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AS Monaco hosts Benfica in the 3rd match day of the Champions League Group C. Monaco is a surprise factor in this group with 4 points in two games … 1-0 vs. Leverkusen and 0-0 at Zenit. We all know Monaco lost the main players this summer (Falcao, James, etc.) and that the Russian owner is not investing big bucks any more but the results in UCL were great … based on a defensive game Monaco is now in a position to qualify (even if the wn vs. Leverkusen was one of the luckiest results you can get in football).
Monaco also in good shape in the league, in last 2 rounds made 1-1 draw in Paris with PSG and won 2-0 vs. Evian. For this game Berbatov and Lopez are out for Monaco.
Read the betting preview and bet on AS Monaco – Benfica with the best odds at Unibet.
Benfica also lost some key players in the summer but unlike Monaco they are the disappointment of this group so far … zero points, lost 0-2 vs. Zenit and 1-3 at Leverkusen. But in Portugal Benfica is doing better … first place with 6 wins and 1 draw in 7 matches, 19-4 goal difference. For today Jonas will not play for Benfica and Silvio is questionable.
I view this as a very tight and close game and I don’t think my analysis is wrong. There is little separating these teams and the stakes are also high … specially for Benfica a defeat would be a disaster. Under 2,5 seems a good bet (also with Berbatov out) but odds of 1.60 are not to my liking, I will invest in a draw at half time because everything in the analysis points to a very careful and risk free approach. Monaco plays defensively and risk-free, Benfica can’t afford to lose and also they went behind early in previous games so will be more careful … my tip will be a draw at half time, the 3rd consecutive one for Monaco. Correct score prediction: Monaco – Benfica 0-1 with 0-0 at half time.
Pick: X at half time
Odds: 2.02 @ Unibet
Stake: 7
Possible profit: 7.14
Event date: 22 October
