SL Benfica is hosting Bayern Munich at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in round 3 of Group E in the UEFA Champions League. Benfica has beaten Barcelona, and they are at the top of the Primeira Liga, but this will be a really tough game for them despite their good form. Bayern is in fantastic form, they are scoring a ton of goals, and their defense has improved a lot.
Benfica is in 2nd place in this group, and they have lost only 1 game so far this season, but that won’t mean anything if they won’t be able to stop Bayern’s offense. In their last game in the Portuguese Cup this past weekend, Benfica was dominant, and they have won that game 1-2, but it could have been a lot more if they were focused. So far in the Champions League, Benfica is still without a conceded goal, while they have scored 3. Nunez is the leading goalscorer for Benfica with 2 goals. This is a solid team, they are doing a great job in the Primeira Liga, on both ends, but we will see if they are a match for Bayern in the Champions League.
Bayern has lost to Eintracht just before the international break, but they have bounced back nicely, even more than nicely against Leverkusen this past weekend. Bayern has had 59% of ball possession in that game, 11 shots on goal, 7 corner kicks, 4 big chances created, and 89% of the correct passes. Bayern scored early in the first half, and they have scored again in the first half, and again, and again, and again. Bayern has scored 5 goals in the first half, 4 of which were in the 8 minutes, and they have won this game 1-5. In the Champions League, Bayern is at the top of this group with 6 points, 8 scored goals, and still, 0 conceded goals. Lewandowski is of course the leading goalscorer for Bayern with 4 goals, while Sane added 2 assists. Bayern’s main players are well-rested for this game because they were substituted earlier in that game against Leverkusen, and more importantly, they are all in good form. I have no doubt Bayern will win this group, the only question is if they can win it without conceding a goal.
Benfica is playing well, but so does Bayern. I think this will be the game where Bayern will dominate, and as much as Benfica will try to do something, they will not succeed. I’m taking Bayern and goals.