Will Benfica Lisbon still make the playoffs?

For the first time in the 2026 calendar year, European air is blowing through the Allianz Stadium. A fresh breeze around the nose will certainly do the hosts good after their unfortunate 0-1 defeat against Cagliari. From the Old Lady’s point of view, the Juventus vs. Benfica Lisbon tip contains positive news.

There is a wealth of experience on the sidelines in front of both dugouts. Luciano Spalletti (66) and Jose Mourinho (62) only took over their positions during the current season. Their different approaches add an extra layer of excitement to the Juventus vs. Benfica Lisbon prediction.

Neither club has yet secured their ticket to remain in the premier class. Juve (17th) is currently just inside the top 24, but only three points ahead of their opponents from the Iberian Peninsula (25th).

The Italian representatives won their two previous Champions League matches against Bodø/Glimt (3-2) and Paphos (2-0). The home side last celebrated more than two consecutive victories in 2021. Another three points are possible considering the Juventus vs. Benfica Lisbon odds.

However, points are by no means out of the question for the visitors. Jose Mourinho and his team also won their last two appearances in the Champions League. The Scarlet Reds celebrated 2-0 victories against both Ajax and Napoli. However, we liked the Old Lady’s offensive construction (12 goals) much better in the previous rounds.

Juventus vs. Benfica Lisbon Prediction AI

On the first matchday of the Champions League, Benfica disappointed against Qarabag, losing 2-3 in their own stadium. This result stands out because it is the only CL match so far in which both teams have scored. From the perspective of our artificial intelligence, this opens up the opportunity for a Juventus vs. Benfica Lisbon prediction of “Both teams to score – No.”

Juventus – Statistics & current form

The Italian record champions are unlikely to win the Scudetto this season. Juve are ten points behind the Serie A leaders. Most of this deficit stems from the period before Luciano Spalletti was appointed. He only took charge of the Italian top club in October last year.

Since then, the mood around the Old Lady has relaxed again. Up to our Juventus vs. Benfica Lisbon prediction, the Bianconeri have averaged 2.15 points per competitive game under Spalletti (16 games: 10W, 4D, 2L). There was a slight setback last weekend (0-1 vs. Cagliari), but we consider this to be an exception for several reasons.

A look at the expected goals comparison during this defeat sums up many of these aspects. Juve earned more than two expected goals and conceded only 0.11 expected goals in total. A win would definitely have been deserved.

Rediscovery of goal threat

Jonathan David has been in brilliant form recently and has rapidly increased his goal tally. After scoring against Parma on the first matchday of Serie A (2-0), the striker had to wait until the 19th matchday before he could celebrate his second goal. Since then, the 26-year-old has been almost unstoppable.

David has collected three points (2 goals, 1 assist) in his last three Serie A games. In addition, the striker found the back of the net in two consecutive Champions League matches, helping his team to their first two wins in the current CL league phase.

Together with his teammates, David has taken great pleasure in successful offensive actions. Juve has scored at least two expected goals in seven of its eight previous competitive games. On the European stage, the Bianconeri have finished four of six games with at least two goals of their own, and Spalletti’s team averages 2.0 goals per Champions League game (12 goals in 6 Champions League games)

. This greatly strengthens our position in the Juventus vs. Benfica Lisbon prediction.

Benfica Lisbon – Statistics & current form

Benfica has not always lived up to its own expectations at the national level this season. Although the Portuguese capital club has not lost any of its 18 league games (12W, 6D), Mourinho’s team (42 points) is behind Sporting Lisbon (45 points) and Porto (52 points) in the table.

The Eagles have shared the points too often in domestic competitions. Vangelis Pavlidis (17 goals in the Portuguese league) is the only professional in Mourinho’s squad to have scored more than four goals this season. Apart from him, too many players have shown weak nerves in front of the opponent’s goal.

This has been observed several times in the Champions League. Benfica failed to score in three of the four matchdays at the start of the season and lost all four games. After that, the Scarlet Reds pulled themselves together and brought themselves back within striking distance of the playoffs with two consecutive shutout victories.

Lack of depth

Mourinho is reluctant to use his substitutes in the Champions League. No other club has brought fewer professionals off the bench than Benfica (20) in the first six rounds of matches so far. The Portuguese coach has not scored a single goal from them.

The comparison with the opposition in particular poses real difficulties for the Juventus vs. Benfica Lisbon prediction. Juve has used up its entire quota of substitutions on every matchday and has already scored a total of four goals from its substitutes.

Offensively, the Eagles lack the depth to keep up with the home side over the entire distance. While the Old Lady fields one of the ten best expected offenses (11.72 xG), the visitors’ attacking play is not always competitive (7.57 xG).

Juventus – Benfica Lisbon Head-to-head record / H2H record

Every now and then, there are some curious figures in the database. Among them is the record in direct matches between Juve and Benfica. Only one of nine encounters ended in victory for the Bianconeri (1D, 7L). This victory lies far in the past and dates back to the quarterfinals in 1992/93 (3-0).

Juventus – Benfica Lisbon Tip

Under Luciano Spalletti, Juve have yet to lose a single Champions League game (3 games, 2W, 1D, 6:3 goals). The Italian representatives showed great hunger for the ball in the Champions League, winning possession 65 times in the attacking third – only Athletic Bilbao (67) managed to do so more often.

This resulted in a total of 14 shots (5th), which the Italian record champions were able to convert into two goals. Goal chances after winning the ball high up the pitch are just one of many elements in the Bianconeri’s attacking play, which has already caused many a defense a difficult evening during the league phase.

Although the visitors have one of the ten best expected defenses among all CL participants (7.42 xGA), they allowed 75 percent of their opponents’ shots to come from within their own penalty area (34th). If Juve get off to a good start and keep up the pressure, their own offense should be able to seal the victory.