Our prediction for this Portugal Primeira Liga match:
The ground at Estadio da Luz will shake when Benfica and Porto lock horns in O Classico on Friday evening. The Eagles are eyeing their sixth consecutive league win, but this match will be anything but a walk in the park for the home side. Roger Schmidt has a luxury to field the best possible side in the Primeira Liga derby and the German tactician is unlikely to make changes to the team that defeated Portimonense 3-1 at the weekend.
The Dragons, on the other hand, have been struggling to find their best form in the new domestic campaign, with the team recording a couple of wins in the stoppage time. Benfica seem to be more of a team than Porto and we predict that the title holders are going to showcase their worth on the field. All Evanilson, Danny Namaso, Ivan Marcano, and Gabriel Veron are out of contention with injuries, speaking of the away team.
Highlighted Player (Toni Martinez):
Born in Barrio del Progreso, Spain, on June 30, 1997, Toni Martinez is a forward who plays for Primeira Liga side Famalicao. Martinez is a product of Real Murcia football school, but in 2013 he moved to Valencia youth academy.
After scoring two goals in 16 appearances for Valencia B, the Spaniard signed a deal with West Ham United in April 2016 for a fee of around £2.4 million. However, he did not see any game action in the Premier League with the Hammers as he was immediately sent on loan to Oxford United.
Toni Martinez played for the likes of Real Valladolid, Rayo Majadahonda, and Lugo on loan as well before signing a three-year deal with Famalicao in the summer of 2019. He made his debut with the Azuis e Brancos on August 3, 2019, in a 2-0 home defeat to Covilha in the Taca da Portugal. Toni Martinez has two caps with the Spain U19 team.
Highlighted Team (Benfica):
Member of the ‘Big Three’ clubs in Portugal alongside FC Porto and CP Sporting, Sport Lisboa e Benfica are the football club that has never been relegated from the Primeira Liga. The club is nicknamed Aguias because of the Eagle symbol atop the club’s crest. Benfica play their home games at the Estadio da Luz which replaced the original one in 2003 and which boasts the capacity of more than 64,000. Arguably the most successful club in Portugal, Benfica have won a record of 35 Primeira Liga titles and also a record 25 Taca de Liga and 7 Taca da Liga trophies.
Two-time European Cup winners, Benfica are the club known for their diligent work with youth players, many of which went on to make great careers abroad. The most prominent players to wear a Benfica shirt are legendary Eusebio, Manuel Bento, Jorge Tavares and most recently Javier Saviola, Nuno Gomes, David Luiz and Angel Di Maria.