Porto vs Benfica: who will emerge victorious from the Lisbon derby and book a place in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup?
The quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup bring us a top-level showdown between Porto and Benfica. The match will take place on Wednesday, 14 January, with kick-off at 21:45 CET, and I am offering a betting pick for this fixture.
Porto vs Benfica: match facts and head-to-head
- Porto have won their last seven matches in a row.
- Benfica have lost just one of their last 12 matches.
- Benfica have scored at least one goal in 12 consecutive matches.
- Porto’s scoring run has now reached 15 straight matches.
- At home, Porto have won their last four matches.
- In away games, Benfica are unbeaten in seven matches: one draw and six wins.
- Porto have kept a clean sheet in 62% of their matches this season, Benfica in 50%.
- Only 4% of Porto’s matches this season have ended in defeat without scoring, compared to 10% for Benfica.
- In 54% of their matches this season, Porto have scored in both halves.
- Porto and Benfica played out a 0–0 draw in their most recent head-to-head meeting.
- Porto have won three of the last four Portuguese Cup titles.
Porto vs Benfica: match preview
Porto are enjoying an outstanding campaign and are firmly in the title race. After 17 rounds, they have collected 49 points, holding a seven-point lead over second place and a ten-point advantage over Benfica. Porto remain unbeaten in the league this season, with their only defeat coming in the League Cup. In the Portuguese Cup, Porto entered at the third round, where they recorded a 4–0 win, then swept aside Sintrense 3–0 and defeated Famalicão 3–1. Notably, Porto have lifted the cup three times in the last four editions.
Benfica have undergone a change of head coach, with José Mourinho now in charge. His team currently sit third in the table, having accumulated 39 points from 17 matches. They trail second place by three points and the league leaders by ten. Benfica also began their Portuguese Cup campaign in the third round, where the Eagles beat Chaves 2–0, followed by another 2–0 win over Atlético and a 2–0 victory against SC Farense.
Probable line-ups
- Porto: C Ramos; Fernandes, Kiwior, Bednarek, A Costa; Froholdt, Rosario, Mora; Pepe, Samu, Sainz
- Benfica: Trubin; Dedic, T Araujo, A Silva, Dahl; Rios, M Silva; Sudakov, Barreiro, Aursnes; Pavlidis
Prediction
We are in for a highly compelling and intriguing encounter between two of Portugal’s leading sides. I recommend a bet on both teams to score in this match, with odds of 1.95.
