Our prediction for this Portugal Primeira Liga match:
Buoyed by back-to-back wins over Rio Ave (4-2) and Porto (1-0), Benfica will look to cement top position in the standings when they take on Chaves in Lisbon on Saturday. The Eagles proved their worth in O Classico, but they can’t afford any complacency in the upcoming league fixtures. A man to watch in the home team will be Rafa Silva, who scored a brace in a 4-3 win over Juventus on Tuesday, while both Julian Draxler and Morato should miss out with injuries.
Chaves, on the other hand, climbed to top ten in the standings thanks to back-to-back wins over Braga and Gil Vicente, but they will have a much bigger fish to fry at Estadio da Luz. In each of their last four meetings in Lisbon Benfica defeated Chaves, and we predict that the history is going to repeat itself. There are no fresh injury worries in the away team ahead of the trip to the Portuguese capital.
Highlighted Player (Julian Draxler):
Julian Draxler is arguably one of the most impressive footballers to have come out of Schalke’s youth academy in recent years and he spent ten years in the academy before he was promoted to the senior side in January 2011. The attacking midfielder soon started showcasing his skills at the biggest stage and just a year later received his first Germany call-up.
Draxler scored 18 goals in 119 league appearances for Schalke before moving to Wolfsburg in a high-profile deal in the closing stages of the 2015 summer transfer window. Despite his fragile age, the talented footballer has already made over 15 outings for the Germany national team, making one substitute appearance as Die Mannschaft went on to claim the 2014 World Cup trophy.
An exciting player capable of playing on either wing or through the middle, Draxler boasts a good goalscoring record and also regularly creates chances for his teammates, although he has yet to fully realise his potential.