Bayer Munich Vs Benfica
Bayern Munich’s UEFA Champions League (UCL) journey has been a rollercoaster so far, with a dominant 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb on Matchday 1 followed by a crushing 4-1 defeat to Barcelona on Matchday 3. However, they’ve responded well to that setback, racking up three straight domestic victories with an impressive 12-0 aggregate score since then.
Heading into this clash with Benfica, Bayern will be full of confidence, especially considering their impeccable record against the Portuguese side. The Bavarians have never lost in 12 encounters with Benfica (W9, D3), marking the longest unbeaten run one team has had against another in major European competition. Bayern also boast a perfect home record against Portuguese teams in the UCL, winning their last six H2Hs by an incredible 25 goals to 6.
Despite Bayern’s dominance in the head-to-head, Benfica come into this fixture above Bayern in the standings, which can’t be ignored. Like Bayern, they’ve won their last three domestic matches since their Matchday 3 loss, and although they haven’t matched Bayern’s 12-0 aggregate, their 10-1 total is still an impressive streak.
However, Benfica’s record away to German sides suggests an uphill battle, having won just twice in 27 visits to Germany (D7, L18). But the Portuguese champions have been solid on the road in recent UCL campaigns, losing only two of their last 14 away matches, including qualifiers (W8, D4). Moreover, they’ve scored at least twice in nine of those 14 games, suggesting they could be a threat if Bayern are not careful.
Players to watch:
Bayern’s Kingsley Coman could be the key to a comfortable win for the hosts, as his four goals this season have come in games where Bayern won by three or more goals. For Benfica, Zeki Amdouni, who joined from Burnley in the summer, has been a late-game threat, scoring all three of his goals this season after the 75th minute.
Hot streak:
Benfica’s last six UCL games have all featured at least three goals, indicating their games are likely to be high-scoring affairs.
