Santa Clara vs Benfica Prediction: Will The Azoreans Be Able To Find The Back Of The Net Against A Solid Defense?

Benfica will look to get back on track as they travel to Estádio de São Miguel to face Santa Clara on the 17th matchday of the Primeira Liga.

Will Benfica be able to recover from their slight setback against Sporting CP, or will they be held at bay once more by an out-of-form Santa Clara?

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

Santa Clara

Form: DLLWD

Given that they were down a man in the 28th minute of the first half after Pierre Sagna received his second booking of the day to be sent off, Jorge Simao's team however did put on a promising display to rescue a point and fend off the threat of a charging Portimonense.

However, after that tie, they were still without a victory, bringing their winless streak to three games in the Primeira Liga, during which a draw and two losses were recorded. They have failed to keep up a regular level of play, picking up just five points in their last five games from one win, two draws, and two losses.

Hanging by a thread in the standings, they find themselves bundled in the relegation playoffs, occupying 16th place with 14 points and only a point away from advancing to 15th place, which is currently occupied by Gil Vicente.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-3-3

Gabriel; Sagna, Boateng, Gonzalez, Quintilla; Costinha, Almeida, Firmino; Rildo, Babi, Silva

Benfica

Form: DWLWW

Top-of-the-table The Eagles enter this match-up after a little setback that saw them split a point in their most recent home derby encounter against Sporting CP, which ended in a 2:2 tie with Gonçalo Ramos being the sole goal scorer from their side to net in a brace.

They controlled 58% of the possession during that game and displayed no evidence of lacking a clinical approach, staying on task throughout the whole contest and looking dangerous in the final third, but despite their gallant efforts, they were only able to earn a single point.

They have undoubtedly maintained a strong form to date, with ten points from their last five games coming from three wins, a draw, and a loss. As for their away form, they have only suffered one loss in their last seven games, amassing 16 points in the process.

They are currently in first place with 41 points, maintaining a comfortable lead over second-place Braga by a 4-point difference. They will fancy their chances of extending the lead by another three points.

Probable Starting XI

Formation: 4-3-3 

Vlachodimos; Bah, Silva, Otamendi, Ristic; Rafa, Fernandez, Chiquinho; Mario, Draxler, Ramos

Match Facts

• In their last seven games, Santa Clara has yet to win.
• Benfica has lost one of their past five Primeira Liga matches against Santa Clara.
• The average number of goals scored in encounters between Santa Clara and Benfica is four.
• When playing at home, Santa Clara averages 1.35 goals per game, whereas Benfica averages 1.96 goals per game when playing away.

Head-To-Head

Santa Clara has won once in the last 11 matches, Benfica has won nine times, and there has been one draw with a goal difference of 26-10 in favor of Benfica.

Expert Betting Tips

Santa Clara are faced with a daunting task at hand that involves sealing three points against an in-form team that has not lost in their past three matches across all competitions, something that will not be as simple as they had anticipated, and with them holding the third lowest offensive workrate in the Primeira Liga, their prospects of reaching the back of the net are also in doubt.

Benfica will surely fancy their chances of getting back to winning ways after settling for a share of the spoils against Sporting CP, and with an impressive away record at their disposal that has seen them suffer one loss in 15 away matches across all competitions, it's possible they'll want to keep the same impressive away record intact.

The visitors have a huge task ahead of them: consolidating their first-place position against the likes of FC Porto and Braga, who appear to be resilient as they continue to close the gap. As such, we expect them to shake off easily the threat of their opponent in this encounter by winning to nil against a side that barely creates scoring chances, having failed to score in three of their matches.

• Win To Nil - Benfica for 2.11
• Asian Handicap - Benfica -1.5 for 1.92
• Corners - Over 9.5 for 1.65