Benfica vs Casa Pia Predictions

• Benfica won with over 2.5 goals in nine of their last 11 home league games in 2023-24
• There were over 2.5 goals in 10 of Casa Pia’a last 12 away league games last season
• Both clubs lost their opening games with Benfica losing 2-0 at Famalicao and Casa Pia going down 1-0 at home to Boavista

Home bankers will need to improve

Benfica were bankers at home in the second half of last season and the Eagles should be able to get the better of Casa Pia when they play their first league game of the new campaign at Estadio da Luz on Saturday.

Last week’s 2-0 loss at Famalicao was poor and will need to be atoned for quickly or else Roger Schmidt could find himself in a hot seat. The Lisbon giants lacked leadership in key positions without the likes of Nicolas Otamendi and Joao Neves.

Otamendi will return this week after playing at the Olympics and Renato Sanches could also be back in the fold, which should bolster a midfield that appeared to miss Neves’ influence. However, forwards Benjamín Rollheiser and Andreas Schjelderup are out for the game against Casa Pia with Evangelos Pavlidis set to start again up front.

Geese can grab a goal 

Casa Pia will be boosted in attack too after an injury and lack of integration time for two strikers led to midfielder Pablo Roberto being deployed as a makeshift false nine against Boavista last weekend. The plan did not work for Joao Pereira, who became the youngest head coach in Portugal’s top flight when he took on the role in the summer.

Either Max Svensson or Samu Obeng, the latter doing well as a substitute last week when he nearly crown his debut with a goal, will start up top and that should give the Geese a bit more bite in attack.

This game will be no walkover for Benfica, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Casa Pia last season, but their outstanding home record speaks for itself and they should find a way to collect all three points at the end of a match featuring a few goals.