In the first half of the Champions League group stage, AS Monaco have gone unbeaten — only Liverpool have amassed more (10 vs 12). At home against Benfica, they will not have an easy time advancing into the opposition's half, as the Lisbon side will look to capitalise on counter-attacks, especially since they have hit a rich vein of form.
Monaco’s surprising rise to the top of the European standings can be attributed, in part, to a favourable schedule. The principality club could have secured maximum points in the four rounds but dropped points in Zagreb against Dinamo (2:2). Notably, in their last 10 matches across all competitions, Monaco have seen the total over 2.5 in seven instances. On Friday against Stade Brestois (3:2), Aleksandr Golovin marked his season debut with a goal, while Monaco created 2.43 xG against another Champions League participant.
Despite defeats to Feyenoord (1:3) and Bayern Munich (0:1), Bruno Lage’s return to Benfica has been nearly phenomenal: 10 wins in 12 matches. Post-international break, the Lisbon side hammered Estrela Amadora in the Portuguese Cup (7:0), with Ángel Di Maria netting a hat-trick within 18 minutes. It is likely that Benfica will revert from the 5-3-2 formation used in Munich to their familiar 4-3-3, which will positively impact their attacking play.
The encounter between AS Monaco and Benfica promises plenty of scoring opportunities. Both sides possess potent attacks, yet each is prone to defensive lapses.
