A place in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League is at stake when Benfica and PSV Eindhoven meet in Portugal for the first leg of their play-off on Wednesday.
PSV have already had to come through two qualifying rounds to reach this stage, seeing off Galatasaray before advancing at the expense of Midtjylland.
🔙 Há 6 anos neste dia, @_nelsonsemedo_ estreava-se a marcar pelo Benfica!#EPluribusUnum pic.twitter.com/LQvwPbrvVH— SL Benfica (@SLBenfica) August 16, 2021
🔙 Há 6 anos neste dia, @_nelsonsemedo_ estreava-se a marcar pelo Benfica!#EPluribusUnum pic.twitter.com/LQvwPbrvVH
Benfica, on the other hand, had to overcome Spartak Moscow in the previous round – and they did so with ease!
After claiming a 2-0 victory in Russia in the first leg, Benfica beat Spartak by the same scoreline on home soil to progress with a 4-0 aggregate victory.
The Eagles have also made a perfect start to the 2021/22 Primeira Liga season, winning both of their opening two matches.
Following a 2-1 victory over Moreirense on the opening weekend, Benfica claimed a comfortable 2-0 win over Arouca on Saturday.
Saturday’s win means that Benfica have now score exactly two goals in each of their previous four games.
Looking at the bigger picture, the Eagles have only lost one of their last 19 matches in all competitions – including pre-season friendlies.
Meanwhile, PSV secured an emphatic 7-2 aggregate victory over Galatasaray in the second UCL qualifying round.
Israeli star Eran Zahvi netted a hat-trick in the dominant 5-1 home win, with German legend Mario Gotze bagging a brace.
The Dutch side then clinched an easy 4-0 aggregate win over Midtjylland in the previous round, with Gotze scoring again in the 3-0 home win.
In between the two legs, PSV sealed a hugely impressive 4-0 thrashing of Ajax in the Johan Cruyff Shield. Once again, Gotze got on the scoresheet.
On Saturday, PSV kicked off their 2021/22 Eredivisie campaign with a 2-0 win over Heracles – enjoying 64% possession in the process.
Including pre-season friendlies, PSV are now on a seven-game winning streak and haven’t lost any of their previous 17 matches.
Head-to-head: Benfica and PSV have met six times over the years, most recently in 2012. PSV beat Benfica 3-1 on that occasion.
However, that is PSV’s only win over Benfica. The Portuguese side have claimed two wins in this fixture, while the other three games have ended in a draw.
Team news: Benfica are likely to be without the injured quartet of Jan Vertonghen, Darwin Nunez, Ferro and Harus Seferovic on Wednesday.
PSV also currently have four players on the treatment table – Maximiliano Romero, Maxime Delanghe, Ryan Thomas and Richard Ledezma.
With so much at stake, we are likely to see a tight games between Benfica and PSV. However, Benfica are expected to make the most of their home advantage.
Forebet predicts that both teams will score, with Benfica marginally outscoring PSV to clinch a narrow first-leg lead.