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

Maritimo host Benfica at the Estadio do Maritimo on Saturday for round five of the Primeira Liga season, with the visitors steadily finding their feet under head coach Marco Silva and the hosts looking to arrest a recent dip in form.

The Eagles head to Madeira sitting fifth in the Portuguese top-flight table, having picked up seven points from three games, while the newly promoted Maritimistas are seventh after collecting seven points from four games and tasting their first defeat of the campaign last time out.

Match preview

Benfica are steadily finding their feet under Silva, who replaced Jose Mourinho over the summer after the latter departed for Real Madrid, with the new head coach's first competitive match in the dugout ending in a 2-1 defeat away to St Gallen in Europa League qualifying.

The Eagles turned that tie around emphatically, thrashing the Swiss side 5-0 at Estadio da Luz to progress 6-2 on aggregate, and have since gone on to reach the main stage of Europe's second-tier club competition courtesy of a 6-2 aggregate victory over Danish side Aarhus in the playoff round.

Those continental wins over Aarhus formed a part of a four-match winning streak across all competitions for Benfica, who bounced back from a disappointing opening-day draw with newly promoted Academico de Viseu in the Primeira Liga to record consecutive wins in the league.

Benfica smashed seven past Casa Pia in Rio Maior on matchday two, and while their round three encounter with Moreirense was postponed because of their European commitments, Silva's men returned to top-flight action last weekend when they beat Estoril Praia 2-1 at Estadio da Luz.

The Reds have now scored multiple goals in seven of their last eight matches across all competitions, racking up 29 goals in that period while conceding seven, and only Sporting Lisbon (12) have scored more times than Benfica's 11 in the early stages of the Primeira Liga season.

Similarly encouraging is their away pedigree, with the Eagles finishing as the third-best travelling side in the league last term with 41 points on the road, and having already recorded an emphatic victory in their only away league match of this campaign, Silva's side will be confident of taking three points here as they look to make up for lost ground.

Benfica are the furthest off the pace among the traditional 'Big Three' when it comes to lifting the Primeira Liga, having last been crowned champions in 2022-23, and last season's third-placed finish represented a step down from the previous couple of campaigns, one they will be aiming to put right this term.

Maritimo, on the other hand, made a return to Portugal's top flight this season after lifting the Liga 2 title in 2025-26, and while they made a dream start on their return to the Primeira Liga, the newly promoted side's momentum has experienced a few hiccups in the past couple of weeks.

After securing victories over Casa Pia and Famalicao in their opening two fixtures of the campaign, Mitchell van der Gaag's side have managed to pick up just one point from the next two, playing out a 2-2 draw against Academico before last weekend's 2-1 defeat at Arouca.

Maritimo had taken the lead via Martin Tejon halfway through the first half, but conceding goals from Espen van Ee and Ivan Barbero either side of the interval meant the newly promoted side would leave Estadio Municipal de Arouca empty-handed.

Facing a Benfica side that has won each of the last six head-to-head meetings does not seem the most ideal fixture for a bounce back, though the Green-and-Reds' only victory in the last 11 encounters between the teams did come in a 2-0 success at their own Funchal ground, a result the hosts will be looking to draw inspiration from.

It is also worth noting that Maritimo have lost just one of their last eight competitive matches at home, a run that stretches back to the previous season in the second division, and they will aim to show that resilience once again on Saturday.

Maritimo Primeira Liga form:

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

Benfica form (all competitions):

Team News

Van der Gaag, who had named an unchanged XI in Maritimo's opening three fixtures, was forced into a change last time out after Simo Bouzaidi suffered an injury during the warm-up, with Bryan Limbombe handed his debut start on the right flank.

The new signing could retain his spot, given Bouzaidi's fitness issues, while Tomas Tavares, Nathanael Ogbeta, Yellu Santiago and Maxime Dominguez are also doubts for Saturday.

Adrian Butzke is expected to lead the line once again, while Tejon, who opened his account for the season with that goal at Arouca, is expected to once again complete the front three.

As for Benfica, captain Fredrik Aursnes returned to training on Wednesday after recovering from an ankle sprain and will be assessed ahead of the trip to Madeira, while Enzo Barrenechea is also a doubt after being forced off against Estoril.

Joao Palhinha, who made his debut off the bench as a replacement for Barrenechea in that encounter, could earn his first start this weekend if Silva opts not to rush Aursnes back.

Meanwhile, Vangelis Pavlidis is expected to lead the line once again following his goal against Estoril, which leaves the Greek striker as the leading scorer of the Primeira Liga campaign with five goals.

Maritimo possible starting lineup:

Pastor; Juliao, Fernandes, Correia, Henrique; Andrade, Danilovic; Limbombe, Guzzo, Tejon; Butzke

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Soares; Bah, Araujo, Lenglet, Dahl; Palhinha, Barreiro; R Silva, Sudakov, Prestianni; Pavlidis

We say: Maritimo 1-3 Benfica

Maritimo's home form and the emotional lift of hosting Benfica should make this a spirited occasion, though the gulf in quality and difference in momentum between both sides should prove decisive in favour of the visitors.

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