Monaco vs Benfica prediction, H2H & Probable Line-ups – February 12, 2025
The first leg of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League knockout stage between French side Monaco and Portuguese club Benfica will take place on February 12 at the Stade Louis II. Here’s a betting suggestion for goals in this match with promising chances of success.
Match Preview
Monaco started the group stage of the tournament confidently, going unbeaten in the first four matches with three wins and one draw. However, under Adi Hütter’s leadership, they couldn’t maintain this form, suffering three losses in the next four games, which led them to finish in 17th place in the final standings.
Overall, the Monegasques have shown interesting statistics, with both their attack and defense producing 13 goals scored and 13 conceded. This reflects the volatility of their play. At home, Monaco has not lost 5 of their last 7 Champions League matches, with 4 wins and 1 draw.
Meanwhile, Bruno Lage's Benfica finished the group stage one spot ahead of their future playoff opponent. The Portuguese team remained unbeaten in 5 out of 8 group stage matches, recording 4 wins and 1 draw, with a notable away win against Monaco.
Interestingly, 9 out of Benfica's 13 points were earned in away games, making them the fifth-best away team in the Champions League. For instance, in the final round, Benfica beat Juventus 2-0 in Turin.
Probable Lineups
- Monaco: Radoslaw Maetzki – Vanderson, Thilo Kehrer, Mohammed Salisu, Caio Henrique – Denis Zakaria, Takumi Minamino, Eliss Ben-Segir, Magh Akliush, Aleksandr Golovin – Breel Embolo
- Benfica: Anatoliy Trubin – António Silva, Álvaro Carreras, Tomás Araújo, Nicolás Otamendi – Fredrik Aursnes, Florentino, Orkun Kökçü – Andreas Schjelderup, Vangelis Pavlidis, Kerem Aktürkoğlu
Match Facts and Head-to-Head
- Benfica has scored at least two goals in 4 out of their last 5 away matches in the Champions League.
- In 5 of their last 7 away games in the Champions League, Benfica conceded no more than one goal.
- In the group stage, Benfica won 3-2 at Monaco’s home ground.
Prediction
Bookmakers give a slight advantage to the hosts, with Monaco's victory priced at 2.40. However, we expect a high-scoring game and recommend betting on “Both Teams to Score” with odds of 1.60.
