Club football makes a return with another round of matches this week as Celta Vigo lock horns with an impressive Benfica outfit in a friendly encounter at the Estadio Algarve on Friday.
Benfica vs Celta Vigo Preview
Benfica finished at the top of the Primeira Liga last season and narrowly edged FC Porto to the league title. The Portuguese giants eased past Al Nassr by a 4-1 scoreline in their previous game and will look to achieve a similar result this weekend.
Celta Vigo, on the other hand, secured a 13th-place finish in the La Liga table last season and have not been at their best in recent months. The Galician outfit thrashed Al Nassr by a 5-0 scoreline last weekend and will be confident ahead of this match.
Benfica vs Celta Vigo Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Celta Vigo have a surprisingly excellent record against Benfica and have won one out of the two matches played between the two teams, with the other game ending in a draw.
- Benfica were the most prolific team by a considerable margin in the Primeira Liga last season, scoring an impressive 82 goals in their 34 matches in the competition.
- Benfica lost only three of their 34 games in the Primeira Liga last season - the joint-lowest such tally in the league alongside FC Porto.
- After a run of six defeats on the trot against multiple opponents in La Liga, Celta Vigo managed to win their previous such game by a 2-1 scoreline against Barcelona in June this year.
- Celta Vigo have scored eight goals in their two matches against Benfica, registering a 7-0 victory against the Portuguese side in a UEFA Cup match in 1999.
Benfica vs Celta Vigo Prediction
Benfica have been in excellent form over the past year and have an array of talented players at their disposal. The Portuguese giants have never defeated Celta Vigo and will look to create history this week.
Celta Vigo have been plagued by inconsistency over the past year but will take plenty of heart from their dominant performance against Al Nassr. Benfica are a better opponent, however, and hold the upper hand going into this game.
Prediction: Benfica 3-1 Celta Vigo
Benfica vs Celta Vigo Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Benfica
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Benfica to score first - Yes
Tip 4: Goncalo Ramos to score - Ye