Two underdogs: who will come out on top?
That FC Brugge and Benfica Lisbon meet in a Champions League round of 16 match comes as something of a surprise. However, both have earned it through a good group stage. The Bruges vs. Benfica Lisbon prediction on the part of the bookmakers before the duel, however, suggests in the direction of the guests.
There is little doubt that Benfica Lisbon are the favourites. The Portuguese have more to offer individually and are also in better form at the moment. For Roger Schmidt’s team, it will be a matter of getting into as good a position as possible.
The Belgians, meanwhile, are in a bit of a crisis of purpose. Whether this will last will be seen in the course of the game. Our Bruges vs. Benfica Lisbon tip is that both teams will score goals.
Bruges – Statistics & current form
Club Brugge from Belgium stunned many pundits in the group stage of the UEFA Champions League when they beat Atletico Madrid, FC Porto and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. What’s more, the Belgians won their first three matches, scoring five times to nil. No team has managed more “white waistcoats” in the group phase. And yet there are a few things that are not going well at the moment.
For example, Carl Hoefkens, who led Brugge to success in the first round in the top flight, is no longer the head coach of this team. He was replaced by Scott Parker in the winter after there was a clear negative development. The clear cup exit and only one win from five league games made the cut, but the surrounding area is currently asking whether it was all so right.
Parker changed some elements in the game of Bruges, lost only once so far, but there was also only one victory from the last seven games. Five times Parker played the team to a draw, five times there was a lack of either defensive stability or forward penetration.
Bruges don’t bring the PS to the pitch
20 points already separate the hosts, currently in fourth place in the Belgian league, from league leaders KRC Genk. So the team has nothing to do with the title, but the Champions League could be a welcome escape. Moreover, the home record at least reads well, only three of the 18 home games this season in all competitions were lost.
Currently, the team is not able to bring its quality to the pitch. Only twice in the last eight games did they score more than one goal. This is clearly not enough for an offensive team with players like Vanaken, Lang, Yaremchuk or Buchanan.
So a lot has to change for the game against the Portuguese. Especially since Brugge also has a weak record against opponents from this country. But because the Champions League is always a very different competition and the quality is also good, our prediction before the match between Bruges and Benfica Lisbon is that both teams will meet.
Last matches of Brugge:
Jupiler Liga
11/02/2023 – Club Brugge 1 – 1 Royale Union Saint-Gilloise
05/02/2023 – Antwerp 0 – 0 Club Bruges
30/01/2023 – SV Zulte Waregem 1 – 2 Club Brugge
23/01/2023 – Club Brugge 2 – 2 RSC Charleroi
20/01/2023 – VV St. Truiden 1 – 1 Club Brugge
Benfica Lisbon – Statistics & current form
Benfica Lisbon are also playing a very good season with coach Roger Schmidt. So far, there have only been two must-win defeats in the entire 2022/23 season, both against Braga. In the group stage of the Champions League, the team won twice against Juventus, even leaving PSG behind. That alone is impressive, but only the beginning.
Only Bayern, Liverpool FC and SSC Napoli scored more goals than the Schmidt eleven in the Champions League. The style of play is characterised by high tackling, good pressing and technical finesse. The team looks well prepared for every opponent and has the possibility to change personnel and systems because the squad is wide.
In addition, Benfica Lisbon lost only one of their last 14 games against teams from Belgium. So this team seems to be very well prepared, and the bookmakers think a victory for the Portuguese in Bruges is quite realistic. There have been one or two more slip-ups recently, including in the cup at Braga, but the visitors still hold a commanding lead in the table in Portugal.
Benfica Lisbon: Impressive away too
It comes as no surprise that the Schmidt eleven travels to Belgium with the will to win there as well. The team picked up seven points away from home in the group stage, and in the league there were eight wins in ten attempts. Away from home, Benfica Lisbon impresses just as much as at home, often playing a little more controlled and patient, but also able to celebrate the typical, fast attacking football that makes this team so strong.
Joao Mario and Goncalo Ramos, both with twelve goals in the league, are often at the centre of the attack. Getting them involved will also be an important element against Brugge, who have looked good defensively in this competition so far. After four consecutive victories in the league, all without conceding a goal, the chest is naturally broad. That’s why, ahead of the match between Bruges and Benfica Lisbon, our value tip is that the visitors will win
Last matches of Benfica Lisbon :
Cup
10/02/2023 – Braga (5)1 – 1(4) Benfica
Liga Portugal
05/02/2023 – Benfica 3 – 0 Casa Pia AC
01/02/2023 – Arouca 0 – 3 Benfica
27/01/2023 – Pacos de Ferreira 0 – 2 Benfica
22/01/2023 – Santa Clara 0 – 3 Benfica
Bruges – Benfica Lisbon Direct comparison / H2H record
Although there have been many duels against other teams from the respective country, Brugge and Benfica Lisbon have never faced each other, so data on the direct comparison is not available either.
Bruges – Benfica Lisbon Tip
The road in the Champions League will continue for one of these two surprise teams. In the first leg, both want to get a very good starting position, but the omens are quite different. The guests from Portugal, in fact, have a better form.
Despite this, Brugge can be very unpleasant due to their style of play and qualities. Therefore, before the match Bruges vs. Benfica Lisbon our tip is that both teams will score.
