Both Bayern Munich and Benfica are looking to bounce back from painful Champions League defeats in their previous fixtures.
Time & Venue
- Time: 20:00 GMT, November 6
- Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich
Form
Hansi Flick, the architect of Bayern’s 8-2 victory over Barcelona in the 2019/20 Champions League season, now finds himself on the other side, facing his former team on October 23. This time, the La Liga giant avenged its past with a decisive 4-1 win.
Raphinha was the standout with a brilliant hat-trick against Vincent Kompany’s side. Kompany’s team temporarily equalized after Raphinha’s opening goal in the 54th second, thanks to a penalty by Harry Kane, but Bayern then fell apart.
Adding to Bayern’s woes, former player Robert Lewandowski scored after Raphinha’s hat-trick, marking Bayern’s second European defeat, following a prior loss to Aston Villa.
Bayern’s recent 9-2 victory over Dinamo Zagreb now seems less significant as they sit 23rd in the Champions League standings out of 36 teams. Kompany’s side, however, has responded with an impressive run following their loss to Barcelona.
Bayern has since scored 12 goals without conceding in three consecutive wins against VfL Bochum, Mainz 05 (in the German Cup), and Union Berlin, with a 3-0 victory over Union Berlin last Saturday increasing their lead over RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga standings.
Similarly, Benfica—Bayern’s opponent—has recorded three consecutive wins following a continental setback, after Bruno Lage’s team suffered an unexpected loss to Eredivisie side Feyenoord at home at Estadio da Luz two weeks ago.
In that match, Ayase Ueda and Antoni Milambo silenced Benfica fans before Kerem Akturkoglu narrowed the score. However, Milambo added a second goal in stoppage time, ending Benfica’s perfect start in the Champions League this season.
Before this, Lage’s team defeated Red Star Belgrade and Atletico Madrid, with a shocking 4-0 win over Atletico. Currently, they sit 13th, in a position to qualify for the playoffs.
Following the Feyenoord loss, Benfica continued their winning streak by beating Rio Ave 5-0, Santa Clara 3-0, and Farense 2-1, maintaining an eight-point gap from Primeira Liga leaders Sporting Lisbon with one game in hand.
The potential departure of Ruben Amorim to Manchester United could increase optimism for Benfica fans about closing the gap with the league leaders. However, Benfica may enter the match against Bayern this week with more hope than expectation, as they have yet to win in 13 Champions League/European Cup games on German soil.
Benfica has faced Bayern ten times without a victory, with seven losses and three draws, including a 2-9 aggregate loss in the 2021/22 group stage.
Team News
Three Bayern players—Josip Stanisic (knee), Aleksandar Pavlovic (collarbone), and Hiroki Ito (foot)—are currently injured and will miss this match. However, right-back Sacha Boey has returned to training following a knee injury.
Benfica
For Benfica, manager Bruno Lage will be without Gianluca Prestianni (ankle), Leandro Barreiro (thigh), and Tiago Gouveia (shoulder). Right-back Alexander Bah is also ruled out after being substituted in the first half of their win over Farense.
Predicted Lineups
Statistics
- Bayern Munich has never lost a game to Benfica.
- Their last meeting ended in a 5-2 win for Bayern.
- Bayern has lost their last two Champions League games.
Match Analysis
Benfica has conceded at least two goals in each of their last five Champions League games against Bayern Munich. Bayern’s explosive goal-scoring form since their heavy loss to Barcelona is likely to continue at Allianz Arena, where Benfica’s defense is expected to struggle under Bayern’s pressure. Kompany’s side boasts superior offensive strength and should have enough to dominate Lage’s squad.
Score Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-1 Benfica (According to Sports Mole)