Benficavs.Moreirense

With third-placed Porto hosting table-topping Sporting Lisbon on Friday, the Eagles could reduce the six-point deficit after the forthcoming round if they claim maximum points against an opponent that have lost four of five away matches (one draw) before this weekend.

Match preview

Heading into the new year, Benfica were third in the Liga, two points behind Sporting and Porto, both of whom were tied on 40 after gameweek 16.

Bruno Lage's men may enter round 21 two points clear of Porto — an upshot of the Oporto outfit picking two points from 12 in 2025 — but O Glorioso are six points adrift of league-leading Sporting, who have won four of their last five league matches and three in four since the turn of the year.

Lage's team have been far from perfect, highlighted by winning two and losing as many in 2025, including a home loss against Braga on January 4 to end a two-year undefeated streak at the Stadium of Light, leaving them ninth in the form table.

Having returned to winning ways on home turf with a 4-0 hammering of Famalicao in mid-January, the Eagles, who have won nine of their 10 fixtures in Lisbon this term, aim to record consecutive triumphs at Estadio da Luz and back-to-back Liga victories for the first time since December.

Although Benfiquistas will back their side to inflict Moreirense's 10th league defeat of 2024-25, the Eagles will be aware of four of the recent five contests in all competitions ending in stalemates, even if last season's corresponding fixture ended 3-0.

Despite the Minho-based visitors notching stalemates against the Lisbon giants in recent seasons, the Green and Whites are undoubted underdogs heading into the 21st gameweek, with a miserable away record undermining their prospects.

Moreirense are winless in seven Liga matches ahead of Saturday's visit to Benfica — eight in all competitions — while a five-match winless sequence on their travels (four losses) further magnifies the 11th-placed side's struggles.

Cesar Peixoto's side last got some away cheer with a 2-0 triumph at rock-bottom Boavista, but that October success has been a one-off for the visitors, who have fallen to seven losses in the previous nine fixtures away from Minho.

With only seven points accrued from 30 on their travels — outdoing only Gil Vicente (six), AVS (five), Nacional (three) and Estrela Amadora (three) — Os Verdes e Brancos' prospects of adding to their two away wins appear bleak.

An eighth away league loss and 10th overall could see the 11th-placed side start looking over their shoulder if results elsewhere go against them, with Estrela in the relegation playoff spot five points adrift and second-bottom Farense eight behind ahead of this weekend's round.

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

W

L

L

W

L

W

Benfica form (all competitions):

W

W

L

L

W

W

Moreirense Primeira Liga form:

L

D

D

D

L

L

Moreirense form (all competitions):

D

D

L

D

L

L

Team News

Angel Di Maria was withdrawn with a seeming muscle issue in the thrilling 3-2 success over Estrela, and the 2022 World Cup winner will be assessed before Saturday; if the wide attacker is absent, Lage could be without three players, with Renato Sanches and Tiago Gouveia also anticipated to miss out.

Vangelis Pavlidis's five goals have all been match-winning strikes, jointly top of that statistic with Porto's Samu Aghehowa, and the Greek forward aims to add to his decisive contributions this weekend.

Sidnei Tavares was withdrawn after 30 minutes against Braga, possibly ruling out the midfielder against Benfica; the Portuguese man could join Guilherme Liberato and Hernani Infande as injury absentees.

Peixoto will make a late decision over his centre-forward selection, with Luis Asue (five goals) and Guilherme Schettine (four) the club's leading goalscorers this term; Schettine finding the net in the recent 2-1 loss against Braga and Asue scoring once in his last nine Liga appearances could see the Moreirense boss lean for the four-goal man.

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Trubin; Araujo, A.Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Aursnes, M.Silva, Kokcu; Schjelderup, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu

Moreirense possible starting lineup:

Kewin; Pinto, Marcelo, Maracas, Frimpong; Ofori, Ismael; Santos, Alan, Martins; Schettine

We say: Benfica 3-1 Moreirense

Benfica have conceded in four of their last five Liga fixtures and six of nine in all competitions in 2025, pointing to Moreirense finding the back of the net on Saturday.

Written by

Anthony Brown

Previews by email