.jpg)
FC Porto hosts Benfica in the Taça de Portugal 1/8 finals. The match will be played on Thursday, December 23rd at Estádio do Dragão (Porto)
Sergio Conceicao's team started its way in the Portuguese Cup from the 3rd round. FC Porto overcame the resistance of Sintrense (5-0) and Feirense (5-1). The Dragons showed quite good results over the past weeks. They shared the lead with Sporting in the national championship and advanced to the Europa League 1/16 finals from a difficult Champions League group with Liverpool, Atlético Madrid, and AC Milan. Moreover, FC Porto had real chances of taking even second place. On December 19, the Dragons won the 10th match in a row in the Primeira Liga, defeating the newcomer of the elite division, Vizela (0-4). Luis Diaz, Otavio, and Zaidu Sanusi scored for the Dragons, and Vizela’s midfielder Samu sent another goal into his own net.
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Jorge Jesus's team also started its way in the tournament from the 3rd round. Benfica knocked out Trofense (2-1) and Pacos de Ferreira (4-1). The Eagles can add the current segment of the season to their assets. They overtook Barcelona and advanced to the 1/8 finals of the Champions League. Beyond that, they reached the League Cup semifinals, where they will face Boavista. In the last five rounds of the Portuguese championship, Benfica defeated all its opponents with a large score, losing only to Sporting in early December (1-3). Last Sunday, the footballers of Jesus humiliated Maritimo at home (7-1). Darwin Nunez scored a brace, and the other goals were scored by Gilberto Junior, Rafa Silva, Gonçalo Ramos, Haris Seferovic, and Ukrainian legionnaire of the Eagles Roman Yaremchuk.
The next confrontation between the two bitterest rivals in Portuguese football should turn out to be bright. The teams are now in great shape, and they are going on a week's vacation after the upcoming game, so both of them will be ready to spend all their energy on the pitch. Their head-to-head matches often end with an exchange of goals scored. Such an event took place in six out of eight previous games, and now there is a high probability of the continuation of this trend. Porto has not conceded in three previous matches, but the Dragons have played against weaker teams. Their defense is doing worse with stronger opponents: the match against Sporting ended in a 1-1 draw, and Conceicao's players conceded at least once in the last three Champions League rounds. Benfica is also not sinless in defense. The Eagles have taken the ball out of their net in five of six previous games in the Primeira Liga. Even the match against Maritimo ended without a clean sheet.
Prediction for the match: Both teams to score — yes
