Monaco vs Benfica Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | Champions League, February 12, 2025
Monaco vs Benfica Preview
- Tournament: Champions League
- Date: Wednesday, Feb 12
- Kick-off Time: 08:00 pm GMT
- Venue: Stade Louis-II
Ligue 1 side Monaco is set to host Benfica in the first leg of the Champions league playoff at the Stade Louis-II on Wednesday . Both teams kind of had a similar campaign in the group stage and were on similar points but now in the pre screening phase before the round of 16 on team will go into the next stage and the other will be knocked out in the new format of the competition.
The French side ended their league phase in the 17th position with 13 points. It includes four wins, three losses and a draw. They will be looking to get back to momentum after their recent 4-1 defeat against Paris Saint Germain as Luis Enrique’s side dominated the second half and made the close-run contest a one-sided walkover in the end. Adolf Hutter’s side will look to get over it and get their Champions League campaign onto the next level.
Though it is the first leg a good start will boost things up. In the last five games across all competitions, Monaco has won three and lost two. They have so far scored and conceded the same number of goals with the number sticking to 13.
The Portuguese side has been in good form as they have secured consecutive wins in their last three games. They finished the league stage of the UEFA Champions League at the 16th place, one place above their opposition.
They come into this game after a 3-2 victory against Moreirense courtesy of goals from Nicolas Otamendi and Vangelis Pavlidis. Their last defeat came in the Liga Portugal when they visited Rio Maior to face Casa Pia AC. Similar to the opposition, Benfica have also won three and lost two across all competitions.
On that note, let’s take a look at the Fortuna Sittard vs Ajax preview along with team news.
Monaco Team News
Adolf Hutter will have to deal with some unavailability in the squad. Centre-back Christian Mawissa will remain suspended as he picked up a red card in the last game against Inter. They will remain without the services of Folarin Balogun, George Ilenikhena and Wilfried Singo due to injury issues.
Jordan Teze and Lamine Camara will also miss a few games. The manager will be looking to continue with his back four comprising Thilo Kehrer and Mohammed Salisu as the centre-back pairing. The manager will have hopes for Breel Embolo and former Liverpool player Takumi Minamino to have an impact on the game.
Benfica Team News
The Portuguese side does not have a lot of injuries to deal with. Renato Sanches and Tiago Gouveia are the players who will not be available for selection. Manager, Bruno Lage will be rely on Kerem Akturkoglu, Vangelis Pavlidis and Andreas Schjelderup in attack. Pavlidis has so far scored five goals in the competition including a hat-trick against Barcelona.
Monaco vs Benfica Predicted Lineups
Monaco Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Majecki;
Defenders: Vanderson, Kehrer, Salisu, Henrique
Midfielders: Magassa, Zakaria
Forwards: Akliouche, Ben Seghir, Golovin; Biereth
Benfica Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Trubin
Defenders: Araujo, Otamendi, Silva, Carreras
Midfielders: Barreiro, Luis
Forwards: Schjelderup, Akturkoglu, Kokcu; Pavlidis
Monaco vs Benfica Head-to-Head Record
Both the teams have met each other four times in the past. Out of that Benfica has emerged victorious three times and one game has ended in a draw.
| Result | Competition | Date |
| Monaco 2-3 Benfica | UEFA Champions League | 28.11.2024 |
| Benfica 1-0 Monaco | UEFA Champions League | 04.11.2014 |
| Monaco 0-0 Benfica | UEFA Champions League | 22.10.2014 |
| Benfica 3-2 Monaco | Club Friendlies | 25.07.2010 |
Key Players to Watch in Monaco vs Benfica
Eliesse Ben Seghir (Monaco)
With nine goals this season across all competitions, the 24-year-old midfielder for Algeria has had an incredible start to the current campaign. Seghir can score goals and is a superb ball carrier. He has an xG of 0.42 per 90 in the Ligue 1.
Angel Di Maria (Benfica)
Pavlidis will be an important player for the team to proceed into the round of 16 but there could be someone who will be an important piece. Angel Di Maria retired as Copa American champion in his final game for Argentina. In 28 games across all competitions, he has contributed 20 goals. In the last five games he did not have a great form but he could be important when Benfica needs him the most. He has an xG of 0.15 in the last two games.
Monaco vs Benfica Prediction
Since it is the first leg of the fixture, both the teams will look to be conservative and test each other’s patience. It will be well-matched fixture and we can expect a draw or a thin result leaving it for the second leg to decide.
Predicted Score: Monaco 2-1 Benfica
Where to Watch Monaco vs Benfica Live?
| Country | Where to Watch |
| USA | Paramount+ |
| UK | TNT Sports |
| India | SonyLIV |
| Portugal | Sport TV, DAZN |
| France | Canal+ |
FAQs
Q. When is Monaco vs Benfica?
A. In the UEFA Champions League, Monaco will host Benfica at Louis II Stadium on Wednesday, 9 February 2024.
Q. Where to watch Monaco vs Benfica live?
A. The fans can watch Monaco vs Benfica on Paramount+ (USA), TNT Sports (UK), Sony Liv (India), Canal+ (France) & Dazn (Portugal)
Q. What is the predicted score for Monaco vs Benfica?
A. Monaco to win 2-1 against Benfica at home.
Q. What is the recent head-to-head record for Monaco vs Benfica?
A. Both the teams have met each other four times in the past. Out of that Benfica has emerged victorious three times and one game has ended in a draw.