Our prediction for this Portugal Primeira Liga match:
After dropping two points in a 1-1 draw with Moreirense, Benfica will look to return to winning ways in Primeira Liga when they take on Santa Clara on Matchday 5. The Eagles aim to keep their 100% record at home intact and they have no other option but to go all guns blazing at Santa Clara. Angel Di Maria is likely to keep his place in the starting XI, while the likes of Tiago Gouveia, Andre Gomes, and Andreas Schjelderup remain in the recovery room.
The visitors, on the other hand, aim to build on back-to-back wins over Casa Pia and AVS, but given their five-game losing run in meetings with Benfica, home win should be considered. In their last encounter at Estadio da Luz Benfica defeated Casa Pia 3-0. There are no fresh injury worries in the away team ahead of the trip to Lisbon.
Highlighted Player (Angel di Maria):
Angel Di Maria is a professional footballer who played for Argentine side Rosario Central at the start of his senior career. The left-footed winger is very quick on the ball and he often makes life difficult for opposition defenders. After playing for Benfica between 2007 and 2010, the Argentine superstar signed for Real Madrid on 28 June, 2010 for a fee of €25 million + €11 million in bonuses.
Despite impressing with los Blancos in the 2013/2014 La Liga campaign, the club chiefs decided to sell him to Manchester United on 26 August, 2014. Di Maria was playing below expectations at Old Trafford and he scored three goals in 27 league games for the Red Devils.
In 2015 he moved to Paris Saint-Germain and he scored 10 goals in 29 league appearances for les Parisiens in the 2015/2016 Ligue 1 campaign. In 2014 he won the Champions League trophy with Real Madrid and that is considered the biggest success of his career. Angel Di Maria was born in Rosario on 14 February, 1988.
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.