Spartak Moscow hosts Benfica in the first leg of the Champions League qualification semifinals. The match will be played on Wednesday, August 4th at Otkrytiye Arena (Moscow)
Spartak played two matches in the new season of the Russian Premier League. Rui Vitoria's team lost to Rubin in the first round (1-0) and beat Krylya Sovetov (0-1) in the second match. In both games, Spartak looked better than its opponents but could not implement the advantage in the number and quality of shots. The match against Rubin was especially difficult for Spartak. The game was divided into segments, and the Red-and-Whites had some difficulties with creating scoring chances. For example, Rui Vitoria's team did not bother the opponent’s defense from the 29th to the 69th minute of the match. Globally, the defeat to Rubin showed nothing negative. The attacking players of Spartak had a different preseason, and not all of them are ready to the full extent. Vitoria has the resources to strengthen the squad, especially the attack. The victory over Krylya Sovetov was brought only by a penalty kick converted by Sobolev in the 67th minute of the game.
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The Portuguese championship has not yet begun, and Benfica is preparing for the match against Spartak through friendly games. In total, the Portuguese club played seven matches in the summer (four victories, two draws, and one defeat). Mostly the Eagles played against local clubs, but in the last two matches, they faced strong French teams — Lille (1-0) and Marseille (1-1). Benfica scored in six of their last seven games, with at least two goals in four cases. The most unfortunate for Benfica was the game against the Portuguese club Belenenses, which took 10th place in the league standings last season (0: 0). Benfica players were also highly productive during the regular season. The team scored in 30 out of 34 matches, and only Porto and Sporting scored more often.
Benfica is much stronger than those teams that Spartak faced at the start of the RPL. It will be even more difficult to score against the Eagles. Moreover, the load on Spartak's defense will be more serious. Benfica players look powerful in attacking actions. The team scores in almost every match. It is important that the coaches know each other well. On the one hand, this factor plays in favor of Vitoria, who worked at Benfica for a long time after Jesus and knows the principles of his game. However, the statistics are against the coach of Spartak. In 21 matches between the teams of Vitoria and Jesus, the latter chalked up 13 wins, four draws, and four defeats. And now the visitors will have more chances of gaining victory.
Prediction for the match: Benfica to win with 0.0 handicap
