Benfica vs Bayern Munich Odds & Prediction – UCL Group Stage Matchday 3
By Sam Cox in Soccer News
Published:
- Benfica host Bayern Munich on Champions League Group Stage Matchday 3
- These two sides occupy the top two spots in Group E
- Read below for the latest Benfica vs Bayern odds and a betting preview
Emphatic wins over Barcelona and Dynamo Kyiv have put Bayern Munich at the top of Group E heading into Champions League Matchday 3. The Bundesliga champions face a tricky trip to Portugal to face Benfica on Wednesday, however.
The Lisbon-based club are yet to concede in the group stage and have four points from their two matches. They have been in exceptional domestic form too, though they suffered their first defeat of the season before the international break.
This is the fifth time these sides have met since 2016. Bayern are unbeaten over that period with three wins and a draw. They thrashed Benfica 5-1 when the teams last met in 2018.
Benfica vs Bayern Odds
| Matchup | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benfica vs Bayern | BEN +1 (+145) | BAY -1 (-165) | BEN +650 | BAY -255 | DRAW +425 | Ov 3 (-130) | Un 3 (+110) |
Odds as of Oct 19 at DraftKings
Benfica Prove Themselves
Having come through the arduous qualification process, Benfica were drawn into what looked like a tricky group on paper. Their chances of progression took a real hit when they drew with Dynamo Kyiv on Matchday 1. Jorge Jesus’ team showed they belong on the biggest stage in Matchday 2, though, as they dismantled Barcelona on their way to a 3-0 victory.
Being taken to extra time in the Taca de Portugal at the weekend might not seem like ideal preparation for the visit of Bayern, but Jesus was able to name a heavily rotated team for the tie with Trofense. Many of his starters got the night off or came off the bench.
🏆🇵🇹 Onto the next round!#CDTSLB #WeAreBenfica pic.twitter.com/kzi80romYn
— SL Benfica (@slbenfica_en) October 16, 2021
Jesus has an almost full-strength squad to choose from. While Haris Seferovic remains out, there should only be one change to the team which beat Barcelona. Wing-back Valentino Lazaro is injured, and will likely be replaced by Gilberto.
In-Form Bayern
Benfica have played some good football this season. Now they face arguably the toughest test in football on Wednesday. Julian Nagelsmann’s Bayern slipped up against Eintracht Frankfurt before the break, but they got back to winning ways with a 5-1 hammering of Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend.
Just as Benfica shone against Barcelona, Bayern cruised past Dynamo Kyiv on Matchday 2. This is a real challenge for the Bavarian superclub, but they are deserving of their status as odds-on favorites.
Robert Lewandowski is confident in his chances to win the Ballon d'Or 👍 pic.twitter.com/GwTSKlvJRR
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 11, 2021
Nagelsmann only has one injury worry on Wednesday. Alphonso Davies limped off in the first half at the weekend, which lessens the threat down the left flank, though Lucas Hernandez is a solid deputy.
Robert Lewandowski should be accompanied by Leroy Sane, Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry in the front four. The Polish forward already has four goals in the Champions League this season – he’s +175 to open the scoring on Matchday 3.
Benfica vs Bayern Munich Champions League Statistics
| 3 | Goals | 8 |
| 12 | Shots taken per 90 | 19.5 |
| 494 | Passes per 90 | 638 |
| 7 yellows, 0 reds | Cards | 3 yellows, 0 reds |
| +0.82 | Expected goal difference per 90 | +2.03 |
Unstoppable Force
As good as Benfica have been this term, it’s impossible to look past Bayern here. The comfortable win over Leverkusen enabled Nagelsmann to take off some of his key men. Their loss to Frankfurt was no more than a blip.
Bayern have been pretty much unstoppable this season. Their attack has been tearing defenses apart. The defense hasn’t been perfect, with only three clean sheets in the last seven matches, but they could blow Benfica away on Wednesday.
Things that take longer than our players scoring four goals against Leverkusen:
-Hard boiling an egg
-Sunlight reaching Earth
-Reading the terms & conditions
-Cancelling a gym membership
-Coming up with this tweetWhat else? 😅 pic.twitter.com/fT1v66BGwI
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) October 18, 2021
Bettors can find a lot of value in this game. A parlay on Bayern to win, over 2.5 total goals and Lewandowski to score anytime is a great bet at +105.
We’ll keep it simple here, though, and go with Bayern on the -1.5 spread.
Pick: Bayern -1.5 (+110)
Sports Writer
Sam Cox is a freelance writer and sports junkie, who has spent the past several years immersed in the online gaming industry. He has worked with 888sport, Oddschecker, and Colossus Bets to name a few. Based in the UK, Sam also runs Franchise Sports with his brother.
