Preview:Estrela Amadora vs Benfica - prediction, team news, lineups

Benfica will begin their 2025-26 Primeira Liga campaign this Saturday with a trip to Estrela Amadora.

Although the opening round of fixtures took place last weekend, the Reds were not in action as they focused on the second leg of their Champions League qualifier against Nice.

Match preview

Benfica’s rest paid off as they outclassed the French side once again at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday, with first-half goals from Fredrik Aursnes and Andreas Schjelderup sealing victory and sending Bruno Lage’s men into the UCL qualifiers playoff rounds with a 4-0 aggregate win.

The result means the Reds have now gone three matches without conceding, with the run also including their 1-0 triumph over Sporting Lisbon in the Super Cup, adding another honour to the cabinet and continuing a fiercely contested rivalry between the two capital city giants.

Last season, the three major domestic trophies were split between both sides, and Benfica, whose sole success came in the Taca da Liga, will be eager to begin their league campaign in style following a disappointing conclusion to 2024-25.

The Reds failed to win either of their final two top-flight fixtures, drawing at home against Sporting in their penultimate outing before repeating that outcome away to Braga on the final day, ultimately missing out on the title by just two points.

A 3-1 loss to the Primeira Liga champions in the Portuguese Cup final compounded that frustration, but Benfica now have the chance to start afresh against an opponent they have defeated in each of their last six of their league meetings.

Estrela Amadora, meanwhile, extended their winless league run to four games with a 1-1 draw at Estoril in their season opener, though Jose Faria will take encouragement from Ianis Stoica’s 75th-minute leveller, which at least halted their sequence of defeats.

The Tricolours ended the 2024-25 campaign with three successive losses, finishing just two points clear of the relegation playoff, and will be determined to steer clear of another survival scrap, so home support at Estadio Jose Gomes could be vital this weekend.

However, their record at the ground in recent months offers little comfort, with six defeats in nine league matches this year and only one victory in that time.

A major issue in that run was Estrela’s bluntness in the final third, failing to score in five of those games, although one of their more spirited attacking displays came against Benfica, in an encounter where the Tricolours fought back from two goals down before eventually losing 3-2, suggesting another fiercely contested meeting could be seen again.

Estrela Amadora Primeira Liga form:

Estrela Amadora form (all competitions):

Benfica form (all competitions):

Team News

Faria will be absent from Estrela’s dugout as he serves a suspension after being sent off in last weekend’s draw with Estoril.

Meanwhile, left back Guilherme Montoia remains a doubt for this clash after being forced off just 16 minutes into his appearance from the bench in that game.

Stoica, who came on to net the equaliser on Monday, is expected to be full of energy here and could be handed a starting berth out wide, with Jovane Cabral likely operating from the opposite flank.

Given Benfica’s congested schedule, Lage may opt to shuffle his pack, potentially handing new signing Rafael Obrador his debut, while Florentino Luis and Gianluca Prestianni could also be given starting opportunities.

The visitors will, however, be without Bruma, Manu Silva, Alexander Bah and Tomas Araujo, all sidelined through injury.

Estrela Amadora possible starting lineup:

Ribeiro; Chernev, Drame, Pantalon; Varela, Moreira, Oudrhiri, Encada; Stoica, Godoy, Cabral

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Trubin; Obrador, Silva, Otamendi, Dedic; Barreiro, Florentino; Schjelderup, Prestianni, Aursnes; Pavlidis

We say: Estrela Amadora 1-3 Benfica

Even with the possibility of rotation from Lage, Benfica still head into this fixture as clear favourites, although a high-scoring affair akin to last season’s corresponding fixture cannot be ruled out.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.