SL Benfica will be looking to secure three points when they face Vitória SC this weekend at the Estádio da Luz as they aim to keep the pressure on Sporting CP. This Jornada 13 fixture, however, will be no walk in the park. Saturday’s matchup pits the third and sixth-placed sides in the Primeira Liga against each other, with plenty of star talent on display.
Vitória, currently sixth place in the Primeira Liga standings, come into Saturday’s match after an impressive 4-0 victory over Gil Vicente, and have managed 10 points from their last five matches in all competitions. Benfica have also been in fine form, accumulating a perfect 12 points from their previous four fixtures, including an impressive 4-1 win over FC Porto in November.
Benfica manager Bruno Lage, who is in his second spell with the club, has done an excellent job of reviving an underperforming group that struggled to find any consistency during the early stages of the season. Some minor adjustments to the lineup from the Portuguese manager have helped Benfica find a winning formula, and the Lisbon club find themselves back in the title race with plenty of games remaining in the schedule.
A 2-0 loss at the hands of Famalicão in the opening round of the league was cause for concern for Benfica. It was not until Lage took over on August 31st that the tide really turned for as Águias. Benfica have remained undefeated over the last 10 league matches, winning nine of those games. The club have secured 28 points from 11 matches this season and a win on Saturday would move them above FC Porto, and see them trailing Sporting CP by just two points with a game in hand.
A dynamic attack that includes the likes of Ángel Di María, Kerem Aktürkoglu, Vangelis Pavlidis, Arthur Cabral, Zeki Amdouni and Orkun Kökçü has been the key to Benfica’s recent success. Over their last four games in all competitions, the club have scored a whopping 16 goals. In the league, Benfica have recorded 30 goals in 11 matches. During the 2024-25 campaign, 17 different players have recorded a goal for Benfica.
The home side will likely field a strong team on Saturday but Lage will definitely have one eye on the upcoming Champions League fixture versus Bologna on Wednesday.
Vitória SC have plenty to be optimistic about after a strong start to the campaign. Newly appointed manager Rui Borges has done a fantastic job of maneuvering through a tricky fixture list which has included 25 matches over four different competitions (Primeira Liga, Portuguese Cup, League Cup and Europa Conference League). Aside from a slender 2-1 defeat at the hands of Braga SC in the League Cup, the Guimarães club have been competitive in all competitions and remain undefeated in Europe.
After taking 12 points from their first five league matches, os Conquistadores looked like one of the early favorites for a top 4 finish. A string of three consecutive draws to Casa Pia AC, Boavista FC and CF Estrela Amadora between the end of September to November, however, saw the club drop down the table.
Over 12 league games, Vitória have accumulated 21 points after winning six, drawing three and losing three games. They sit sixth in the standings and a win at the Estádio da Luz on Saturday would see them overtake Braga and Santa Clara in the standings and move into the top four.
A stingy defense has kept Vitória competitive over the first half of the season. Borges’s side have allowed just 11 goals over their first 12 matches and have secured five clean sheets along the way.
Benfica 1.28 , Vitória 9.50, Draw 5.20
Over 2.5 total goals: 1.55, Under 1.5 goals: 2.02
*All odds provided from Betano.pt. Odds are subject to change prior to kick off.
Benfica:
Vitória:
Benfica and Vitória have met on 182 occasions in four different competitions. In the Primeira Liga, they have faced each other 158 times with Benfica winning 111 games (70.2%), Vitória winning 21 times (13.3%) and 26 draws (16.5%).
In recent seasons, Benfica have held the advantage, winning three of the last five matches and securing two draws. Historically, Vitória have struggled against Benfica and their last win against the Lisbon giants came back in 2013 in the cup.
Argentina's World Cup champion and two-time Copa América winner Ángel Di María will be the player to keep an eye on for Benfica. The former Manchester United and PSG star returned to the Eagles after a strong 2023-24 campaign and has been in scintillating form. At 36 years old, Di María shows no signs of slowing down. The gifted winger seems to find a way on to the scoreshhet when his team needs him most, and currently leads the Benfica squad with nine goals in all competitions. He has also contributed five assists. Overall, Di María is averaging a goal every 125 minutes.
Captain Bruno Varela will have to be at his best if Vitória have any chance of pulling off an upset in Lisbon. The Cape Verdean goalkeeper, who was a product of the Benfica academy, has been a rock in the defense and will likely have his hands full with a potent Benfica attack. Varela, along with a well organized back four, has already produced five clean sheets in 12 league matches and has allowed more than two goals just once in the league this season.
