Analysis:
Pick: 1
The match between Benfica vs FC Arouca for
the Portugal Primeira Liga competition is scheduled to be played on 05 August,
2022. The match kicks off at 20:15 UK time. It will take place at the Estádio
do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, in Lisboa.
Benfica
New coach Schmidt is renowned for high-intensity attacking play with plenty of risks and occasional lapses at the back – which is what has been delivered throughout the Eagles’ pre-season program too. Benfica won all five warm-up games with at least three goals in four of them and then took the Danish team apart at the Luz in a 4-1 Champions League qualifying victory that could easily have seen them score six or seven.
FC Arouca
It’s going to be a hard ask for Arouca, a
team that stayed up by a couple of points after gaining promotion in 2020-21,
to keep the scoreline from getting embarrassing on Friday – even if Schmidt
decides to rest a couple of players for the second leg in Herning.
Verdict
A healthy 59% of Benfica’s home league games last season featured more than three goals – and that was before Schmidt arrived – so we are confident of the win and over 2.5 goals