One of the most interesting matches in Europa League last 16 stage will see Primeira Liga leaders Benfica take on Ligue 1 strugglers Bordeaux. Both sides eliminated pretty strong opponents in the first knockout phase, which should guarantee us a high-profile encounter at Estadio da Luz.

Benfica on fire

After reaching the Champions League quarter-finals last term, Benfica did not really impress in this year’s edition of Europe’s elite competition, although they narrowly missed out on a place in the knockout stages. The Eagles instead continued their European campaign in Europa League, and did well to record a double win over Bayer Leverkusen in the first knockout round. Meanwhile, some impressive showings on domestic stage have seen Jorge Jesus’ side climb to the top of Primeira Liga, with 17-4-0 league record basically speaking for itself. Benfica are clearly on top of their game at the moment and unbeaten in last 28 games, so the Eagles look a good bet to extend their excellent record with a win over Bordeaux. Boss Jorge Jesus is aware his side now stand a good chance of going all the way in this year’s Europa League, which is why he can be expected to take this match very seriously.

Important midfielder Nemanja Matic misses out through suspension, but Ola John should be fit to play after suffering a minor injury at the weekend.

Four straight league defeats

Bordeaux enjoyed a bright start to the season, impressing in both Europa League and French Ligue 1. Francois Gillot’s side finished top of their group in Europa League, beating Newcastle to the first place, but they were handed a very tough draw in the knockout stages, having been pitted against Dynamo Kiev. Bordeaux somehow ended up recording a 2-1 aggregate win, but their showings certainly did not warrant a place in the next round. Les Girondins were completely outclassed both home and away, so they have got to show a massive improvement if they are to avoid defeat in Lisbon. The problem is that the team are going through a very rough patch at the moment, having lost last four league games, while needing penalties to eliminate fourth division side Raon-l’Etape from Coupe de France. With several important players unavailable, I just don’t see how they are going to survive this trip.

Mariano and Diego Rolan return to the side, but Landry N’Guemo, Henri Saivet and Cheick Diabate are all unavailable.

Verdict

Benfica have been playing some excellent football of late, and after recording double win over very good Bayer Leverkusen side, they should be able to see off out-of-sorts Bordeaux as well. Les Girondins are all over the place at the moment and they will find it hard to match the Eagles at the packed Estadio da Luz.

Top pick: Benfica/Benfica   2.40 (7/5) @ Paddy Power

Alternative pick 1: Benfica with -1 Asian handicap   2.00 (1/1) @ Paddy Power

Alternative pick 2: Home win   1.57 (4/7) @ BetFred

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