Liverpool will host Benfica in the least interesting matchup of the UCL quarterfinals. The Reds have a 3-1 lead from the first leg, and everyone expects to see them routinely taking care of business on Wednesday night. Klopp’s team had a nasty game this weekend, against Manchester City, and we are more than sure that the German will make some changes in his lineup. On the other side, Benfica beat Belenenses in the Portuguese championship, recovering from Tuesday’s loss at La Luz.
Preview
Liverpool (-400) didn’t lose in six straight with the note that they won five in a row until Sunday’s draw at the Etihad. The Reds were twice behind the hosts, but each time they managed to get back and level the score. In our opinion, Klopp’s unit was better in the second half, but still, we can’t say that L’Pool deserved to win. A draw is a righteous outcome.
Apart from losing 0-1 to Inter, Liverpool was unbeaten in the last 20 events at Anfield. The loss against Nerazzurri didn’t do any damage because Liverpool created a nice advantage in Milan.
In six of the last 11 games at home, the Reds kept clean sheets. In seven of the most recent nine, they would score two or more hits, and overall, Anfield is one of Europe’s toughest strongholds.
Benfica (+800) won against Belenenses at home, 3-1, stopping a two-game skid that saw the losing. And not only that, the Eagles allowed three goals in both defeats, against Braga first and Liverpool later.
We already mentioned that their defense is problematic. The Eagles are constantly conceding goals, even when they play well, and such issues are usually taking a toll against the teams like Liverpool.
Benfica’s performances on the road are usually very efficient, and eight of the last 10 saw over 2.5 scores. Six were with both teams netting. All these numbers are proving that the Eagles have a solid offense but a very fragile defense.
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Liverpool is ready for the match against Benfica and doesn’t have any injured or suspended players. We might expect to see either Salah or Mane on the bench and Luis Diaz in the starting lineup.
Meanwhile, Pinho and Lucas Verissimo are both out for the Eagles and won’t be in Liverpool.
Head to Head Games
The Reds won in Lisbon seven days ago, 1-3. They were up 0-2 after 35 minutes of play. Konate scored in the 17th minute and Mane in the 34. Nunez gave some hope to the hosts four minutes in the second half, but Diaz solved the event with a goal in the 87th minute. He was by far the best player on the pitch, having one assist besides this goal.
Prediction
The Reds will close this event in their favor, and we expect them to be pretty routine and ruthless. The way we see the entire situation, Benfica can’t win, let alone eliminate the hosts, even if they have two fewer players on the field. With all due respect and without any mocking. Our pick for this game would be Liverpool -1.5, with the current odds on that at -120.
Pick: Liverpool -1.5
UEFA Champions League: Atletico Madrid vs. Manchester City
Manchester City visits Atletico Madrid in arguably the most intriguing UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. The first leg saw the English champions posting a minimal win in one-sided domination, which lasted throughout all 90 minutes. Atletico didn’t even try to attack except on several occasions and was stubbornly parking the bus in front of its goal. Things will have to be different for the Mattress Makers in the second leg, otherwise, their UCL run will be over.
Preview
Atletico Madrid (+375) didn’t make a good intro for this event. Simeone’s crew lost on the road in Mallorca, 1-0, and that was the second straight defeat for this team, both with the same result. What bothers their fans is a pale attack, who didn’t score a single goal in two matches.
Four of the past five games Atletico played, ended with only one goal, and those same games saw one side scoring. As time goes by, the Madridians’ events are becoming less and less efficient.
The most recent three events at home saw them winning, netting twice at least. That is something they will have to do on Wednesday night if they want to advance to the next stage.
Manchester City (-115) played 2-2 against Liverpool in arguably the best game this year. Both teams had their chances, and both of them deserved to win, but in the end, we really believe that the draw is the fairest outcome.
This was the ninth straight game in which the Citizens didn’t lose, and throughout that stretch, we’ve seen them posting six triumphs and three draws. Altogether, Guardiola’s unit is playing well, yet we need to say that Ruben Dias’s absence in the defense does create some minor trouble.
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Man City is without a loss on the road in the last 13 games. They haven’t allowed a goal in six of the last seven outings, winning the same number of games during that stretch. Sometimes, they are playing much better away from home, because the rivals want to attack or play open, unlike during the games at Etihad.
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Gimenez and Herrera are out for the home team due to respective injuries.
On the other side, Dias is injured, while Gabriel Jesus won’t be able to help due to his yellow-card suspension. Benjamin Mendy is suspended as well.
Head to Head Games
The first leg, particularly the opening half saw Atletico defending with all 11 players. The Spanish team didn’t even try to endanger Ederson’s net. The game was frustrating for the fans who didn’t like Atletico’s approach, but in the end, Kevin de Bruyne managed to score and break the guests’ lock.
Prediction
Atletico needs to win, and they need two goals at least to eliminate the English rivals. However, if they open, and they will have to do it at some point, Manchester City’s counter-attack will shine. Sterling and the boys didn’t have the chance to show their speed in the opening leg, yet things ought to be different on Wednesday night. Our pick is City to win, with the odds set at -115 right now.
Pick: Manchester City win -115
Here are the previews for other UEFA Champions League games
Nikola Velickovic is a sports journalist who loves to write and read on all sports. Nikola contributes both news updates and functions as a sports breaking news writer at WagerBop.
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Email: nikola@wagerbop.com
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