Crvena Zvezda vs Benfica Predictions

• Red Star have scored in every home game since September 2022
• Red Star failed to win any of their home Champions League games last season
• Benfica are unbeaten in their last four matches

Lage to kick on from perfect start

Red Star produced a comeback in the second leg of their previous tie to qualify for the group stages but they will have their work cut out to follow that with a win over Portuguese heavyweights Benfica.

The visitors  put four past Santa Clara at the weekend in what was Bruno Lage’s first game in charge. Veteran Angel Di Maria got on the scoresheet in that tie and he could play a starring role here after scoring four and assisting two more in Benfica’s Europa League campaign last season

2016 golden boy Renato Sanches has also re-joined the club on loan, and with Kerem Akturkoglu also arriving from Galatasaray, they have the quality to impress in Serbia. They can kick their Champions League campaign off with a win.

Benfica aren’t short of attacking talent, and should be able to get a couple of goals in this match. Red Star have an outstanding record at home though, you’ve got to go all the way back to October 2023 to find the last time they did not score in a competitive home match; they even put two past Man City, so we can expect Red Star to get on the score sheet. A 2-1 win for Benfica looks a good correct score bet