Round 17
Benfica vs. Braga
Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Lisbon, Portugal.
04.01.25 at 21:00
Benfica will hope for a better result after a rare setback against bitter-rivals Sporting CP over the weekend. Bruno Lage's men play hosts to Braga at Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica in the 17th round of the Primeira Liga. Will the Eagles be suspect of another disappointing outcome, this time at home?
Let's have a look at the latest Portuguese Primeira Liga predictions between Benfica vs. Braga, probable lineups, match facts and betting odds for you to consider!
Note: Odds are subject to change at any time!
Claim Your Registration Bonus!Benfica
Form: LWWDW
Despite being the better team in their match against bitter rivals Sporting CP, Benfica’s lack of efficiency in the final third saw them drop points in a narrow 1-0 away defeat. This defeat also had dire repercussions as they dropped from first place to third place in the league standings.
The Eagles will seek to get back to winning ways after enjoying a two-match winning streak. However, that’s just the tip of the iceberg for a team that had avoided defeat in their 14 matches recording twelve wins and two draws. During this run, they preserved eight clean sheets which doesn’t come as a shocking revelation as they hold the second joint-best defensive record in the Primeira Liga.
Probable Starting XI
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Trubin; Bah, Araujo, Otamendi, Carreras; Luis, Aursnes; Di Maria, Kokcu, Akturkoglu; Amdouni
Braga
Form: LWDDW
Meanwhile, Braga, under the helm of Carlos Carvalhal, has struggled for favorable results recently. They find themselves outside the top four in the league standings as they occupy fifth place with 28 points accumulated from 16 games. The good news though is that they are only two points behind fourth-placed Santa Clara and coming out on top here could see them jump to their desired spot, albeit temporarily.
The Archbishops were tipped for a straightforward win against Casa Pia on Sunday but for some reason were behind a disappointing 2-1 defeat in front of their home crowd. This result halted a four-match unbeaten run in the league (W2, D2). However, they should be able to secure a favorable outcome here especially considering they’ve just dropped points in just two of their last seven games this season (W5, D1, L1). It’s also worth mentioning they are currently on a three-match winning streak on the road.
Probable Starting XI
Formation: 3-4-4
Lima; Ferreira, Bambu, Niakate; Fernandes, Zalazar, Moutinho, Ribeiro; Horta, El Ouazzani, Bruma
Match Facts
- Benfica is currently on a four-match winning streak at home against Braga.
- Five of the last eight encounters between Benfica and Braga have ended with both teams scoring.
- Benfica has kept a clean sheet in one of their last six home matches in this fixture.
- Braga has scored in six of their last seven away matches in the Primeira Liga.
Head-to-Head
In the last 58 meetings, Benfica has won 35 times, Braga has won 13 times and there have been 10 draws with the goal difference being 103-54 in favor of Benfica.
History of Head-to-Heads
Liga Portugal 2024/2025 
Benfica
Taca de Portugal 2024/2025
Braga
League Cup 2024/2025
Braga
Liga Portugal 2024/2025
Braga
Liga Portugal 2023/2024
Braga
Benfica Latest Games
Benfica
Famalicao
Benfica
Napoli
Sporting CP
Benfica
Benfica
Casa Pia
Bayer Leverkusen
Benfica
Arouca
Braga Latest Games
Braga 
Braga
Santa Clara
Braga
Braga
Braga
Braga
Moreirense
Genk
Braga
Casa Pia
Expert Betting Tips
Braga has some of the best players in their squad from old with experience to young with energy. But in this case that won’t be of great importance as they need to avoid a second straight defeat in the league. Even if they were to fail, that shouldn’t raise any alarm bells for Carvalhal considering the caliber of their opponent in this match.
Considering that this is a game between two powerhouses in Portugal, I believe the team that will have the upper hand here is title-chasing Benfica, and this is not because of their superiority in head-to-head meetings but their impressive league form leading up to this match. The visitors are very much aware that they don’t stand a chance here despite their noteworthy away record but their potent offense is enough to see their name on the scoreboard. I’ll go with Benfica to win and under 4.5 goals as has been the case in three of their last four matches in this fixture.
- W1 & TU 4.5 for 1.83
- Both Teams To Score - Yes for 1.75
- Corners - Under 10.5 for 1.73
Other predictions
