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Club football returns to the fold with a set of pre-season friendlies this week as Southampton lock horns with an impressive Benfica outfit in an intriguing encounter at the St. George's Park National Football Centre on Wednesday.
Benfica vs Southampton Preview
Southampton finished at the bottom of the Premier League standings in the 2022-23 season and have been relegated to the Championship. The Saints held Liverpool to a commendable 4-4 draw in their previous game and will look to take it up a notch this week.
Benfica, on the other hand, triumphed in the Primeira Liga title race last season and are in impressive form at the moment. The Portuguese giants eased past Santa Clara by a 3-0 scoreline in the final game of their league season and will be confident ahead of this match.
Benfica vs Southampton Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- This is the first match between Benfica and Southampton in history - Southampton will need to adapt to a formidable opponent this week.
- Southampton won a paltry six games out of a total of 38 matches in the Premier League last season - the least of any team in the 2022-23 league campaign.
- Southampton are winless in their last 13 matches in all competitions, with their previous victory coming by a narrow 1-0 scoreline against Leicester City in a Premier League game in March this year.
- Southampton have managed to find their feet in the final third and have scored nine goals in their last five games, failing to find the back of the net in only one of these matches.
- Benfica are unbeaten in their last seven matches in all competitions and have scored a total of 17 goals during this period.
Benfica vs Southampton Prediction
Southampton are in the midst of a transition at the moment and are in desperate need of a resurgence. The Saints have good players in their ranks and will need to work hard to retain their biggest talents.
Benfica have been in excellent form over the past year and have consistently troubled some of Europe's biggest names. The Portuguese side has an excellent squad at its disposal and holds the upper hand going into this game.
Prediction: Benfica 3-1 Southampton
Benfica vs Southampton Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Benfica
Tip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - Yes
Tip 3: Benfica to score first - Yes
Tip 4: David Neres to score - Yes
