DESPORTIVO AVES v BENFICA
Primeira Liga
Monday 18th February 2019
Kickoff: 2015hrs
Pick: Both teams to score
Bookmaker: bet365
Odds: 2.05 (odds taken at 04:25 GMT, 18 Feb 2019)
Monday night also brings us action from the Portuguese top flight with a Primeira Liga clash between Desportivo Aves and Benfica at the Estádio Clube Desportivo das Aves with the hosts looking to add to their recent wins with a scalp here on Monday night.
Primeira Liga Betting at bet365
Desportivo Aves Prediction
Desportivo Aves currently occupy third from bottom position in the Primeira Liga but their recent haul of wins have given them a real fighting chance of avoiding the drop down to the Segunda Liga as they’ve picked up precious wins against Vitoria Setubal, Tondela and Maritimo in recent weeks, winning three of their last four matches.
This improved run of form has seen Desportivo Aves suffer just one defeat from their last five matches overall in the Portuguese top flight which was a 2-0 loss at home to 3rd placed Sporting Braga, but the recent wins along with a point against Feirense should give the hosts the shot in the arm that they desperately needed.
Results at home have been mixed though amidst their overall record of 3-3-5 14/15 as the hosts have struggled for consistency throughout their campaign, but in seven of their 11 home matches to date, we’ve seen both teams score and this may be an angle worth exploring.
- Desportivo Aves have won 3 of their last 4 matches in the Primeira Liga
- 7 of Desportivo Aves’ 11 home matches have seen both teams score
- Benfica have won their last 6 league matches on the trot
Benfica Prediction
Benfica registered what could be a vital 2-1 win during the week away at Turkish club Galatasaray in the first leg of the round of 16 in the Europa League, which extended Benfica’s impressive winning streak to five wins on the trot, which also included an emphatic 10-0 win over Nacional in the Primeira Liga last Sunday.
With six wins on the trot in the league, you’d have to think that Benfica would score again away at Desportivo Aves, even though their dominance against Monday night’s hosts was ended last time out when they were held to a 1-1 draw by the side from Vila da Aves.
And things haven’t all gone Benfica’s way on their travels this season either as the visitors had recently suffered three defeats on the trot at Sporting CP, Belenenses and Moreirense, and despite winning their last two on the road on the trot with wins at Tondela and Maritimo, they’d previously managed just two wins from their previous 14 matches on their travels.
An away record of 8-1-2 20/9 therefore doesn’t quite tell the whole story, and although Desportivo Aves sit in the bottom three, I believe it would be beneficial to respect them here.
Betting Tips Verdict
The hosts need the points to pull themselves out of the relegation zone while a win for Benfica here would see them move to within just a point of Primeira Liga leaders, Porto.
