The first leg of the 2024/25 Champions League playoff between Monaco (France) and Benfica (Portugal) will take place on February 12 at the Louis II Stadium in Fontvieille. Monaco vs. Benfica: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Monaco
Monaco seemed unaffected by their long absence from the Champions League, as they confidently started the main stage, remaining unbeaten in four matches (3 wins, 1 draw). However, three defeats in the last four games left Adi Hütter's side in 17th place in the standings. Nonetheless, the club stood out by having an equal number of goals scored and conceded – 13:13. It's worth noting that in their last two Champions League seasons, the team did not advance past the group stage.
Defender Christian Mavissa Elebi will miss the match due to suspension. Defender Wilfried Singo and forward Folarin Balogun are unavailable due to injuries. Defender Jordan Teze has been removed from the Champions League squad.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 4 of Monaco's last 5 matches in the main European tournament.
- The club has not lost at home in 5 of their last 7 Champions League games (4 wins, 1 draw).
- The number "1" appeared in the final score in 6 of Monaco's last 7 home matches in the Champions League.
Predicted lineup for Monaco (4-5-1)
Radoslaw Majecki – Vanderson, Thilo Kehrer, Mohammed Salisu, Caio Henrique – Denis Zakaria, Takumi Minamino, Eliesse Ben Seghir, Maghnes Akliouche, Aleksandr Golovin – Mika Biereth.
Benfica
Bruno Lage's side finished one place above their upcoming opponent. The Portuguese team remained unbeaten in 5 of their 8 matches in the overall stage (4 wins, 1 draw), including a victory over Monaco. Notably, 9 of Benfica's 13 points were earned away, ranking them fifth in the Champions League based on away results. In the previous tournament, the team finished third in their group.
Midfielders Renato Sanches, Manu Silva, defenders Alexander Bah, and forward Tiago Gouveia will miss the match due to injuries.
- The Portuguese team scored at least two goals in 4 of their last 5 away matches in the Champions League.
- In 5 of their last 7 away matches in the Champions League, Benfica conceded no more than one goal.
- The team has not drawn in 7 consecutive away games in this tournament (4 wins, 3 losses).
Predicted lineup for Benfica (4-3-3)
Anatolii Trubin – Antonio Silva, Alvaro Carreras, Tomas Araujo, Nicolas Otamendi – Fredrik Aursnes, Florentino, Orkun Kökçü – Andreas Schjelderup, Vangelis Pavlidis, Kerem Akturkoglu.
Referee
Maurizio Mariani (Italy)
Matches – 8 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 35;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 0;
Average fouls per match – 22;
Penalties – 50%.
Match Prediction: Monaco vs. Benfica
The first meeting of the opponents in this Champions League was a high-scoring affair. Monaco lost 2-3 at home to the Portuguese side, and the desire for revenge will serve as extra motivation for the hosts in the upcoming match. That defeat is Monaco's only home loss in their last five Champions League matches (3 wins, 1 draw). However, it's worth noting that they have only kept a clean sheet once during this period. Moreover, Monaco has conceded in 16 of their last 17 home matches in this tournament.
Benfica is not shy about attacking aggressively, even in away matches. As a result, the Portuguese team has scored in 5 of their last 6 away games in the Champions League, but they have only kept a clean sheet once during this period. With such defensive stats, it will be challenging to contain an opponent's attack that has scored in 9 of their last 11 Champions League matches.
My prediction: Both teams to score – yes
