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Nice and Benfica will trade tackles in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League third-round qualification tie on Wednesday (August 6). The game will be played at Allianz Riviera.
The hosts have not been in competitive action since concluding their Ligue 1 campaign with a 6-0 home thrashing of Brest in May 2025. The win saw them finish in fourth spot to receive a place at this stage of the UCL qualifiers.
Benfica, meanwhile, began their new season with a 1-0 victory over city rivals Sporting CP in the Portuguese Super Cup last week. Vangelis Pavlidis broke the deadlock five minutes into the second half and his goal settled the contest.
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Benfica booked their spot at this stage of the UCL qualifiers courtesy of their runners-up finish in the Portuguese Primeira Liga last season.
The winner of this tie will face either Feyenoord or Fenerbahce in the playoff round.
Nice vs Benfica Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides.
- Nice are aiming to qualify for the main stage of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since the 1959-60 season.
- Benfica are unbeaten in their last 18 games across competitions in regulation time (12 wins).
- Nice's last nine home games in UEFA club competitions have witnessed goals at both ends.
- Benfica have found the back of the net in their last 20 competitive games.
- Nice are facing Portuguese opposition for the first time in their history in a competitive match.
Nice vs Benfica Prediction
Nice are attempting to qualify for the UCL for the first time since the 2017-18 season. They progressed beyond this stage of the Qualifiers before being eliminated by Napoli in the playoff rounds on that occasion. They have not been in competitive action since May but had a relative stable pre-season campaign, winning four of six friendlies (one loss).
Benfica, on the other hand, have been ever-presents in the Champions League, making it to the knockout rounds in three of the last four editions. They could also be more cohesive than their hosts, having recently competed in the FIFA Club World Cup where they defeated Bayern Munich before losing 4-1 to eventual champions Chelsea to extra time in the knockout round.
We expect the two sides to share the spoils in a low-scoring stalemate.
Prediction: Nice 1-1 Benfica
Nice vs Benfica Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Both teams to score
Tip 3 - Over 1.5 goals
