Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
One of the quarter-final clashes in the Portuguese Cup is set to unfold this upcoming Thursday at the "Estádio do Vizela," where Vizela will host one of the giants of Portuguese football, Lisbon-based Benfica. Will the Eagles encounter challenges on their path to the semi-finals? Here is the prediction for this match from the experts at Dailysports.
Vizela
The unassuming club from the suburbs of Braga is enduring a challenging season and appears destined for relegation from the elite Portuguese division. At present, Vizela has amassed a mere 13 points in 20 matches. The team's performance has been catastrophic, especially in the new year, with their recent home match against Gil Vicente being the only instance where Vizela managed to lose by the minimum margin of 0-1. Prior to that, they suffered heavy defeats against Boavista (2-5), Sporting (2-5), and Arouca (0-5). The significant loss to Arouca is particularly remarkable, considering that Vizela defeated the same opponent in the Portuguese Cup (1-0).
Benfica
Admittedly, Benfica spent the past decade in search of its identity, but with Roger Schmidt at the helm, much has changed. It was under the guidance of the German manager that the Eagles reclaimed the championship title in 2023. Currently, Benfica leads the league, but Sporting consistently trails closely. The lead over the Lions is a mere two points, and Porto should not be disregarded. Over the weekend, Roger Schmidt's team had no issues against Gil Vicente, securing a 3-0 home victory. This result extended their winning streak in the league to seven matches. However, Benfica's fans would undoubtedly prefer to forget the recent home defeat in the League Cup against the modest Estoril in a penalty shootout.
Interesting Facts and Head-to-Head History
• Since the beginning of 2017, the teams have faced each other seven times, with the Eagles emerging victorious in all but one match, which ended in a draw.
• The first-round match on Vizela's turf concluded with Benfica securing a narrow 2-1 victory.
Vizela vs Benfica Prediction
It's highly unlikely that Benfica will gamble on their fate and risk elimination from the Portuguese Cup, especially against such an opponent. The supporters would certainly find this unacceptable. Our wager here is "Benfica to win with a handicap (-1.0)" with odds of 1.60.
