Preview: Benfica vs AVS - prediction, team news, lineups

Benfica will look to put their controversy-laden clash in midweek behind them as they turn their focus to Saturday’s Primeira Liga encounter with basement side AVS at the Estadio da Luz.

The Eagles suffered a 1–0 defeat in Tuesday’s fiercely contested first leg against Real Madrid in their Champions League knockout playoff, two days after this weekend’s visitors from Vila das Aves secured their first top-flight victory of the campaign.

Match preview

Understandably, Benfica’s second meeting with Real Madrid this season was never going to be short of talking points, particularly after Jose Mourinho guided his side to a dramatic victory over his former club three weeks ago to clinch one of the final qualification spots at the expense of the Galacticos’ top-eight ambitions.

Tuesday’s contest at the Estadio da Luz reached boiling point when Vinicius Junior’s goal celebration appeared to provoke a reaction from sections of the home support and the Eagles’ players, with Gianluca Prestianni at the centre of the controversy as the match was briefly halted following allegations that he directed a racial slur towards the Brazilian forward.

While investigations are set to follow regarding what was said in that moment, Benfica have publicly backed Prestianni, and with one eye on overturning their deficit in next week’s second leg in Spain, the Lisbon outfit must now refocus fully on domestic duties as they aim to build on their recent league momentum.

Last weekend’s 2–1 victory at Santa Clara marked a fifth win in six top-flight outings in 2026 (D1), extending the Eagles’s unbeaten run in the competition to 37 matches (W27, D10), dating back to their defeat against Casa Pia on matchday 19 last season.

That remarkable stretch leaves Benfica as the only side yet to taste defeat in the league this term, and that result also strengthened their position in the title race — although the Reds remain third in the Primeira Liga table — with the gap to the summit and to second place trimmed to seven and three points, respectively.

While victory on Saturday would further reinforce their charge, the Eagles will approach the contest with a measure of caution; despite winning seven of their 11 home league matches this season (D4), they have dropped points against sides currently battling for survival, drawing with Santa Clara, Casa Pia and Rio Ave.

Meanwhile, AVS will take confidence from securing their first league victory of the season, having thrashed in-form Estoril Praia 3–0 at the Estadio do CD Aves last weekend courtesy of second-half strikes from Diego Duarte, Tomane and Angel Algobia.

That encounter also delivered Joao Henriques’s first win since his appointment in December after eight previous outings without success (D2, L6), though the result does little to ease their precarious position.

The Vila das Aves outfit remain rooted to the foot of the table, a whopping 12 points adrift of safety, having scored just 18 goals — the third fewest in the division — while conceding a league-high 54.

Thirty-one of those goals have come on the road, where AVS have lost eight of their 10 Primeira Liga away fixtures this season, a record that does not inspire confidence, particularly for a side beaten in three of their previous four meetings with Benfica (D1), conceding nine across the last two encounters without reply.

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

Benfica form (all competitions):

AVS Primeira Liga form:

AVS form (all competitions):

Team News

Benfica will be without Prestianni, who picked up his fifth booking of the Primeira Liga campaign at Santa Clara last weekend and will serve a suspension.

There is, however, an option on the right wing, with Dodi Lukebakio returning from an ankle injury in a brief cameo against Madrid, though it remains to be seen if he is fully fit to start.

Richard Rios also made an appearance off the bench in that same encounter, while Alexander Bah was named as an unused substitute following his recovery from a long-term injury, though goalkeeper Samuel Soares remains sidelined with a muscle problem.

For AVS, their recent victory over Estoril came at a cost, with midfielder Pedro Lima forced off, making his participation in this fixture uncertain.

Antoine Baroan will miss a third consecutive match with a broken leg, and right-back Guillem Molina remains out with a fibular injury.

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Trubin; Banjaqui, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Rios, Barreiro; Aursnes, Rafa Silva, Sudakov; Pavlidi

AVS possible starting lineup:

Adriel; Devenish, Paulo Vitor, Rivas; Mendonca, Algobia, Roni, Pedro Lima, Akinsola; Duarte, Tomane

We say: Benfica 3-0 AVS

Despite AVS’ recent win, they are expected to struggle against a Benfica side looking to reignite their title challenge.

The Eagles’s 6-0 triumph the last time they hosted this fixture hints at another comfortable victory for the hosts against defensively vulnerable visitors.

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