Benfica vs FC Porto Prediction: When It Comes To O Clássico The Bragging Rights Belong To The Dragões!

The highly anticipated O Clássico has arrived, as Benfica welcomes FC Porto to the Estádio da Luz for the 27th round of the Primeira Liga.

With both sides in contrasting form, who will emerge victorious in what is anticipated to be a close game? Will it be Benfica, who will seek to cement their position at the top beyond doubt, or FC Porto, whose league title hopes this season are slowly fading?

Let's have a look at the latest Portuguese Primeira Liga predictions between Benfica vs FC Porto, team news, probable lineups, match facts and up to date betting odds for you to consider!

Benfica

Form: WWWWW

As Águias traveled to Estádio dos Arcos to face Rio Ave in the 26th round of the Primeira Liga. Surprisingly, they were met with a tenacious opponent as they were unable to deliver on their exceptional performance as they always do but still managed to claim a 1:0 victory.

In that match, they were held to a scoreless draw before the break, but in the second half, Gonçalo Ramos who has been in exceptional form came through for his side, finding the back of the net in the 46th minute to give his side a crucial lead.

They have amassed 34 points thanks to a 12-game unbeaten run, recording 11 wins and 1 draw but that doesn't even come close to their outstanding performance at the Estádio da Luz, where they have exceeded expectations to a maximum by going 13 games without a loss (W12-L0-D1), making them a true force of nature.

With 71 points, they currently hold the top spot and a 10-point lead over FC Porto, who are their primary competition this season. If they continue their current strong performance, they will undoubtedly have a successful season.

Team News

Benfica will have to contend without Julian Draxler, who has undergone an ankle surgery and is expected to miss the remainder of the season. Goncalo Guedes (knee injury) joins him on the injured list and will not be eligible for selection ahead of this match.

Mihailo Ristic is questionable for this encounter due to a hamstring injury.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Vlachodimos; Bah, Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo; Chiquinho, Aursnes; Mario, Silva, Neres; Ramos

FC Porto

Form: WDWWL

Before the international break, Sérgio Conceição's team made a costly error by failing to defeat Braga on the road and instead settling for a less desirable scoreless draw. Given the numerous clear-cut chances they had to score in that match due to their poor goal-scoring ability, there is no doubt that game was theirs to win.

They hosted Portimonense SC over the weekend, a team lurking in 14th place in the standings, and it's safe to say they did get the job done by winning 1:0, though it wasn't their finest performance against a side that was reduced to 10-men in the field in the 71st minute.

The Dragões have only suffered one away loss in the Primeira Liga this year, a 3:1 loss to Rio Ave in August of last year. This was by far their most erratic showing to date. Since then, they haven't lost in 12 of their away games, winning eight, drawing four, and preserving seven clean sheets. When the numbers are added together, they have typified consistency.

Due to their two points dropped against Braga on the road, their once eight-point deficit to Benfica at the top of the table has widened to 10 points, and as the season's remaining days shorten, their chances of winning the League title this year are beginning to dwindle.

Team News

FC Porto will be without 23-year old first choice goalkeeper Diogo Costa (unknown injury), who remains questionable, but Ramos is expected to step in for him until he returns to action.

It'll be a tough blow for Sergio Conceicao, who will have to be a little more inventive in selecting his starting XI for this match because Pepe, and Joao Mario are out injured. While Evanilson, and Zaidu Sanusi remain doubtful.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-4-2

Ramos; Manafa, Cardoso, Marcano, Wendell; Pepe, Otavio, Uribe, Galeno; Martinez, Taremi

Match Facts

• Benfica has won just one of their last ten encounters with FC Porto.
• FC Porto has not lost in their last five away meetings against Benfica.
• When playing at home, Benfica averages 3.23 goals per game, while FC Porto averages 1.54 goals per game when playing away.

Head-To-Head

Benfica has won 12 of the last 54 meetings; FC Porto has won 27, and there have been 15 draws with a goal differential of 75–52 in favor of FC Porto.

Expert Betting Tips

Benfica has been a dominant force this season, far outperforming FC Porto's performance, with only one defeat in their last 26 games in the Primeira Liga. But that hasn't been enough to suit As Águias appetite, which has apparently reached new heights in the Champions League competition, with a quarter-final spot already secured, an achievement that serve as a conference confidence booster.

FC Porto may have fallen short of their dominance in the Primeira Liga this season, as evidenced by their second-place standings, but the O Clássico on their opponents' turf has been their mastery field, if not playground.

The Dragões have not lost in their last five away matches against Roger Schmidt's men, recording one draw and four wins, which are sets of results that they'll want to build up their momentum on in order to come away with a resounding outcome.

Since FC Porto has a history of tremendous success in the O Clássico this game will be more about making statements for them than about performing to standards. FC Porto is a team that has proven to be effective in such competitions when necessary, so leaving them out of this game could prove to be a costly error. Therefore, back them in the Asian handicap (+0.5) to avoid a loss, which should be enough to prevail here for a team that hasn't dropped a game in their last five road contests against Benfica.

• Asian Handicap - FC Porto (+0.5) for 1.96
• Both Teams To Score - No for 2.00
• Goals - Under 2.5 for 1.91