Benfica and Monaco meet again in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers on Tuesday with the 1-0 team at home from the first stage of Louis II stadium last week. The winner of Estadio da Luz will meet Barcelona or Liverpool in the round of 16 and the Portuguese giants will be the favorites thanks to their success in the Principality. Vangelis Pavlidis scored the only goal for Bruno Lage’s men for a fourth five-game victory in all competitions, which was extended during the weekend with a victory by Primeira Liga against Santa Clara, although the CP Sports Stay at the top. The Eagles have continued six consecutive victories for the first time since January 2024 and have scored goals with prolific regularity at home lately. Benfica scored at least three goals in each of their last four games on the lawn at home, although they have conceded five at Barça, which means that they only won once on eight UCL games at home.
The form outside Monaco does not exactly suggest that you are ready to exploit this, because Adi Hutter’s men have endured a difficult winter with four consecutive losses on the road with a single victory of 10 all competitions when they are not at home. Monegasques may go three games from the Champions League without scoring-a first since 2014. A 7-1 battery of 10 nantes men at Stade Louis II during the weekend suggests that ASM could be dangerous in front of the goal here. Mika Biereth won her second hat -trick since his arrival in January, but it will take more than that to return things to Portugal with this fifth meeting between these two in Europe with Monaco not having won one of them until now.
Here are our scenarios, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and dimensions
- Date: Tuesday February 18 | Time: 3. PM
- Location: Estadio da Luz – Lisbon, Portugal
- Watch: Paramount +
- Odds: Benfica -125; Draw +300; Monaco +290
Last time
Pavlidis scored his sixth goal in the Champions League last time to seal a close victory in Monaco, although the Al-Musrati red card has helped this largely. Hutter and his players must now go to Lisbon and beat Benfica who enjoy a strong continental and domestic form while Lage and his troops will know that the defeat will see them until his end of 16 years.
Team news
Benfica: Al-Musrati could be suspended, but Florentino too while Angel Di Maria and Tomas Araujo are also injured and should miss. Alexander Bah, Fredrik Auersnes, Manu Silva and Renato Sanches are all injured, while Bruma is suspended from his time with Braga in Europe.
Benfica XI possible: Trubin; Santos, Otamendi, Silva, Carreras; Amdouni, Kokcu, Barreiro, Akurkoglu; Pavlidis, Cabral.
Monaco: Al-Musrati is joined by Denis Zakaria and Vanderson to be suspended, although Christian Mawissa is back from his ban. Aleksandr Golovin is now injured alongside Jordan Teze and Folarin Balogun and we could see Thilo Kehrer on the right back while Takumi Minamino could also start.
Monaco XI possible: Majeki; Kehreer, salisu, mawissa, henrique; Camara, Couoully; Akliouche, Ben Seghir, Minamino; Bierete.
Prediction
This will be tight and is completely unpredictable due to the absences on both sides, but the fluctuating form of Monaco could benefit them as long as Biereth continues its hot form. A victory for more than 90 minutes before a penalty shooting success looks like a realistic scenario. Take: Benfica 0, Monaco 1 (ASM victory with penalties).
