Manchester United v Benfica Betting Preview – UEFA Champions League 31st October 7.45pm
The Red Devils are comfortable at the top of Group A with three wins from three. They went to Portugal and took a professional victory over Benfica a fortnight ago and they will be heavily backed to land a repeat win over the Portuguese outfit on Tuesday. A win for United could see them book qualification to the next round as long as CSKA don’t beat Basel on the night. It’s been all too comfortable for the Red Devils so far and that is likely to continue.
Manchester United v Benfica Betting Tips
Well, there is a decent enough chance that United could book passage through to the round of sixteen in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night. They will qualify if they win and if CSKA fails to beat Basel. If United draw and CSKA lose then the Red Devils will make it through. It’s all been fairly comfortable for United in the group stage so far and they sit top of Group A with three wins from three and they did a professional job in winning 1-0 at Benfica on Match Day Three. They are pretty likely to turn around and post another win over the Portuguese side when they host them at Old Trafford on Tuesday night. Manchester United to win to nil with bet365 is a price of 21/10. Marcus Rashford was the one who got the goal in the first meeting with Benfica a fortnight ago and he is a price of 11/8 in the anytime goalscorer market, with Romelu Lukaku at 8/11 to snap his scoreless streak which now stands at five games.
A Manchester United 1-0 repeat correct score at bet365 is a price of 11/2, while the 2-0 for the home side is a 5/1 option. United should be able to keep Benfica at arm’s length as they have picked up eleven clean sheets in their last fifteen matches across all competitions. Manchester United and Benfica have now met ten times before and the Red Devils are bossing the head to head against the Eagles, having won seven of those ten meetings. Manchester United are unbeaten in 19 European home games now (W15 D4) and they are unbeaten in their last 12 fixtures at old Trafford against Portuguese visitors as well in a W 9 D3 record. The last time they hosted a Portuguese side was against SC Braga in a 2012/13 Group Stage game which they won 3-2. Manchester United suffered a defeat against Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup in the summer is their only defeat in their last 15 European matches home and away now (W11 D3). Under 2.5 goals at even money with bet365 should have appeal as United can just coast through this.
Benfica are in dire straits as they are rock bottom of Group A with no points on the board from their seven games so far. They have been out on the road once in the group and they lost 5-0 at Basel, their largest ever Champions League defeat. So that doesn’t bode well for them. The Eagles have netted just once in their three games this season and their qualification hopes will come to an end if they lose and Basel avoids defeat against CSKA on the night. They have faced off against English clubs 35 times before in UEFA competitions and from that sequence of games their record is W11 D6 L18 (W4 D2 L10 in England). The Eagles were successful on their last visit to England, taking a 3-1 win at Spurs in the 2013/14 UEFA Europa League and they landed a 3-1 win on that occasion, winning 5-3 on aggregate.
This is the eighth season running that Benfica have landed themselves in the Group Stage of the Champions League and last season they got out of their group before losing to Borussia Dortmund in the round of sixteen. It looks unlikely that they will get through this time around. They are on a four match losing streak in Europe at the moment and they have only taken the one victory in their last seven European matches home and away. Both teams not to score at bet365 fetches a price of 4/6. Away from home specifically in Europe, Benfica have won only three of their last fourteen fixtures, losing seven of those. In the bet365 anytime goalscorer market for Benfica, Jonas is a 3/1 option and he has had a pretty good season in front of goal. However, the visitors may struggle to get a breakthrough in midweek at Old Trafford.
Manchester United v Benfica Betting Odds
Manchester United 3/10, Draw 4/1, Benfica 9/1
Manchester United v Benfica Predictions
Manchester United to win: The Red Devils can easily complete the double over Benfica in the group on Tuesday night. United have just been cruising in the group and they should be good and reliable enough to take a victory with a clean sheet as well.
