Maritimo vs Benfica - prediction, team news, lineups

Maritimo big Benfica astatine the Estadio bash Maritimo connected Saturday for circular 5 of the Primeira Liga season, with the visitors steadily uncovering their feet nether caput manager Marco Silva and the hosts looking to apprehension a caller dip successful form.

The Eagles caput to Madeira sitting 5th successful the Portuguese top-flight table, having picked up 7 points from 3 games, portion the recently promoted Maritimistas are seventh aft collecting 7 points from 4 games and tasting their archetypal decision of the run past clip out.

Match preview

Benfica are steadily uncovering their feet nether Silva, who replaced Jose Mourinho implicit the summertime aft the second departed for Real Madrid, with the caller caput coach's archetypal competitory lucifer successful the dugout ending successful a 2-1 decision distant to St Gallen successful Europa League qualifying.

The Eagles turned that necktie astir emphatically, thrashing the Swiss broadside 5-0 astatine Estadio da Luz to advancement 6-2 connected aggregate, and person since gone connected to scope the main signifier of Europe's second-tier nine contention courtesy of a 6-2 aggregate triumph implicit Danish broadside Aarhus successful the playoff round.

Those continental wins implicit Aarhus formed a portion of a four-match winning streak crossed each competitions for Benfica, who bounced backmost from a disappointing opening-day gully with recently promoted Academico de Viseu successful the Primeira Liga to grounds consecutive wins successful the league.

Benfica smashed 7 past Casa Pia successful Rio Maior connected matchday two, and portion their circular 3 brushwood with Moreirense was postponed due to the fact that of their European commitments, Silva's men returned to top-flight enactment past play erstwhile they bushed Estoril Praia 2-1 astatine Estadio da Luz.

The Reds person present scored aggregate goals successful 7 of their past 8 matches crossed each competitions, racking up 29 goals successful that play portion conceding seven, and lone Sporting Lisbon (12) person scored much times than Benfica's 11 successful the aboriginal stages of the Primeira Liga season.

Similarly encouraging is their distant pedigree, with the Eagles finishing arsenic the third-best travelling broadside successful the league past word with 41 points connected the road, and having already recorded an emphatic triumph successful their lone distant league lucifer of this campaign, Silva's broadside volition beryllium assured of taking 3 points present arsenic they look to marque up for mislaid ground.

Benfica are the furthest disconnected the gait among the accepted 'Big Three' erstwhile it comes to lifting the Primeira Liga, having past been crowned champions successful 2022-23, and past season's third-placed decorativeness represented a measurement down from the erstwhile mates of campaigns, 1 they volition beryllium aiming to enactment close this term.

Maritimo, connected the different hand, made a instrumentality to Portugal's apical formation this play aft lifting the Liga 2 rubric successful 2025-26, and portion they made a imagination commencement connected their instrumentality to the Primeira Liga, the recently promoted side's momentum has experienced a fewer hiccups successful the past mates of weeks.

After securing victories implicit Casa Pia and Famalicao successful their opening 2 fixtures of the campaign, Mitchell van der Gaag's broadside person managed to prime up conscionable 1 constituent from the adjacent two, playing retired a 2-2 gully against Academico earlier past weekend's 2-1 decision astatine Arouca.

Maritimo had taken the pb via Martin Tejon halfway done the archetypal half, but conceding goals from Espen van Ee and Ivan Barbero either broadside of the interval meant the recently promoted broadside would permission Estadio Municipal de Arouca empty-handed.

Facing a Benfica broadside that has won each of the past six head-to-head meetings does not look the astir perfect fixture for a bounce back, though the Green-and-Reds' lone triumph successful the past 11 encounters betwixt the teams did travel successful a 2-0 occurrence astatine their ain Funchal ground, a effect the hosts volition beryllium looking to gully inspiration from.

It is besides worthy noting that Maritimo person mislaid conscionable 1 of their past 8 competitory matches astatine home, a tally that stretches backmost to the erstwhile play successful the 2nd division, and they volition purpose to amusement that resilience erstwhile again connected Saturday.

Maritimo Primeira Liga form:

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

Benfica signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Van der Gaag, who had named an unchanged XI successful Maritimo's opening 3 fixtures, was forced into a alteration past clip retired aft Simo Bouzaidi suffered an wounded during the warm-up, with Bryan Limbombe handed his debut commencement connected the close flank.

The caller signing could clasp his spot, fixed Bouzaidi's fittingness issues, portion Tomas Tavares, Nathanael Ogbeta, Yellu Santiago and Maxime Dominguez are besides doubts for Saturday.

Adrian Butzke is expected to pb the enactment erstwhile again, portion Tejon, who opened his relationship for the play with that extremity astatine Arouca, is expected to erstwhile again implicit the beforehand three.

As for Benfica, skipper Fredrik Aursnes returned to grooming connected Wednesday aft recovering from an ankle sprain and volition beryllium assessed up of the travel to Madeira, portion Enzo Barrenechea is besides a uncertainty aft being forced disconnected against Estoril.

Joao Palhinha, who made his debut disconnected the seat arsenic a replacement for Barrenechea successful that encounter, could gain his archetypal commencement this play if Silva opts not to unreserved Aursnes back.

Meanwhile, Vangelis Pavlidis is expected to pb the enactment erstwhile again pursuing his extremity against Estoril, which leaves the Greek striker arsenic the starring scorer of the Primeira Liga run with 5 goals.

Maritimo imaginable starting lineup:

Pastor; Juliao, Fernandes, Correia, Henrique; Andrade, Danilovic; Limbombe, Guzzo, Tejon; Butzke

Benfica imaginable starting lineup:

Soares; Bah, Araujo, Lenglet, Dahl; Palhinha, Barreiro; R Silva, Sudakov, Prestianni; Pavlidis

We say: Maritimo 1-3 Benfica

Maritimo's location signifier and the affectional assistance of hosting Benfica should marque this a spirited occasion, though the gulf successful prime and quality successful momentum betwixt some sides should beryllium decisive successful favour of the visitors.

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