Date: October 1, 2014
Venue: Bay Arena, Leverkusen, Germany
Kick-off time: 19:45 BST
Champions League Group C has some serious competition for the final two qualification places and looks to go down the wire. Bayer Leverkusen will host Portuguese side Benfica in an exciting Champions League clash. Both Benfica and Bayer have met in the past and Benfica have a stranglehold over the fixture which Bayer will look to break.
Bayer Leverkusen form: D-L-L-W-D
Roger Schmidt’s side has surprised many this season with their good results and their current standing, which is partly due to the points dropped by other Champions League hopeful teams. Nevertheless, they still have managed to keep churning out draws in the past five matches with some inconsistent displays.
Against Benfica, riding one’s luck will be a dangerous game plan and they’ll need to dish out a serious performance.
Benfica form: D-W-L-W-W
Benfica lost their first group stage match against Zenit St. Petersburg and now they have a task not to repeat last season’s disappointing exit from the Group stages. Domestically, Benfica have dominated the proceeding so far but there’s more work to be done in Europe.
An away encounter in CL is always a tricky one and can cause issues for the visiting team. Benfica have to be compact in their play to struggle the home side.
Key Players
Bayer Leverkusen: Heung Min-Son
The South Korean forward has been an influential player for the Bayer side. He scored a winner against Ausberg last week to keep his side in hunt for the title. His all round game along with his wide array of shooting skills will cause Benfica defenders lot of problems.
Benfica: Anderson Talisca
An unknown player outside of Portugal, the attacking midfielder is quietly making name for himself. The Brazilian born midfielder snapped up by Benfica to play for them has repaid their faith with five goals in six matches. Benfica has been associated with unearthing excellent South American talents; Talisca might be one for the future.
Betting Advice
Bayer Leverkusen are strong at home and will look to frustrate Benfica in midfield. A Leverkusen win is very likely here and can be backed at a decent price at 1.91 with bet365.