Vizela vs Benfica Preview & Prediction | 2023-24 Portuguese Primeira Liga
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THE FACTS
When is Vizela vs Benfica on and what time does it start? Vizela vs Benfica will take place on Saturday 16th September, 2023 – 20:30 (UK)
Where can I get tickets for Vizela vs Benfica? Visit each club’s official website for the latest ticket information
What channel is Vizela vs Benfica on in the UK? Some Portuguese Primeira Liga matches are televised on either TNT Sports or Viaplay Sports in the UK so it is worth checking their schedules
Where can I Vizela vs Benfica in the UK? If televised on either TNT Sports or Viaplay Sports, the match can be streamed on their respective streaming platforms
THE LOWDOWN
VIZELA
Vizela were one of several teams ensconced in the middle of the Portuguese Primeira Liga table last season with some hope of pushing towards the top five but those hopes being very feint. Over the summer, though, they did lose their manager Alvaro Pacheco to Estoril and have replaced him with the unconvincing journeyman career of Pablo Villar.
They have started the 2023/24 season with just one win in their opening four matches. Initially they were defeated 3-2 by Sporting CP, fighting back from 2-0 down to all square with ten minutes to go before conceding deep into stoppage-time. After that they shared a 2-2 draw with Arouca before a comfortable 2-0 loss at ten-man Vitoria before heading into the international break on the back of a 1-0 win at home to Gil Vicente.
BENFICA
Last season Benfica reached the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and won the Portuguese Primeira Liga title but will have been a little frustrated with a mid-April blip. Roger Schmidt has once again dealt with a bit of a churn in the squad with Goncalo Ramos departing but Angel Di Maria has returned to the Portuguese capital as one of the best players in the world.
The Lisbon club began the defence of their title with a 3-2 loss away to Boavista in which they were leading as they went into second-half stoppage-time. Since that shock defeat, though, they have been very impressive and have enjoyed three successive victories with the most recent being a 4-0 hammering of Vitoria a couple of weeks ago at Estadio da Luz.
THE TEAM NEWS
VIZELA
Pablo Villar has more or less a fully fit squad but he will be without Ukrainian left-back Orest Ledebenko who is injured for this weekend’s clash.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Buntic; Silva, Wilson, Anderson, Pereira; Bustamante, Samu; Moreira, Nascimento, Lacava; Essende
UNAVAILABLE: Lebedenko (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
BENFICA
Roger Schmidt is having to deal with a couple of defensive injuries as both David Jurasek and Alexander Bah will be missing from this one.
PREDICTED XI (4-2-3-1): Soares; Araujo, A.Silva, Otamendi, Aursnes; Neves, Kokcu; Di Maria, R.Silva, Joao Mario; Musa
UNAVAILABLE: Bah (Injured), Jurasek (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE:
THE PREDICTION
The hosts have posed a genuine threat to some of the more established elite of Portuguese football this season with their 3-2 loss at Sporting CP on the opening day of the season. They remain one of the weaker sides in the top-flight, though. They now face a Benfica side that appear to have really clicked into gear with a relatively star-studded squad after a slow start to the campaign. A comfortable away win is the expected outcome of this one.
TIP: BENFICA TO WIN
