Two sides located at opposite ends of the Group D standings will lock horns in the Champions League on Tuesday. Real Sociedad currently lead the table, and they will be looking to stretch their unbeaten run this week. Meanwhile, Benfica are still searching for their first win in the competition this season.
Champions League Preview
It has been a solid start to the Champions League this season for Real Sociedad, as they have gone two matches without a defeat. They finally got in the win column for the first time this campaign on matchday two, as they secured maximum points against RB Salzburg, giving them a one-point advantage over their Group D rivals.
Benfica remain in the hunt for a place in the next round of the competition, but they will desperately need to improve their performance levels if they are to reach the knockout stage of the tournament this season. The Portuguese giants have lost each of their opening two matches, and they are yet to find the back of the net in the fixtures that they have played to this point.
Sociedad’s record in the group stage of European competitions deserves a lot of respect ahead of this fixture, as they have suffered just a single defeat from ten. Their most recent defeat was against Monaco in November 2021. Since then, they have landed four straight away wins in UEFA competitions.
Benfica landed a 3-0 home win over Barcelona in September 2021, but they haven’t landed back-to-back home victories against Spanish opposition since 1982. But, Sociedad did suffer a 1-0 defeat in their only previous trip to Portugal, going down in their first leg of their tie against Sporting Lisbon in 1983.
Benfica vs Real Sociedad Head to Head
This will be the first time that Sociedad and Benfica have locked horns in a competitive fixture. However, the advantage could be with the hosts, as Portuguese sides have won two of the last four meetings against Spanish opposition, ending a winless run of 15 in the process.
Benfica vs Real Sociedad Prediction
The trends make this a very challenging fixture to predict this week. However, Sociedad’s overall form in the competition so far could be the angle to follow. Therefore, we will be siding with the visiting side landing maximum points to extend their advantage at the top of the Group D standings.
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