Benfica secured a 2-1 victory over Marseille in the first leg of their Europa League quarterfinal at the Stadio da Luz.
Match Preview
Marseille is currently enduring a poor run of form, having lost their last five matches across all competitions.
It’s been a disappointing season for Marseille, and their situation could worsen if they fail to advance to the Europa League semifinals.
In the first leg, Benfica took a 2-0 lead with goals from Rafa Silva in the 16th minute and Angel Di Maria in the 52nd minute.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pulled one back for Marseille, but they couldn’t equalize further.
Despite the three goals, both teams struggled with accuracy in their shooting. Marseille managed only two shots on target out of 12, while Benfica had three out of 10.
Benfica also dominated possession with 57% during the match.
Benfica enters the second leg on the back of a two-match winning streak in all competitions. Following their victory over Marseille last week, Benfica defeated Moreirense 3-0 in the Portugal Liga.
Marseille had a restful weekend in Ligue 1, providing Manager Jean-Louis Gasset’s team with ample preparation time for the upcoming fixture at home.
Gasset is Marseille’s fourth manager of the season.
Regardless of the managerial changes, Marseille has struggled for the majority of the campaign, currently sitting ninth in the standings and sliding down the table due to their recent losing streak.
Head-to-Head:
Despite being slight favorites according to leading bookmakers, Marseille has only defeated Benfica once in previous encounters.
These teams have faced each other seven times before, with Benfica winning four, drawing two, and losing one.
Three of their encounters have occurred in the Europa League, where Benfica remained unbeaten.
Team News & Updates:
Silva, who scored in the first leg, leads Benfica in goal scoring with 16 goals in all competitions, while Di Maria, also on the scoresheet in the first leg, follows with 13 goals.
Aubameyang, with 23 goals, is Marseille’s leading scorer in all competitions, with no other player scoring more than five goals.
Prediction & Analysis:
Despite Marseille’s slight favoritism according to bookmakers, history favors Benfica, having only suffered one defeat against Marseille in previous encounters.
With key players like Silva and Di Maria leading Benfica’s attack, and Aubameyang spearheading Marseille’s efforts, expect an intense battle.
Our prediction leans towards a 2-2 draw, securing Benfica’s passage to the Europa League semifinals.
- Marseille 2-2 Benfica