Our prediction for this Champions League match:
Benfica play host to Maccabi Haifa at their Estadio da Luz in the opening match of their Champions League campaign. The Eagles kicked off the new Primeira Liga campaign in style, with the team winning each of their first five games of the process. New Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez has not been sorely missed at the start of the season, and, in his absence, Goncalo Ramos will lead the line for the hosts. All Draxler, Joao Victor, Lucas Verissimo, and Tavares should miss out with injuries. Maccabi Haifa, on the other hand, booked their place in the Champions League group stages by beating Serbian champions Crvena zvezda in the double-header.
The Israelis, though, are not regarded as good travellers, and we do not believe that they are capable of spoiling Benfica’s party in Lisbon. A man to keep an eye on in the away side will be former QPR midfielder Tjarron Chery, who has been impressive in the Champions League qualifiers.
Highlighted Player (Jan Vertonghen):
After spending four years at Ajax, in 2006 Jan Vertonghen signed a loan deal with RKC Waalwijk. The left-footed defender spent one season at Mandemakers Stadion and he returned to Ajax for the 2007/2008 season. The highly rated footballer, who is capable of playing as both centre back and left back, signed a deal with Tottenham Hotspur on 8 July, 2012 and he has been playing for the Premier League outfit ever since.
The Belgian defender scored four goals for the Spurs in the 2012/2013 Premier League season and he made 34 league appearances for the White Hart Lane outfit back then. In the 2015/2016 season Jan Vertonghen and his teammates were producing brilliant displays with Tottenham, but the Spurs eventually finished the campaign in third place in the standings.
Speaking of his international career, Vertonghen made it to both World Cup (2014) and Euro (2016) quarter-finals with the Belgian national team. Jan was born on 24 April, 1987 and his shirt number is 5.