Preview: Santa Clara vs Benfica - prediction, team news, lineups

With their crunch Champions League playoff against Real Madrid on the horizon, Benfica will be out to secure a positive result when they take on Santa Clara in the Portuguese Primeira Liga on Friday.

The Azoreans, who have failed to get the better of Benfica in their last 10 attempts, will be aiming to snap this dire six-year run at the Estadio de Sao Miguel and move out of the dreaded bottom three.

Match preview

While it is too soon to fully assess the impact of the managerial reshuffle, Santa Clara’s search for a much-needed turnaround continues, with the club suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Estrela Amadora last Saturday.

Following his recent appointment as head coach, Petit’s first match in charge offered little immediate encouragement, with Jovane Cabral scoring a minute shy of the hour mark to hand Estrella all three points at the Estadio Jose Gomes.

The result against Estrela has extended Santa Clara’s slump to four defeats in four matches and eight straight games without a win across all competitions, a dry spell which saw Vasco Matos’s three-year stint at the helm of affairs come to an end.

A number of missed scoring chances at the Estadio Jose Gomes once again underscored Santa Clara’s attacking frailties, with the Azoreans netting just 16 goals in their 21 Primeira Liga matches so far — only the bottom two sides Tondela (14) and AVS (15) have scored fewer.

Barely one year since securing European football thanks to an impressive fifth-placed finish in the Primeira Liga table last season, Petit’s side find themselves fighting for safety, as they sit 16th in the standings with just 17 points from 21 matches, two points away from safety.

On the other hand, Benfica ensured they remain within touching distance of Porto at the top of the Primeira Liga table last Sunday as they secured a 2-1 victory over Alverca when the two sides squared off at the Estadio da Luz.

Following a disappointing goalless draw with bottom dwellers Tondela on February 1, As Aguias looked on course to drop points again when Figueiredo netted on the half-hour mark to cancel out Andreas Schjelderup’s 16th-minute opener, but substitute Anisio Cabral struck seconds after coming off the bench to hand the hosts an 86th-minute winner.

Having lost three of their four games between January 7 and January 21, Benfica have upped the ante in recent weeks, going unbeaten in their subsequent four matches, claiming one draw and three wins, including a thrilling 4-2 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League group finale on January 28.

While Jose Mourinho’s men remain the only unbeaten side in the Primeira Liga this season, seven draws from their 21 games mean they have dropped 14 points already, which has seen them fall seven points off Porto at the top of the league standings.

Benfica will be backing themselves to reduce this gap on Friday, when they journey to the Estadio de Sao Miguel to face an opposing side who have failed to win their last 10 meetings, losing eight and claiming two draws since a 4-3 victory in June 2020.

Santa Clara Primeira Liga form:

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

Benfica form (all competitions):

Team News

Santa Clara will head into the weekend without the services of Brazilian defender Matheus Araujo, who has been ruled out since coming off injured against Arouca on December 21.

Barring any late fitness issues, Araujo will be the only guaranteed absentee for the home side, giving new head coach Petit the luxury of a relatively full-strength squad at his disposal.

Benfica, meanwhile, are currently going through an injury crisis, with the likes of Nuno Felix (knee), Joao Veloso (shoulder) and Danish defender Alexander Bah (knee) all sidelined.

Portuguese goalkeeper Samuel Soares has been ruled out since December through injury, while Richard Rios is set to sit out his eighth straight game since coming off with a shoulder problem against Porto on January 14.

Henrique Araujo continues his long journey from a severe muscle injury, while experienced forward Dodi Lukebakio continues his spell on As Aguias’ injury table since suffering a broken ankle in December.

Cape Verde defender Sydney Lopes will also sit out this weekend’s matchup due to suspension after crossing the yellow card threshold with his booking against Alverca last time out.

Santa Clara possible starting lineup:

Batista; Soares, Venancio, Lima, Victor; Araujo, Klismahn, Ferreira; Lopes, Wendel, Silva

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Trubin; Silva, Araujo, Otamendi, Dahl; Barreiro, Aursnes; Prestianni, Silva, Schjelderup; Pavlidis

We say: Santa Clara 0-3 Benfica

Benfica will be licking their lips as they go up against an out-of-sorts Santa Clara side, who have managed just two points from the last 24 available in the Primeira Liga.

While Petit’s side will be looking to stop the rot this weekend, they have their work cut out against a star-studded Benfica side and we see them struggling in front of their home supporters.

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