Benfica vs Monaco prediction and betting tips on February 18, 2025
Game Prediction
A return match between Benfica and Monaco will take place in the preliminary round of the Champions League play-offs on February 18, 2025. The Portuguese club only needs to avoid defeat to advance to the 1/8 finals.
Our prediction for the match Benfica vs Monaco
“The Eagles” tried to defend their championship title last season, but ultimately lost 1st place to Sporting. Now, the club from Lisbon, having replaced the coach after the start of the new cycle, won the title in the form of the League Cup, and it beat “the Lions” on penalties in the final. At the same time, the team is losing the battle for leadership to its neighbour in the Primeira. “The Monegasques”, being under the leadership of a new coach, Hütter, immediately regained the vice-championship in 2023/2024. Now Adi’s wards are lagging behind not only PSG, to whom they recently lost in the Super Cup and in the Ligue 1, but also to Marseille, and Lille is nearby.
Speaking about the Champions League, the Portuguese club beat the French opponent in the main round. It also won, at the start of the competition, the meetings with Crvena Zvezda and Atletico and managed to take a 2-0 victory on the field of Juventus in the last round. Still, the team lost not only to Bayern and Barcelona, but also to Feyenoord, which happened at the home arena with a 1-3 score. The representative of France, having returned to the Champions League, started very convincingly – it got 10 points in the first 4 rounds, including beating Barcelona. Still, then there was only a victory over Aston Villa (the team lost to Benfica, Arsenal and Inter, conceding 3 times).
Everything was decided at the beginning of the second half in France last Wednesday. First Pavlidis opened the score, and then, 4 minutes later, Al-Musrati “asked” for a second yellow card. And, being in the minority, his partners lost – 0-1.
Benfica vs Monaco: key statistics and trends
- Benfica has won twice in a row.
- The Portuguese club has taken 1 point in 3 previous home matches in the League.
- Monaco has lost 4 of 5 previous rounds of the League.
- The representative of France has twice lost with a 0-3 score on the away field.
Benfica vs Monaco: possible starting line-ups
Benfica (possible line-up): Trubin – Bah, Otamendi, Antonio Silva, Tomas Araújo – Kökçü, Florentino, Aursnes – Schjelerup, Di Maria, Pavlidis.
Monaco (possible line-up): Majecki – Caio Henrique, Mawissa Elebi, Kehrer, Vanderson – Minamino, Magassa, Zakaria, Akliouche – Embolo, Biereth.
Previous head-to-head matches: Benfica vs Monaco
“The Monegasques” finished the first head-to-head match in the Champions League with a 0-0 draw, which happened in 2014. Still, the French club lost both the return match and the game in the autumn to the opponent from Lisbon.
Free prediction for the match Benfica vs Monaco
The Portuguese club is the favourite of the following battle, but it is important for them not to win, but to try to concede as few goals as possible. As a result, we expect “total: under 3.5” (odd: 1.62).