The current Portuguese Champions take on the runners-up from last season’s Bundesliga in a match that could be one of the most entertaining games of the round.
Benfica are leading the Portuguese league once again and are the league\’s highest scorers by some margin with ex-Fulham striker Konstantinos Mitroglou leading the line with 10 goals this season and Pizzi not far behind with 8. They’ve also got one of the tightest defenses in the league, led by captain Luisão and ably assisted by Manchester United target Victor Lindelöf. Borussia Dortmund, on the other hand, are not having such a good season and are currently sitting in fourth place in the league. Both sides still have plenty to do in their domestic league campaigns but they won’t be thinking about that when they take to the field on Tuesday night.
What kind of game we’re likely to see from these two sides is unsure. Borussia Dortmund are well known for their attacking football and Benfica knows how to turn on the style as well. Unfortunately, both clubs know how to shut a game down if it calls for it and Benfica have failed to take all 3 points from games against Besiktas and Napoli in the Champions League when playing at home this season.
Dortmund arguably had a tougher group than Benfica as they came up against Real Madrid and Sporting Lisbon in the group stages. They did come through both games against their Portuguese opponents with all 3 points and they will be hoping their run against the Portuguese can continue in this game and the next.
Having to play away at Benfica in the first leg does help Dortmund out a little as they will have home support in the second, crucial, leg and also be fully aware of what they need to achieve to get through. Benfica will have the advantage of the away goals in the second leg but they need to ensure the game doesn’t get away from them in this first game if they’re to stand a chance.
For me, there is one obvious bet and one that is worth taking a risk on. The obvious one is Both Teams To Score (Yes) but at 1.7 with Bet365 I think there is a lack of value here. It has been as high as 1.75 and I’d consider that on the cusp of being worthwhile but lower than that rules this one out for me. Perhaps it’s worth watching the odds at green listed bookmakers and seeing if they can get to 1.8 or above, at which point I would definitely recommend it.
The second bet is a bit riskier but at the same time, I think it’s worth it. I’m going to be placing a small bet on Borussia Dortmund to win this game at odds of 2.42 with 5Dimes. I think Benfica will attempt to win both legs of this game and try to play a more attacking game. A tactic that could work out brilliantly for Borussia Dortmund who will just suck them in and hit them on the break with the pace of players like Aubameyang.
There are 2 good games of football taking place on Tuesday night but if you sit down to watch this one I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
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