Preview: Gil Vicente vs Benfica - prediction, team news, lineups

Chasing a fourth consecutive Primeira Liga victory, Benfica travel to Barcelos to face Gil Vicente in the closing fixture of Matchday 24 on Monday evening.

The Eagles, however, arrive on the back of a 2–1 defeat at Real Madrid, a result that confirmed their elimination from the Champions League playoff stage following a 3–1 aggregate loss.

Match preview

Rafa Silva’s early opener at the Santiago Bernabeu proved short-lived, as Benfica were pegged back within two minutes by Aurelien Tchouameni before Vinicius Junior struck after the interval to hand Madrid another victory in this fixture.

Now eliminated from all cup competitions, having also exited the Taca da Liga and the Taca de Portugal in successive matches in January, the Eagles will turn their full attention to the league, which represents their only remaining avenue for silverware this season.

Benfica currently sit third in the Primeira Liga table, 10 points adrift of leaders Porto and six behind second-placed Sporting Lisbon, after both sides recorded victories in their respective Matchday 24 outings on Friday.

Jose Mourinho’s men will be confident of a response, having won each of their last three league matches, including a 3–0 success over bottom side AVS last weekend courtesy of first-half strikes from Alexander Bah, Enzo Barrenechea and Silva.

The only team yet to taste defeat in the top flight this season, with 16 wins and seven draws from 23 matches, the Eagles are now unbeaten in 38 league games (W27, D11) dating back to their defeat against Casa Pia on Matchday 19 last term.

Seeking a fourth straight league victory for the first time since an eight-match winning run between February 2 and April 6 last year, Benfica can also draw encouragement from their 3–0 triumph on their most recent visit to Gil Vicente.

Having suffered a 2–1 defeat in this season’s reverse fixture, the Roosters have now lost each of their last seven meetings with Benfica, conceding at least twice in all of those encounters.

That said, Gil Vicente come into this contest following a 3–1 loss at Estoril Praia last weekend, where Murilo de Souza’s early penalty proved a false dawn for Cesar Peixoto’s side, who surrendered their lead within seven minutes before Yanis Begraoui struck twice in the second half.

That result brought an end to the Roosters’ three-game winning streak, a run that included victories over fellow Minho sides Famalicao (5–0), Moreirense and Braga (2–1), briefly lifting them into fourth place.

With last weekend’s defeat dropping them back to fifth and two points shy of the top four, Gil Vicente will still fancy their chances of mounting a response, having won each of their last three home matches and remaining unbeaten in five on their own turf (W3, D2).

Gil Vicente Primeira Liga form:

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

Benfica form (all competitions):

Team News

Gil Vicente are sweating over the fitness of winger Joelson Fernandes, who was forced off in the second half of last weekend’s defeat at Estoril.

Fellow attacker Tidjany Toure is also a doubt after missing the last two outings due to a minor fitness issue, while midfielder Muhamed Bamba is set to sit out a fifth consecutive match.

At the back, Jonathan Mutombo remains sidelined and is expected to miss a seventh straight outing as he continues his recovery from injury.

Benfica, meanwhile, have seen their treatment room ease in recent weeks with several players returning to action, although midfielder Joao Veloso is still nursing a shoulder problem, while winger Bruma could miss a third successive match.

Having served one-match suspensions in continental and domestic outings, respectively — the latter due to an accumulation of bookings — Gianluca Prestianni is once again available for selection.

Currently on 20 league goals and just two behind Sporting’s Luis Suarez, who struck twice on Friday, Vangelis Pavlidis will also be eager to respond as the Golden Boot race gathers pace.

Gil Vicente possible starting lineup:

Lucao; Ze Carlos, Buatu, Elimbi, Konan; Ze Carlos, Esteves; De Souza, Garcia, Fernandes; Eduardo

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Trubin; Dedic, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Rios, Barreiro; Prestianni, R Silva, Schjelderup; Pavlidis

We say: Gil Vicente 1-2 Benfica

For all of Benfica’s impressive form in the Primeira Liga, their record on the road has lacked consistency, alternating between a draw and a win across their last four league fixtures outside their ground; Mourinho & Co. have also managed just two victories in their previous seven away matches in all competitions (D2, L3).

Gil Vicente’s recent home form adds another layer of difficulty for the visitors, but given Benfica’s overall quality and their dominance in this fixture, they should have enough to edge a closely contested encounter.

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