a few of their returning players. The Eagles clinched a crucial 1-0 win over rivals Porto before the break. That extended their winning run in the league to seven consecutive wins, with their only dropped points coming over the opening weekend against Boavista. The only dent on their record this season has been their Champions League form, where they are yet to get off the mark in their group. With that in mind, The Reds have a very busy schedule over the next couple of months and may prioritize the bigger competitions above this one.