Fenerbahce v Benfica: Visitors to reach full throttle after the break
Published:In a testament to the nature of Benfica’s recent form, the Portuguese league leaders are afforded 6/4 favouritism to gain a first-leg advantage at the home of Fenerbahce.
And given that the Eagles are currently in the midst of an incredible 38-match unbeaten run, during which they have won 32 times, they represent value at that price.
The unfancied hosts, 7/4 for victory, have won only one of their past four games by contrast, and a draw would appear to be the best they can hope for, with that outcome a 23/10 shot.
The fact that all three of the Turkish outfit’s most recent stalemates have come in this competition could entice some into snapping up those odds.
What may prove a better profit-making method in this match though, is backing the visiting side in half markets.
It is noteworthy that Glorioso have entered the break on level terms with their opponents in eight of their 10 European outings this term, turning half-time parity into full-time triumph on five of those occasions.
9/2 looks a terrific price that Jorge Jesus’ men emerge victorious from a game that is level after 45 minutes, whilst more cautious punters will like the 11/10 odds that the teams are simply drawing at half-time.
Meanwhile, it should be noted that Benfica’s seasonal European successes have most regularly involved three or more goals, an instance recurrent in four of their seven victories on the continent this term.
16/5 is the price that the Lisbon outfit win a game featuring in excess of 2.5 strikes, and it may be of interest to punters that this bet would have paid off in 15 of their 22 Primeira Liga matches this season.
And it could pay for punters to focus their attentions on an obvious candidate when betting on this match from a goalscoring angle, in the form of Oscar Cardozo.
The powerful striker has notched 27 times in just 33 appearances across all competitions this term, and looks overpriced at 5/1 to break the deadlock with his sixth European strike of the campaign.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
