Two teams in contrasting form go head to head in round 13 of the Primeira Liga as Benfica welcome Gil Vicente to the Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica on Sunday.
While the Gilistas will set out to end their four-game losing streak, the home side are currently on a run of seven consecutive victories and will be looking to keep the ball rolling.
Match preview
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Benfica continued their superb run of results in the Taca de Portugal as they claimed a 1-0 victory over 10-man Gil Vicente at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota to book their place in the round of 16.
In a game where Francisco Geraldes received his marching orders, former Ajax forward David Neres netted the only goal of the game six minutes after the hour mark to hand the hosts their third defeat in four matches.
Benfica have now won each of their last seven matches across all competitions, while they are unbeaten in 30 consecutive matches, stretching back to May's 1-0 loss at the hands of rivals Porto.
This superb run saw Roger Schmidt's men clinch first place in Group H of the Champions League as they picked up four wins and two draws in six matches to finish above French champions Paris Saint-Germain on the away goals rule.
Benfica now turn their attention to the Primeira Liga, where they have won all but one of their 12 matches — with a goalless draw against Vitoria de Guimaraes on October 1 being the exception — and boast an eight-point lead at the top of the league standings.
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Gil Vicente, on the other hand, were dumped out of the Taca de Portugal as they suffered a 4-1 defeat against Arouca when the sides squared off at the Estadio Cidade de Barcelos on Tuesday.
In a game where Kevin Villodres and Lucas Cunha received their marching orders, a hat-trick from Rafa Mujica put the visitors in a comfortable 3-1 lead heading into the final half hour, before substitute Sema Velazquez put the icing on the cake with a stoppage-time strike.
This result was in keeping with the Gilistas' struggles in the Primeira Liga, where they are currently on a five-match losing streak, scoring three goals and conceding 10 since September's 2-2 draw against 10-man Rio Ave.
Gil Vicente, who secured an impressive fifth-placed finish last season, have managed just nine points from their 12 matches this season to sit 16th in the Primeira Liga standings, one point below Santa Clara just outside the relegation zone.
While they will be looking to stop the rot and get their season back on track, Sunday's game pits them against a Benfica side who are unbeaten in 15 of the last 17 meetings between the teams, claiming 13 wins and two draws since August 2011.
Team News
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Benfica will remain without the services of former Paris Saint-Germain forward Julian Draxler, who made nine appearances following his arrival before suffering a muscle injury against Porto on October 21.
He is joined on the club's injury table by Brazilian defender Felipe Morato, who is out of contention for this weekend's matchup through a long-term ankle injury.
Antonio Silva, Goncalo Ramos and former Inter Milan forward Joao Mario have been named in Portugal's 26-man squad for the World Cup and the trio should retain their roles in the starting XI.
Gil Vicente, on the other hand, will be without Villodres and Cunha, who are currently suspended after both receiving their marching orders in the cup tie against Arouca on Tuesday.
On the injury front, the Brazilian duo of goalkeeper Andrew and 23-year-old forward Lucas Barros continue their spells on the sidelines and will play no part in Sunday's game.
Benfica possible starting lineup:
Vlachodimos; Bah, Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo; Luis, Fernandez; Chiquinho, Silva, Mario; Musa
Gil Vicente possible starting lineup:
Kritsyuk; Carraca, Ferrugem, Fernandes, Marin; Fujimoto, Carvalho, Tiba; Souza, Navarro, Aouacheria
We say: Benfica 3-1 Gil Vicente
Gil Vicente are in for a tough 90 minutes against a Benfica side who are currently firing on all cylinders and have enjoyed a stellar campaign so far. Given the gulf in quality and the contrasting form of both sides, we are backing As Aguias to come away with a comfortable victory in front of their home fans.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joshua Ojele
