Spartak Moscow has a chance to renew hostilities against old rivals Benfica in the Champions League third qualifying round. The match schedules for Wednesday at the Otkritie Arena with kickoff at 8 pm.
The Russian champions enter the third round after finishing second place in their respective domestic league. On the other hand, Benfica took a third-place finish in the Primeira Liga season.
Benfica enjoyed an impressive spell in the Europa League last campaign. The side managed to make the round 32 while getting pitched against Arsenal. It started well with a 1-1 first-leg draw.
However, a last-minute winner by Aubameyang denied them a spell in the round of 16 with a 4-3 aggregate loss.
There is history between the two clubs, with Coach Rui Vitoria remembered for his title-winning run stint with Benfica. After switching sides, he finds himself with mixed fortunes during his early spell in the 2021-2022 Russian Premier League season. The opening weekend started with a 1-0 defeat to Rubin Kazan.
Meanwhile, the Wednesday clash presents the first competitive match for Benfica ahead of their 2021-2022 season. Their first match in the Primeira League starts on August 7 with a clash against Moreirense.
Furthermore, there are several departures at the camp, with Nuno Tavares, Franco Cervi, and Pedrinho leaving in the transfer window. Incomings include Joao Mario, Soualiho Meite, and Yaremchuk.
Spartak Moscow vs Benfica Head to Head
Both sides have two games against each other, with each side taking one win. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Sovetov Samara 0-1 Spartak Moscow
- Rubin Kazan 1-0 Spartak Moscow
- Spartak Moscow 5-1 FK Khimki
- Rubin Kazan 0-4 Spartak Moscow
- Spartak Moscow 4-0 FC Sochi
Away
- Benfica 1-1 Olympique Marseille
- Benfica 1-0 Lille
- SL Benfica 2-1 Almeria
- SL Benfica 3-2 SC Farense
- Sporting Braga 2-0 SL Benfica
Spartak Moscow Team News
Defender Pavel Moscow continues recovering from a hip inflammation and remains to recover on the sidelines. In addition, Aleksandr Selikhov picked up a fractured finger that rules him out. After making his move to the camp, winger Victor Moses is in line to feature after passing a late fitness test.
SL Benfica Team News
The arrival of Yaremnchuk fits perfectly with the absence of Darwin Nunez recovering from a knee injury. Diogo Goncalves made significant recovery strides from his injury to feature in the starting lineup.
Prediction and Odds
Even though the hosts already hit the ground running in their domestic league, we expect a great competitive advantage for visitors.
- Away Win
- Double Chance
- Goals Under 3.5
