Benfica – Juventus

Benfica will play it safe against Juventus

Benfica will play Juventus at home on Tuesday 25 October. The situation in the group is close to fatal for the Turin club. Juventus need to beat not only Benfica, but also PSG in the last match to move on. At the same time, hope for a Portuguese defeat to Maccabi. That, to put it mildly, is an unlikely scenario. Juventus have played some of their best football of the season in their last two games. Juventus managed to beat Torino 1-0 in the derby. Despite the scoreline, Juventus enjoyed a great margin of victory. Next up, Empoli were unlucky. The modest side got four unanswered goals from the favourites. Massimiliano Allegri finally opted for a two-striker formation. Unexpected progress was recorded for Moises Keane. It's the young Italian who plays alongside Vlahovic. The return of the injured players is a big help for Juventus. Only Pogba, Di Maria and De Chillo have yet to return. All the other players are working in the general group. Benfica have had an outstanding season so far. On the last matchday of the Portuguese league, the Eagles managed to thump arch-rivals Porto 1-0. In doing so, the club secured their tenth win in eleven league games. There is no point in referring to the weakness of the league. Benfica were fully tested in the Champions League. Roger Schmidt's side have twice survived against PSG. The coach has done a tremendous job. In the second leg, they also managed to beat Juventus. Benfica have not suffered a single defeat so far this season. The club's status has changed so much that the Eagles are widely regarded as the clear favorites to face the Turin-based outfit. Benfica have a very high quality and deep squad at the moment. You could say that there is a mixture of youth and experience. The average age is much higher than in previous seasons. The key performer in the attack is Rafa Silva, 29, who has already made eleven appearances in all competitions. The league position could have a major impact on the course of the game. Benfica are happy with a peaceful conclusion. They can guarantee a play-off spot, with the last leg a mere formality. For Juventus, a win in Portugal is very important from a reputational point of view. It would be important for the team to win at least one match against a top opponent when they drop out of the tournament. There has been some movement towards progress for Torino. The defence has not conceded in two games in a row. The five-man defensive formation could be a global problem for Benfica. Plus, the home side have no particular motivation to open up. It's very likely that the Eagles will play it safe and agree to a draw.