The Matchday 2 clash in the 2025/26 Champions League group stage between Chelsea (England) and Benfica (Portugal) will take place on September 30 at Stamford Bridge in London. Chelsea vs. Benfica: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Chelsea
The Londoners began the tournament with a 1-3 away defeat to Bayern. This marks their fourth loss in the last five Champions League matches (1 win). Additionally, for the first time in their Champions League history, the English side has lost three consecutive games. Notably, Chelsea failed to score in three of these encounters. Meanwhile, Chelsea has kept a clean sheet in only one of their last seven matches in this European competition.
- No more than three goals have been scored in 10 of Chelsea's last 11 games in this tournament.
- At home, the team has not lost in 9 of their last 11 Champions League matches (8 wins, 1 draw).
- In 14 of their last 16 home matches in the Champions League, Chelsea has not conceded more than one goal.
Predicted lineup for Chelsea (4-3-3)
Robert Sanchez – Reece James, Trevoh Chalobah, Jorrel Hato, Marc Cucurella – Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, João Pedro Jesus – Pedro Neto, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Alejandro Garnacho.
Injured players include defenders Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, midfielders Cole Palmer, Dário Essugo, and forward Liam Delap.
Benfica
The first-round match against Qarabag did not seem worrisome for the Portuguese. The team took a two-goal lead, but ultimately Benfica could not hold onto this advantage. The 2-3 defeat was their first in five Champions League matches (3 wins, 1 draw). Moreover, the Portuguese ended their four-match clean sheet streak in this tournament. However, the team has scored in 5 of their last 6 Champions League matches.
After the first-round defeat, there was a change in management, with José Mourinho becoming the new head coach.
- At least one opponent failed to score in 5 of Benfica's last 7 Champions League matches.
- Away from home in this tournament, the team has not lost in 5 of their last 6 matches (4 wins, 1 draw).
- In 4 of their last 5 away games in the Champions League, the club has kept a clean sheet.
Predicted lineup for Benfica (4-3-3)
Anatoliy Trubin – António Silva, Samuel Dall, Nicolás Otamendi, Tomás Araújo – Richard Rios, Enzo Barrenechea, Georgiy Sudakov – Fredrik Aursnes, Vangelis Pavlidis, Andreas Schjelderup.
Injured players include defender Alexander Bah, midfielder Manu Silva, and forward Bruma.
Referee
Daniel Siebert (Germany)
Matches – 16 (International matches, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 77;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.8;
Red cards shown – 5;
Average fouls per match – 23;
Penalties – 13%.
Chelsea vs. Benfica: Match Prediction
Chelsea failed to secure points in the first round, but they faced a tough opponent. The upcoming matchup against Benfica seems more manageable, especially since Chelsea will play at home, where they have won 8 of their last 11 Champions League home matches (1 draw, 2 losses). Notably, both losses in this stretch were to Real Madrid, a team of a much higher caliber than Benfica.
José Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge as the coach of the Portuguese side, having taken over after being dismissed by Fenerbahçe following an elimination in the qualifying round by Benfica. I'm not confident that this coaching change will have an immediate positive impact, especially given the team's surprising result in the first round. If Benfica loses at home to Qarabag, their chances against a team like Chelsea on the road seem even slimmer.
My prediction: Chelsea to Win
