Having fought back from two goals down to salvage a stalemate against Porto in the O Classico, Benfica return to action in the Portuguese Primeira Liga when they take on Arouca on Saturday.
Having failed to win the last 14 meetings between the two sides, Arouca will head into the weekend looking to end a 10-year hoodoo against the visitors and continue their push for a top-half finish.
FootballWhispers’ Arouca and Benfica prediction takes an in-depth look at the chances of both sides getting the job done at the Estadio Municipal de Arouca, with odds courtesy of bet365, while you can click here to find more betting tips for today.
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Arouca vs Benfica key stats
- Benfica are unbeaten in their last 14 games against Arouca, picking up 13 wins and one draw since a 1-0 defeat back in August 2015.
- Arouca are unbeaten in all but one of their last five home matches, picking up three wins and one draw, having failed to win their last six preceding this run.
- Benfica boast the second-best attack in the Primeira Liga this season, having found the back of the net 53 times so far, while conceding the third-fewest number of goals (16).
Arouca vs Benfica preview: Can Arouquenses end 10-year hoodoo against Benfica?
| Arouca | vs | Benfica |
|---|---|---|
| 11th | Position | 3rd |
| 26 | Points | 59 |
| 32 | Goals For | 53 |
| 53 | Goals Against | 16 |
| 5 | Clean Sheets | 12 |
| 11th | Home Rank | 3rd |
| 14th | Away Rank | 3rd |
With exactly a third of the season left to play, Arouca find themselves slipping into troubled waters as they fell to a 1-0 defeat against Famalicao at the Estadio Municipal de Famalicao last Friday.
The Arouquenses went into the tie looking to snap a run of four consecutive games without a win against Famalicao, but Rodrigo Pinheiro broke the deadlock with a long-range strike in the 82nd minute to hand the Vila Nova a fourth straight home victory.
Having gone unbeaten in six of their eight league matches between December 14 and February 7, claiming four wins and two draws, Arouca have now lost three of their most recent four matches, with a 3-0 victory over Nacional on February 21 being the exception.
With 53 goals conceded, Arouca currently hold the second-worst defensive record in the Primeira Liga. Only rock-bottom AVS (57) have shipped more.
This drop-off in form has seen Vasco Seabra’s men begin to flirt with the prospect of relegation, as they sit 11th in the Primeira Liga standings with 26 points from 25 games, just four points above 16th-placed Santa Clara in the relegation playoff spot.
On the other hand, Benfica preserved their unbeaten league record with a resilient team display last Sunday when they fought back from a two-goal first-half deficit to salvage a 2-2 draw against rivals Porto in the O Classico at the Estadio da Luz.
Victor Froholdt and Oskar Pietuszewski netted 30 minutes apart to put Porto in the driver’s seat heading into half time, but Andreas Schjelderup pulled one back for Benfica in the 69th minute before Leandro Barreiro struck in the 88th minute to force a share of the spoils.
Vangelis Pavlidis is firmly in the Primeira Liga Golden Boot race, having netted 20 goals to sit second in the scoring chart, three fewer than Sporting CP’s Luis Javier Suarez.
While Benfica remain the only side yet to suffer defeat in the Primeira Liga this season, last weekend’s stalemate was their eighth of the campaign, with As Aguias dropping 16 points after 25 matches to sit third in the table, seven points off league leaders Porto.
Jose Mourinho’s side will be backing themselves to return to winning ways on Saturday when they visit the Estadio Municipal de Arouca to face an opposing side who have failed to win any of their last 14 meetings, losing 13 and claiming one draw since a 1-0 defeat in August 2015.
Arouca vs Benfica form guide & betting tips
| Arouca | vs | Benfica |
|---|---|---|
| W-L-W-L-L | League Form | W-W-W-W-D |
| 9 | Points | 14 |
| 7th | Form Table | 1st |
| 9 | Goals For | 11 |
| 9 | Goals Against | 5 |
| W-L-W-L-L | Form (all comps) | L-W-L-W-D |
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Whispers predicts: Arouca 0-3 Benfica
Benfica ensured they remain within touching distance of league leaders Porto with their dogged display in the O Classico last weekend, and they will journey to the Estadio Municipal de Arouca in high spirits.
Arouca have their work cut out against an opposing side whom they have failed to get the better of in their last 14 attempts since August 2015, and given the gulf in quality between the two teams, we see them struggling and me again this weekend.
The bookmakers have Benfica as clear favourites to secure the victory at 1.24, while Arouca’s chance of snapping their 10-year winless run in this fixture is currently priced at 10.00.
Benfica have led at half time in nine of their last 10 games against Arouca, and the likelihood of Mourinho’s side being in front at the break is at 1.66, which perhaps stands as the value bet for us, while the correct score market has a 0-3 correct score at 7.50.
Benfica have played out the joint-most stalemates amongst the teams in the top half of the table, and there could be some value in Double chance draw or Arouca at 3.75, while Saturday’s tie ending in a stalemate sits at 5.75, which is a tempting outside shout.
> BTTS - No at 1.70 | Likelihood: Possible
> Over 2.5 goals at 1.60 | Likelihood: Possible
> Pavlidis to score at 1.66 | Likelihood: Possible
> Correct score: 0-3 at 7.50 | Likelihood: Outsider