Benfica take on the visitors Brugge in the second leg of UEFA Champions League 1/8-finals. The first leg results: 2-0. The match will be played on Tuesday, February 7th at Estádio da Luz (Lisbon).
Benfica earned solid advantage. In the first match of the round of 16, the Portuguese proved everything. The Belgians were put in their place at their own stadium. It is unlikely that Roger Schmidt's team will miss the opportunity to please their fans with a victory at home. After the match with Brugge, Benfica played three games, beating Boavista (3-1), Vizela (2-0), and Famalicao (2-0). In the championship, the "Eagles" have a solid lead over their pursuers, so they don't need to conserve their strength. And winning the Champions League is not just a victory, but also a bonus, which the hosts are unlikely to refuse.
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Brugge have already punched above their weight by reaching the playoffs of the Champions League. But for now, the round of 16 is the ceiling for the Belgians. Even in their home match against the more skilled, masterful, and experienced Benfica, the team didn't show anything at all. Is there anything interesting to expect from them in Portugal? We don't think so. Even in the championship, things aren't going well for Brugge, as they are only in fourth place in the table. And in their last match, the team suffered a big defeat to one of the league's outsiders and relegation candidates - Ostend (0-3).
No surprises happened in the first match between these teams. Even away, Benfica won comfortably with score 2-0. Right now, these are two completely different teams in terms of level. And it's unlikely that anyone has any doubts that the Portuguese will be stronger in the return match as well. Even in Belgium, the "Eagles" were better in all indicators: they possessed the ball more, outshot their opponents 14-4, and even won more corner kicks (7-3). And most importantly, Benfica scored 2.83 in xG, while Brugge's number was laughably low - 0.23. There is no doubt about the favorite's victory at home. And perhaps you could even take a handicap (-1) or (-1.5) on Benfica. But I'll stick to a modest bet on Benfica's victory.
Prediction for the match: Benfica to win.