Boavista vs Benfica

Round six of the Portuguese Primeira Liga comes to an end on Monday when Boavista and Benfica square off at the Estadio do Bessa.

As Aguias looks to snap a four-game losing streak on the road, they will enter this game with an abundance of confidence, riding high on the excitement of their midweek Champions League success.

After losing the lead twice at Estadio Jose Gomes, Boavista's early-season woes continued last Monday when they were beaten to a 2-2 draw by Estrela Amadora.

Both teams settled for a share of the spoils as goals from Bruno Onyemaechj and Ilija Voktic gave the visitors the lead. Kikas and former Manchester United winger Luis Nani answered for Estrela.

Boavista began the new season with promise after finishing in 15th place the previous year, winning 1-0 away against Cara Pia on August 10. However, they have since fallen down to earth, collecting just two points from their next four games.

Following Monday's draw, Cristiano Bacci's team has now lost nine and drawn four of their previous 14 Primeira Liga games, with the season opener in August's narrow triumph against Casa Pia serving as the lone exception.

Boavista's next challenge is to play a team that has won 14 of their last 20 meetings, with 3 draws. This opponent's unbeaten record in 17 of those meetings does not seem good as Boavista looks to win at home for the first time since defeating Moreirense 1-0 on March 9.

Benfica, on the other hand, defeated Serbian powerhouse Red Star Belgrade 2-1 on Thursday to begin the 2024–25 Champions League campaign with a fantastic start.

At the Rajko Mitic Stadium, goals from Kerem Akturkoglu and fellow Turkey international Orkun Kokcu placed the visitors ahead early on. However, in the 86th minute, Milson, a 24-year-old striker, gave Red Star Belgrade a response.

This was consistent with their impressive run of performance in the Primeira Liga, as As Aguias won three of their next four games and drew one after recovering from their opening-day setback to Famalicao in August.

With goals from Akturkoglu, Florentino Luis, Antonio Silva, and Angel Di Maria, Benfica overcame a 1-0 deficit to win 4-1 against Santa Clara on Saturday, demonstrating their resilience in their most recent league games.

Bruno Lage's team is heading to the Estadio do Bessa on a run of four consecutive away games without a win in the Primeira Liga; they have lost twice and drawn twice since a 3-1 triumph at Farense on April 22. They will be hoping to continue where they left off in the Champions League.