MX23RW : Tuesday, March 19 07:29:58| >> :600:217066:217066:
[monks data]
Benfica
Primeira Liga | Gameweek 31
May 6, 2021 at 6.30pm UK
Estádio da Luz
Porto
Benfica
1 - 1
Porto
Everton (23')
Weigl (31'), Verissimo (58'), Silva (60'), Leite (71'), Gabriel (81'), Pizzi (81'), Seferovic (83'), Goncalves (89')
FT(HT: 1-0)
Uribe (75')
Oliveira (15'), Pepe (64'), Mbemba (81')

Preview: Benfica vs. Porto - prediction, team news, lineups

Sports Mole previews Thursday's Primeira Liga clash between Benfica and Porto, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.

Benfica and Porto meet at the Estadio da Luz on Thursday, in the latest edition of the famous O Classico rivalry.

Portugal's two most successful clubs will go head-to-head for the 247th time, as they continue their battle for second place in the Primeira Liga table.


Match preview

Benfica's Haris Seferovic celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates in January 2021© Reuters

Benfica come into this game on the back of three consecutive wins in the Portuguese top flight, most recently picking up a 2-0 away victory over Tondela.

Pizzi opened the scoring after 12 minutes, and Everton added a second goal soon after to give As Aguias a fairly comfortable win at the Estadio Joao Cardoso.

That followed a 2-1 win over Santa Clara and a dominant 5-1 away victory over Portimonense, as Pizzi, Darwin Nunez and Everton all got on the scoresheet alongside a Haris Seferovic brace.

Jorge Jesus's side now sit comfortably in third spot with 20 wins from 30 league games, while a victory on Thursday would move them within a point of their rivals in second spot, boosting their chances of reaching the qualifying stages of the Champions League.

Their opponents returned to winning ways last time out, as they defeated Famalicao 3-2 at home.

Porto coach Sergio Conceicao pictured on April 7, 2021© Reuters

Ivo Rodrigues equalised on the stroke of half time for the visitors following Antonio Martinez's early opener, but goals from Mehdi Taremi and Marko Grujic helped Os Dragoes to a comfortable lead, while Anderson's added-time goal was not enough to salvage a result for Fama.

That followed a somewhat disappointing 1-1 draw with Moreirense, as they only salvaged a point thanks to a late Taremi penalty, breaking their seven-game winning run in the top flight.

As a result, Sergio Conceicao's side lost crucial ground on league leaders Sporting Lisbon, now sitting six points behind the side from the capital with four games left to play, having previously reduced the gap to four points during a tough spell for the Lisbon outfit.

While the title is now firmly Sporting's to lose, Conceicao's side will focus on winning all of their remaining games to keep their slim hopes alive of retaining the title that they won for the 29th time last season.

Benfica Primeira Liga form:
  • W
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • W

Porto Primeira Liga form:
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • W
  • D
  • W

Porto form (all competitions):
  • W
  • L
  • W
  • W
  • D
  • W



Team News

Porto players celebrate scoring against Marseille in the Champions League on November 3, 2020© Reuters

Benfica are expected to remain without several important players through injury, after midfielder Adel Taarabt and forward Darwin Nunez both missed the recent game against Tondela.

They join a growing injury list, as Andre Almeida, Andreas Samaris and Jardel all remain out of action.

However, they will welcome centre-back Nicolas Otamendi back to action to face his former club following a suspension, and he is expected to reform a back three alongside Jan Vertonghen and Lucas Verissimo.

Key midfielder Julian Weigl should return to the starting XI for Thursday's game after he was rested in the recent victory, while Diogo Goncalves is also expected to come back in on the right-hand side.

Haris Seferovic will lead the line for As Aguias, having recorded 18 goals and seven assists in 27 Primeira Liga games this season.

Porto's will remain without centre-back Ivan Marcano through injury, while right-winger Jesus Corona is also a doubt after he was brought off with an injury concern after just 20 minutes in the victory over Famalicao.

They will be boosted by the return of experienced defender Pepe, who served a suspension last time out after he picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in the draw with Moreirense.

Conceicao opted to make several changes to his side for the Famalicao clash, as Antonio Martinez, Marko Grujic and Francisco Conceicao were all handed somewhat rare starts.

He is expected to revert back to a more usual lineup for Thursday's huge clash, with key players such as forward Moussa Marega and midfielder Sergio Oliveira coming back into the side.

Benfica possible starting lineup:
Leite; Verissimo, Otamendi, Vertonghen; Goncalves, Weigl, Pizzi, Grimaldo; Silva, Seferovic, Everton

Porto possible starting lineup:
Marchesin; Manafa, Pepe, Mbemba, Sanusi; Diaz, Oliveira, Uribe, Otavio; Marega, Taremi


SM words green background

We say: Benfica 1-1 Porto

With both sides in strong runs of form, this game could definitely go either way, but we predict a draw for the 62nd time in O Classico history on Thursday.

Both sides have shown themselves to be more than adept in both attack and defence, and we do not expect one to dominate the other at the Estadio da Luz, instead opting for a closely-fought draw.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data



ID:446063:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect12181:

Data Analysis

Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Benfica win with a probability of 42.86%. A win for Porto had a probability of 31.17% and a draw had a probability of 26%.

The most likely scoreline for a Benfica win was 1-0 with a probability of 10.37%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (8.9%) and 2-0 (7.48%). The likeliest Porto win was 0-1 (8.57%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (12.34%). The actual scoreline of 1-1 was predicted with a 12.3% likelihood.


Previews by email

Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!


Game History

How you voted: Benfica vs Porto

Benfica
32.4%
Draw
25.7%
Porto
41.9%
148
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Porto coach Sergio Conceicao pictured on April 7, 2021
Read Next:
Monday's Primeira Liga predictions including Moreirense vs. Porto
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sporting Lisbon25212275255065
2Benfica26204260213964
3Porto26184450183258
4Braga26165555342153
5Vitoria de GuimaraesGuimaraes26155641271450
6MoreirenseMoreirense2612682827142
7AroucaArouca26104124337634
8FamalicaoFamalicao2561092430-628
9Gil Vicente2677123539-428
10BoavistaBoavista2677123351-1828
11Casa Pia2676132339-1627
12SC FarenseFarense2676133438-427
13Estrela Amadora2668122639-1326
14Estoril PraiaEstoril2674154249-725
15Rio AveRio Ave2641392635-925
16PortimonensePortimonense2665152453-2923
17Vizela2649132652-2621
18ChavesChaves2647152556-3119

Subscribe to our newsletter


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!