Champions League match day six – Benfica and Napoli meet in decisive game
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UEFA Champions League Group B has been one of the most exciting we have seen this season and it comes down to the final round of matches, to decide who will qualify.
Besiktas currently sit in third place on 7 points, just 1 behind Napoli and leaders Benfica. The Turkish club travel to Dynamo Kiev on match day six, who have been eliminated from the competition and cannot qualify for the Europa League. This means Besiktas should be capable of picking up the win and if they do, a draw will not be enough for both Benfica and Napoli to progress, meaning we should be in for a very exciting match in Lisbon.
Group B has been very interesting throughout and Benfica struggled initially, picking up just a single point form their first two matches, one of which was a 4-2 defeat in Naples. However, since that defeat the trends show Benfica are unbeaten in the group, winning two and drawing one of their three games, giving them a total of 8 points. Interestingly, the reverse has been true for Napoli, who began well with two straight wins but have failed to win in their last three, drawing two and losing one. Therefore, in terms of Champions League form, Benfica are the team who come into this match with the advantage.
To strengthen Benfica’s hand, they are playing the match at home and their general home record in the Champions League is very good. In their previous 15 home Champions League games, Benfica have tasted defeat only twice and won 9 times, drawing the other 4 matches. This shows Benfica as a team who are tough to beat on their own pitch and with a passionate crowd behind them, things are not looking promising for Napoli.
The Italians do not travel particularly well in the Champions League. They have won only 3 of their 10 away matches in the competition, losing 5 of them. While a draw may be enough, Napoli must rely on Besiktas not to win their match in Ukraine and that’s a very risky game plan. Furthermore, having drawn only 2 matches away from home in their Champions League history, a point is not a likely outcome.
One glimmer of hope for Napoli is that Benfica tasted their first defeat in 12 matches on the weekend, their previous defeat coming against Napoli in the Champions League. Napoli’s impressive 3-0 win over Inter Milan on Saturday, means it is 6 games unbeaten in all competitions for Maurizio Sarri’s team and this will give them confidence going into the match on Tuesday night.
It will be very interesting to see how this match develops. Neither team can afford to play out the match while keeping an eye on the score in Ukraine. Both must go for the win and in that scenario the statistics point towards a Benfica victory, which means it could be the Portuguese and Besiktas which make it through to the knockout stages of the 2016/17 Champions League.
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