Benfica Vs Tondela Betting Tip: Benfica To Nil – 4 June 2020

Portuguese champs cannot afford Tondela slip-up

Benfica Vs Tondela

Thursday 4 June 2020 – 19:15 Kick-Off
Portuguese Primeira Liga
Pick: Benfica To Nil
Odds: 4/5
Bookmaker: BetVictor
(All betting odds correct at time of writing: 31 May 2020)

Preview: Reigning Primeira Liga champions Benfica were toiling before Covid brought football in Portugal to a stop and now trail in the race for the title. How will they fare on their return to competitive action against a stubborn Tondela outfit?

Portuguese Primeira Liga Betting at 22Bet

 

Benfica Preview – No margin for error in pursuit of leaders?

Formidable at times during this season’s Primeira Liga, in particular through gameweeks 4 – 19 as they reeled off sixteen consecutive victories, Benfica (2nd – W19 D2 L3) were nevertheless fortunate to only trail leaders Porto by a point when football ground to a standstill in March. At that time, coach Bruno Lage was seemingly powerless in preventing his team suffering a quite dramatic slump by their high standards.

Since losing away to Porto in early February, when a 3-2 scoreline brought an abrupt end to that remarkable run of wins, Benfica fell to pieces. Braga quickly compounded the frustrations by beating them 1-0 at Estadio da Luz next time out, which was later followed by costly draws with Moreirense and Vitoria Setubal as their lead atop the table soon became a deficit.

The past couple months has therefore given them a chance to reset, because they were self-imploding. Just three teams prevented them from winning at home, though, with Moreirense the only ones to manage it ranked lower than third. Put simply, ‘As Aguias’ (The Eagles) are short odds for good reason; seven of nine such victories this season without so much as conceding, while six were by at least a two goal margin.

 

Draw/Benfica (HT-FT Betting)
13/5

Bet365

 

Tondela Preview – Unpredictable visitors out to frustrate?

Survival will be the aim for Tondela (14th – W6 D7 L11) in the remainder of what is left of the 2019/20 Primeira Liga. They are reasonably well-placed to achieve that, despite finding points and, in particular, wins hard to come by before the pandemic halted proceedings. A nine point buffer between them and automatic relegation should be plenty sufficient, although there is no harm topping that up.

Unfortunately, though, a trip to face the defending champions is unlikely to yield much in the way of points. Tondela would lose on three of four previous visits to Benfica. That being said, last season’s corresponding fixture was a close run thing, as they held out for the best part of 85 minutes in a 1-0 defeat just a year after producing a stunning 3-2 victory there in April 2018.

So while this is undoubtedly a daunting fixture, Tondela have proven themselves to be more than competent opponents in recent editions of this fixture. More encouraging, however, were results away from home this season, registering five of their overall total of six wins from twelve away outings (W5 D2 L5). Though four of five away defeats were ‘to nil’, including a 3-0 scoreline in a similar clash with Porto.

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Benfica Vs Tondela Betting Advice

To their credit, Tondela managed to ensure respectability has been maintained – and then some – in recent away clashes with Benfica, losing 1-0 at Estadio Da Luz in 2018/19 after dumbfounding expectations in 2017/18 with a 3-2 victory. Nonetheless, the hosts are expected to triumph – they’re a class above most in this league, failing to win only three of twelve home fixtures thus far.

 

Benfica Vs Tondela – Key Facts

  • After 16-straight wins during this season’s league campaign, Benfica would win only one of their final five encounters before football was stopped due to the pandemic.
  • Five of the six wins Tondela recorded during this season’s Primeira Liga were away from home (W5 D2 L5 in away matches).
  • The most recent two head-to-head meetings produced 1-0 scorelines in favour of Benfica, who required a late goal at home to see Tondela off in 2018/19.

 

Considering how poor Benfica’s form was prior to the enforced break, the hosts are probably too short here. Tondela weren’t in great shape either, it must be stressed, but clearly preferred playing on their travels and might feel they can catch the champions cold in their first competitive match back. Tondela +2.25 with the Asian Handicap is 4/6 with BetVictor.

Best Betting Odds – Benfica Vs Tondela

Benfica – 2/11 (Boylesports)
Draw – 13/2 (Betfair)
Tondela – 18/1 (Coral)