Without winning two games for the first time since switching coaches, Benfica will host Dynamo Zagreb on Thursday, March 14, in a clash for the Europa League round of 16 2018/2019. The match, which will take place at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, kicks off at 17h (Brasília time).In the first game in Croatia, the home side asserted the field and scored 1-0. This gives Dinamo Zagreb the right to qualify in the event of a new success or even a draw. If they make a goal on Portuguese soil, even the loss by minimum margin will serve to advance to the quarterfinals. The Lisbon side need two goals to advance. In case of return of the minimum score, the regulation establishes an extension of 30 minutes in which the goal scored away from home serves as a tiebreaker criterion. Only in case of a goalless draw in extra time will there be decision through penalties charges. For the definition of the crosses of the quarterfinals the Uefa, entity that organizes the competition, will make a new draw, without there being any direction in the confrontations.
Lisbon’s “da Luz” is scheduled Thursday, March 14th, starting at 22:00, Romania’s time, the meeting between the local Benfica formation and the Croatian champion, Dinamo Zagreb, the match of the final match of the Europa League final finals . In the tour, the Croatian team was imposed in front of the players with a score of 1-0.
Benfica
After the exchange of Rui Vitoria by Bruno Lage losing became something rare, but not unheard of for Benfica. In 16 matches, it happened twice. What happened for the first time since the beginning of January, when the coach of Team B took command of the main team, was to go two straight in a row without a win.On Monday, March 11, also at Luz Stadium, in front of Belensenses, Benfica were in the draw, by 2 to 2, in a clash that complemented the twenty-fifth round of the Portuguese Championship season 2018/2019. Having reached 60 points (19 wins, three draws and three losses), the team was on an equal footing with Porto.He did not lose, however, the leadership of the First League. It follows at the top by taking advantage of the goals balance: 45 to 35. Remaining nine days to the end is a good margin in this tiebreaker.The way the match happened, however, was extremely frustrating for Benfica fans. After a scoreless first half, the hosts needed 18 minutes to score twice. However, with two goals in a two-minute interval the Belenenses came to a 25th-minute equalizer. Even with time to try the third goal, the home owners could not get to victory.For Thursday’s meeting, Lage must wait for the position of the medical department to know if there are more options to climb the team. Defenders German Conti and Jardel are in the process of recovering from injury; midfielder Ljubomir and Fejsa; and the attackers Eduardo Salvio and Haris Seferovic.
Dynamo Zagreb
While Benfica need to expand between the international competition and the national tournament, Dynamo Zagreb uses the Croatian Championship as a mere training platform. It has no rivals in the title fight. On Sunday, March 10, at home, he scored 3-1 in Rijeka, deputy leader, in a compromise for the twenty-fourth round of the 2018/2019 season.He reached the mark of 61 points (19 wins, four draws and one defeat) opening ahead of 17 points in the comparison with the second placed. Champion of 12 of the last 13 editions of HLN, it is a matter of time to include another trophy in his gallery.The only problem of injury faced by coach Nenad Bjelica for Thursday’s duel is in relation to the Macedonian midfielder Arijan Ademi. The 27-year-old has missed the last four games due to abdominal distension.
History of the matches vs. Benfica vs Dínamo Zagreb
The teams had only one encounter before they had their way crossed in the last 16 of the Europa League 2018/2019. It was in the 2004/2005 edition of the tournament. Benfica won 2-0.
The shape of the teams and the latest direct results
- Last online match: Benfica vs Dinamo Zagreb: 0-1 away 07.03.2019
- Form Benfica (last 5 games): D L W W D
- Form Dinamo Zagreb (last 5 games): W W D W W
Benfica
After finishing third in Group E of the Champions League, Benfica passed in the Europa League sixteen with the score of 2-1 in the double leg of Turkey’s champion, Galatasaray. Born in the Croatian capital, a week ago, after a modest performance for the Lusitana band, victory is mandatory to continue its European route this season.In Primeira, in spite of the draw in the last round of the championship, 2-2 on his own field with Belenenses, the eagles remain at the top of the table, with a tie of 60 points, with the big rival and main counterweight in the title fight, FC Porto.The 27-year-old Swiss top, Haris Seferovic, who has managed not less than 15 goals in 21 appearances in the Benficai T-shirt, is still unavailable due to injuries sustained in the Zagreb tour.
The probable Benfica team: Vlachodimos, Grimaldo, Ferro, Dias, Almeida, Cervi, Luis,
Dinamo Zagreb
Dinamo leaves with the first chance to qualify in the quarterfinals of the competition thanks to the goal scored in the Zagreb tournament match by Bruno Petkovic, from the penalty kick in the 38th minute of the meeting.In the championship, players prepared by Nenad Bjelica dominated the standings with 61 points accumulated over the 24 rounds, 17 points ahead of Rijeka’s main pursuer, a band he defeated just four days ago. “Maksimir Stadium” in Zagreb, 3-1.In the perspective of his trip to Lisbon on Thursday evening, the manager will not be able to use the center midfielder Ivan Sunjic or the 30-year-old left-wing Marin Leovac, both of whom are suspended due to the cumulative yellow card.
Probabil Dinamo Zagreb team: Livakovic, Stojanovic, Theophile-Catherine, Dilaver, Rrahmani, Ademi, Kadzior, Olmo, Gojak, Orsic, Petkovic
Football Prediction of the Day Benfica vs Dinamo Zagreb
Having the opportunity to play at home, Benfica, even in the face of a well-organized team like Dinamo Zagreb, has the prognosis in their victory as the best guessing option for Thursday’s round of the Round of Round of 16. Liga Europa season 2018/2019.
Bet Tips: Benfica
Odds: 1.45
In spite of the modest evolution in Zagreb, Benfica remains the favorite for qualifying in the quarterfinals of the competition, but will have an extremely difficult task with the Croatian band, an extremely well-organized team that controlled the game in the contest tour. For the sake of security, in my opinion, I will opt for a score based on the number of goals scored in the first half, given that Dinamo will probably try to conserve the outcome of the tournament, while Benfica can not risk being attacked from the first minute, but will probably try to control the game, waiting for errors from the Croatian defensive.
Prediction Today: Under 1.5 goals in the first half
Odds: 1.42
