After suffering defeats in match day one, both Bayer Leverkusen and Benfica will be desperate for a victory when they square off against each other at the BayArena on Wednesday night.
Bayer Leverkusen
After a fine start to the season, Bayer Leverkusen have stumbled a bit in recent times and are in desperate need of registering a couple of good results under their belt so as to regain momentum in their campaign.
Bayer suffered a disappointing 1-0 defeat at the hands of Monaco in the opening match day of the Champions League and although still early days, it will not be an exaggeration to say that Roger Schmidt’s men now need to get something out of their home clash against Benfica on Wednesday night in order to stand a chance of making it out of their very competitive group.
Simon Rolfes, Julien Brandt and Kyriakos Papadopoulos are sidelined for the clash while playmaker Gonzalo Castro is a doubt after missing the Bundesliga clash against Freiburg over the weekend.
Benfica
Benfica have made a blistering start in the Primeira Liga but the Portuguese side suffered a shock home loss at the hands of Zenit St. Petersburg in their opening game in the Champions League.
As a result, it will be of paramount importance for Jorge Jesus’ side to get at least something from the game against Bayer Leverkusen in midweek so as to avoid falling further behind their rivals in the group.
Heading into the clash, Benfica have been struck by an odd predicament where all three of their senior goalkeepers Artur Moraes, Júlio César and Paulo Lopes are struggling with injuries and may miss out.
This could mean that 19-year old Bruno Varela could be handed a baptism of fire by making his first ever senior appearance for the club in an important Champions League clash.
Bayer Leverkusen vs Benfica Match Prediction
The two teams are very well matched heading into the game and it is certainly difficult to pick out the favourite.
Leverkusen are unbeaten at home this season while Benfica have also not lost on their travels. However, probably the main factor which will dictate the pattern of the game on the day will be both sides’ desperation to avoid another defeat.
While the two teams will be hopeful for a victory – a defeat for either side will be disastrous and as a result, the match could be a cagey affair – with a draw the most likely outcome.
Match Betting Tip: Draw @3.80 at Bet365
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