Benfica vs Guimarães – News and Probable Lineups

Benfica has the opportunity to close the gap to four points from the top of the Primeira Liga as they host Vitoria de Guimaraes at Estadio da Luz on Saturday for round 27.

The Reds currently occupy the third position in the league table, trailing leaders Porto by seven points. Porto faces a challenging match against Braga the following day, while Jose Mourinho’s side is tied on points with second-placed Sporting Lisbon, despite having played one match more.

Match overview

After clawing back to secure a draw in O Classico against Porto in their last match, Benfica bounced back with a 2-1 comeback win over Arouca last weekend.

In a match that saw both teams reduced to ten men, Richard Rios equalized early in the second half, before Franco Ivanovic netted in stoppage time to clinch a hard-earned victory.

This win allowed Benfica to match Sporting on points, as the latter’s match was postponed, and extended the Reds’ impressive unbeaten streak in the league to 41 matches (W29, D12) dating back to last season.

With momentum now on their side, the Eagles will aim to extend that streak, bolstered by their excellent form at Da Luz, having won five out of their last six home league matches and scored at least twice in five of these games.

Benfica’s dominant head-to-head record further enhances their confidence, having won eight of the last ten top-flight encounters (D2) against Vitoria, confirming the hosts as the favorites as they seek to apply pressure on the top two.

On the other hand, Vitoria’s hopes of securing a European spot took another hit with a 2-1 defeat to Famalicao in their last game in an all-Minho battle.

Although Samu’s equalizer brought them briefly level, the Conquerors could not salvage a draw in Gil Moreira Lameiras’s first match as manager.

Following that loss, Vitoria now finds themselves winless in four matches (D1, L3), placing them ninth in the league, ten points behind fifth-placed Gil Vicente and 14 points adrift of fourth-placed Braga, who have a game in hand.

Consequently, the visitors will face a challenging task this weekend, especially given their poor away form, having lost their last four matches on the road.

In those defeats, Vitoria conceded two or more goals each time, a worrying trend ahead of this fixture, particularly against a Benfica team with one of the best attacking records in the league, having scored 55 goals.

Team News

Benfica’s win against Arouca came with some drawbacks, as Antonio Silva was forced to leave the field and will be unavailable for this match due to suspension from accumulated yellow cards.

Amar Dedic is also suspended after receiving a red card in that game, resulting in Alexander Bah likely continuing in the right-back position.

The hosts also face several injury issues, with Nicolas Otamendi, Fredrik Aursnes, Bruma, Enzo Barrenechea, and Joao Veloso all missing.

Vangelis Pavlidis is looking to break his goal drought, having gone six matches without finding the net, leaving him with 20 league goals, three behind Luis Suarez of Sporting in the race for the Golden Boot.

On the other side, Vitoria arrives with a nearly fully fit squad, although Oscar Rivas is still unable to play due to a muscle injury that has sidelined him since mid-December.

The new manager, Lameiras, made just two changes to the prior lineup, with Nelson Oliveira and Gustavo Silva starting in the attack, and a similar formation might be expected here.

Benfica probable starting XI:

Trubin; Bah, Araujo, Oliveira, Dahl; Rios, Barreiro; Prestianni, Rafa Silva, Schjelderup; Pavlidis

Vitoria de Guimaraes probable starting XI:

Charles; Strata, Balieiro, Abascal, Mendes; BENI, Souza; G Silva, Samu, Saviolo; Oliveira

Despite Vitoria’s recent difficulties away from home, they have still managed to score in three of those four defeats, indicating that the Conquerors may still present a challenge offensively on Saturday.

However, Benfica’s quality, strong home record, and impressive history in this matchup are likely to be decisive factors, leading the hosts to be favored to secure all three points.