Benfica vs Academico de Viseu - prediction, team news, lineups

Benfica look to footwear disconnected their 2026-27 Primeira Liga run connected a winning enactment arsenic they invited recently promoted broadside Academico Viseu to Estadio da Luz this weekend.

The Lisbon giants participate the caller league play nether erstwhile Fulham brag Marco Silva, who succeeded Jose Mourinho pursuing his departure to Real Madrid and volition beryllium hoping for a amended run than past term's underwhelming one.

Match preview

Mourinho's 2nd spell astatine Benfica did not nutrient the desired outcome, arsenic the Lisbon nine missed retired connected a top-two decorativeness for the archetypal clip successful 3 years portion besides being eliminated from each cupful contention earlier the extremity of February.

The Reds' travel successful the Taca da Liga ended with a semi-final decision to Braga, a week earlier their Taca de Portugal exit astatine Porto, followed by their Champions League knockout playoff elimination astatine the hands of Real Madrid.

Despite being the lone broadside to spell unbeaten successful the league past term, Benfica finished 3rd successful the Primeira Liga table, 8 points down eventual champions Porto and 2 adrift of metropolis rivals Sporting Lisbon, aft relinquishing 2nd spot to the Lions pursuing a mates of draws connected matchday 32 and 33..

As such, the Reds find themselves competing for a spot successful the Europa League, wherever they overturned a first-leg shortage against St Gallen with an emphatic 5-0 triumph astatine Estadio da Luz successful the 2nd qualifying round.

After seizing power of their 3rd qualifying circular necktie with different ascendant display, thrashing Hearts 6-1 successful Thursday's archetypal leg, Silva's broadside volition concisely crook their attraction to home matters earlier adjacent week's instrumentality fixture connected the continental front.

Sunday's location lucifer against Academico volition spot the Portuguese manager look to physique connected Benfica's 49-match unbeaten tally successful the league (W38, D11), stretching from matchday 20 of the 2024-25 season, and helium volition beryllium assured of doing truthful with different victory.

Meanwhile, Academico are marking their instrumentality to Portugal's elite aft 37 years successful the little divisions, having finished 2nd successful the Liga 2 standings past play acknowledgment to a superior head-to-head constituent implicit third-placed Torreense.

Os Viriatos besides benefited from a managerial alteration during the campaign, with Sergio Fonseca replacing Sergio Vieira and guiding the squad from the bottommost fractional into the promotion places earlier departing astatine the extremity of the season.

Bruno Pinheiro was appointed connected June 19 and the 49-year-old returns to Portuguese shot aft a twelvemonth with Eupen, having antecedently managed Estoril Praia and Gil Vicente, meaning helium is nary alien to the demands of the Primeira Liga.

Pinheiro has enjoyed a affirmative commencement astatine the helm arsenic acold arsenic mentation for the caller run is concerned, having seen his broadside triumph 3 of their 5 pre-season outings, including a 1-0 triumph successful  the third-place play-off of the Torneio de Verao da Povoa de Varzim past clip out.

That said, Academico look their toughest trial yet this play against a broadside that has dominated this fixture, with the Viseu outfit losing and failing to people successful each of their erstwhile 4 meetings with Benfica, though the astir caller brushwood came arsenic acold backmost arsenic the 1988-89 campaign.

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

Benfica signifier (all competitions):

Academico de Viseu Primeira Liga form:

Academico de Viseu signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Benfica person lone strengthened the squad from the erstwhile campaign, having retained the immense bulk of their regular starters, with astir each departures involving players who failed to found themselves successful the archetypal team, though Nicolas Otamendi's exit to River Plate stands retired aft helium near arsenic a nine legend.

The Reds' additions see the indebtedness signing of Jhon Duran from Fenerbahce, alongside the arrivals of Jakub Kaminski from Koln and Enzo Barrenechea from Aston Villa, with Clement Lenglet joining connected indebtedness from Atletico Madrid.

Duran scored his archetypal extremity for the nine successful the triumph implicit Hearts, but helium is improbable to displace Vangelis Pavlidis successful the fig 9 role, with the Greek striker, who recovered the nett 22 times successful past season's Primeira Liga, successful fantabulous signifier aft scoring 5 goals crossed his past 2 outings.

Academico person kept a halfway of the broadside that earned promotion to the apical flight, with respective departures consisting of players returning to their genitor clubs oregon leaving pursuing the expiry of their contracts.

The Viseu nine person strengthened by signing the likes of Ewerton, Alejandro Mestanza, Marcos Lavin, Cristian Ferreira and Andro Babic, with Mohamed Bouldini besides returning for a 2nd spell astatine the club.

To navigate the demands of top-flight football, Pinheiro volition look to trust connected the acquisition of skipper Luis Silva, Robinho, Andre Ceitil and Andre Clovis, each of whom person antecedently played successful the Primeira Liga with their erstwhile clubs.

Clovis enters this brushwood successful fantabulous signifier aft scoring 4 times successful Academico's pre-season matches, portion Silva should beryllium acceptable for this fixture contempt being rested astatine the Povoa Tournament past weekend.

Benfica imaginable starting lineup:

Soares; Bah, Araujo, Lenglet, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Rafa Silva, Sudakov, Prestianni; Pavlidis

Academico de Viseu imaginable starting lineup:

Sampaio; Barcelos, R Pereira, Correia, G. Costa; L Silva, Messeguem; Ceitil, Kahraman, Zamora; A Clovis

We say: Benfica 3-0 Academico de Viseu

The gulf successful prime and pedigree betwixt the 2 sides is huge, and we expect that to beryllium reflected connected the pitch.
 

Benfica person been ruthless astatine Estadio da Luz successful caller outings, meaning thing different than a comfy location triumph would travel arsenic a surprise.
 

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