Benfica - Marseille predictions and free betting tips [11/04/2024]

On Thursday, 11th April, as part of the first match of the Europa League quarter-finals, Benfica will face Marseille at their home ground. The "Eagles" narrowly edged past Rangers in the previous round, while the French team had little trouble dispatching Villarreal.

Benfica

After being eliminated from the Champions League at the group stage, Benfica got a second chance in the Europa League. In the round of 16, the Portuguese club faced French team Toulouse, encountering a series of difficulties (a 2:1 win in the first match, followed by a 0:0 draw), before narrowly defeating Scottish Rangers (drawing 2:2 in the first match, then winning 0:1 in Scotland). In the meantime, in the national championship, the Lisbon-based team recovered from a crushing 5:0 defeat to Porto—securing three consecutive victories against Estoril (3:1), Casa Pia (0:1), and Chaves (1:0).  However, the Eagles tripped during the title-deciding match last weekend, succumbing 2:1 to Sporting, and currently occupy second place in the league table, 4 points behind their rivals.

Marseille

This season Marseille have shown contrasting performance. The team is struggling in the championship, currently occupying only the 8th place in the league table, largely due to 3 consecutive losses—against Rennes before the March international break (2:0), in the Classique against PSG despite a numerical advantage (0:2), and against Lille last Friday (3:1).  It's worth noting though that Marseille have scored 24 goals in the current Europa League campaign, with only Liverpool (28) scoring more frequently.

Head to Head

In their history, these teams have met each other seven times: Benfica has won three times, and Marseille only twice, with two draws.

Prediction for the match Benfica - Marseille

Benfica unquestionably possesses more European experience which could play a crucial role in the showdown. The home team will aim to take the lead immediately, while Marseille, who have only four wins away from home this season and are in less than ideal condition, will find it challenging to get a positive outcome in Lisbon. I predict a victory for the Eagles.