Champions League Betting Tips

Benfica v Maccabi Haifa betting tips: Champions League preview, prediction and odds


Match Preview

The Portuguese giants Benfica will be aiming to keep up their perfect start to the new campaign when they clash with Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League with the Israeli side now in the Champions League for the first time since 2009/10 after securing qualification through the playoffs.

Benfica are currently top of the pile in the Primeira Liga after a terrible season last time out by their own standards. In fact, following on from finishing third place, the club had to try and qualify through the playoffs. However, a 5-0 thrashing over two legs against Dynamo Kyiv put them back in the Champions League after winning the first leg 2-0 away from home, before beating Kyiv 3-0 back in Lisbon. Back in the league, the Primeira Liga side have reigned supreme in all four games, scoring 13 times and letting in only three goals.

At the same time as Benfica, Haifa did also qualify for Champions League through the playoffs after they beat Red Star Belgrade 5-4 on aggregate over two legs. Firstly, they beat them 3-2 in the first leg with two goals from Frantzy Pierrot and one more from Tjarron Chery.

Haifa then went two goals down inside the first half of the second leg with Red Star then leading 4-3 on aggregate. However, a goal just before the end of the half an own goal for Red Star with seconds to go ensured Haifa made it to the Champions League.

In the Israeli Premier League, the club are level with first-placed Maccabi Tel-Aviv, but do sit behind them on goals difference. Haifa have still managed to win all three games in the league and have scored seven goals and let in only two.

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