Our prediction for this Portugal Primeira Liga match:
Benfica
Match Time & Date:
24/01/2021
11:00 AM
Prediction: 2-0
Nacional
After sharing the spoils with Porto in O Classico, Benfica will be looking to return to winning ways in the Primeira Liga round 15 when they take on Nacional at Estadio da Luz. The Eagles are four points behind league leaders Sporting CP in the standings, meaning that Sunday’s clash is of big importance for the home side. Boss Jorge Jesus is likely to stick to the 4-4-2 formation, with Seferovic and Nunez Ribeiro up front.
Nacional, on the other hand, aim to bounce back from a 1-0 loss to Moreirense. The Black and Whites failed to find the net in the previous two league fixtures, and seeing that Benfica are eager to keep their title hopes alive, we predict that the visitors are going to return home empty-handed. Jorge Jesus can count on key players for the match, which is yet another reason why home win should be considered.
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.
Highlighted Team (Nacional):
Nacional is a Portuguese football club based in Funchal, on the island of Madeira. Nacional compete in Primeira Liga, with the team hosting their rivals at Estadio de Madeira. The stadium was opened in the winter of 1998, and it can hold no more than 5,132 spectators.
Nacional is one of the oldest clubs in Portugal as it was founded back in 1910. Los Alvinegros are well known for their white shirts with black stripes, with the team wearing yellow jerseys when playing on the road. Nacional have great rivalry with neighbouring club Maritimo, with the two clubs facing each other in the Madeira derby. Los Alvinegros have won AF Madeira Cup on six occasions (1943/44, 1944/45, 1973,74, 1974/75, 2001/02, 2007/08).
The 2003/04 campaign is considered the most successful season in the history of Nacional as they finished the process in the 4th position in the standings. As a result, they booked their place in the UEFA Cup. In the 2009/10 season Nacional participated in the Europa League group stages, facing the like of Athletic Club, Austria Wien, and Werder Bremen in Group L.
