Pacos Ferreira vs Benfica Predictions
- Benfica have won to nil in five of their eight Primeira Liga away games this term.
- Benfica’s average margin of victory across the last 11 meetings has been 2.54 goals.
- Pacos Ferreira have failed to score in three of their last five home league games.
Benfica can keep it clean against battling Beavers
Benfica can win with a clean sheet when they take on basement boys Pacos Ferreira in Thursday’s rearranged Primeira Liga clash at Estádio da Capital do Móvel. Roger Schmidt’s side are around 1/5 to pick up the victory that would enhance their advantage at the top of the table to seven points.They should do just that, but it may not be the total cake-walk that the oddsmakers expect with the Beavers fighting for their lives at the bottom while Benfica gear up for the return of Champions League football. César Peixoto’s side have taken just six points all season and there is a reason for that – they were abysmal for the first 13 rounds during which they failed to win and managed only two draws.
But there have been clear signs of improvement in the last three games as they drew against eighth-placed Chaves and beat tenth-placed Rio Ave. Neither of those are on the same level as Benfica, however.
Eagles should win to nil
The Eagles have been solid enough away from home and seem so secure in the clean sheet that they don’t always need a second goal – which happened at Casa Pia and Famalicao. Benfica won 3-0 at struggling Santa Clara last week, but they have a go and Pacos will put everyone behind the ball in a bid to limit the damage this Thursday.The hosts will have left-back Antunes and attacking midfielder Matchoi back from suspension for this sold-out clash. Schmidt is preparing his team for a tough evening by reminding them of how the Beavers played in their 3-2 defeat at the Luz earlier this season.
This one, however, will probably feature fewer goals with a 2-0 Benfica win the correct score preference because the visitors have kept clean sheets in six of their eight away league contests, winning five. Benfica’s average margin of victory across the last 11 head-to-head meetings has been 2.54 goals.