Nice vs Benfica: An incredible showdown in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers
In the first leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round, Nice will face Benfica. The match is set to take place on Wednesday, August 6, at 21:00 Central European Time. Here’s a betting tip for this clash.
Nice vs Benfica: Match preview
Nice are only just beginning their official season. Up to now, the team has played only friendly matches and will now start their Champions League campaign in the third qualifying round. Over the summer, Nice played six warm-up games—winning four, drawing one, and losing one. The squad now faces two crucial qualifiers, before kicking off the new Ligue 1 season on August 16 with a match against Toulouse.
Benfica, meanwhile, took part in the Club World Cup this summer, making their preparations far more intense than those of Nice. The Lisbon side played just one friendly, edging out Fenerbahce 3-2, and have already started their domestic campaign. In the Portuguese Super Cup, Benfica defeated Sporting 1-0. They too begin their Champions League journey from the third qualifying round and are fully focused on this showdown with Nice. Benfica’s Portuguese league season will kick off on August 17 against Estrela.
Match facts and head-to-head
- Both Nice and Benfica have lost just one of their last five matches.
- Benfica have scored at least once in 21 consecutive matches.
- Nice have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four games.
- Nice and Benfica have met twice in history, with the Portuguese side winning both—2-1 and 3-0.
Probable line-ups
- Nice: Duf; Mendy, Djuma Bah, Dante; Clauss, Samson, Budda, Bard; Bouanani, Moffi, Guessand
- Benfica: Trubin; Dedić, António Silva, Otamendi, Dal; Rios, Barrenechea, Barreiro; Aursnes, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu
Prediction
This might just be the most exciting and intriguing tie of this Champions League qualifying round. Expect two high-quality matches—my tip for this game is to back both teams to score, with odds of 1.63.
