Benfica host Fenerbahce in a decisive Champions League second-leg with a group-stage spot at stake after a 0-0 first leg in Istanbul. Benfica enter in strong form, having won the Portuguese Super Cup and beaten Tondela 3-0, while keeping clean sheets in their first six matches across competitions and progressing 4-0 on aggregate past Nice in qualifying. Fiorentino is suspended and Alexander Bah remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury. Anatoliy Turbin returns as goalkeeper after a rest. Vangelis Pavlidis leads the attack. Bookmaker Dachbet lists Benfica at best odds of 2/3.
With a Champions League group stage ticket hanging in the balance on Wednesday night, Benfica will welcome Fenerbahce to Lisbon for a blockbuster second-leg showdown. Starting with the hosts, putting in a gritty performance on foreign soil last week as they eventually left Istanbul with a 0-0 stalemate, Benfica should be relishing a return to the Estadio da Luz on Wednesday night.
Picking up some perfect momentum over the weekend as they clinched a routine 3-0 victory against Tondela, Benfica have also gained a reputation for their defensive steel. Extending on their Champions League qualifying adventure earlier in the month as they claimed a 4-0 aggregate win against French outfit Nice, Lage's side have recorded a clean sheet in all of their first six appearances across all competitions so far this season.
Shown a first-leg red card away at Fenerbahce in the first-leg last week, former Portugal U21 international Fiorentino will serve a one-match suspension here. Not featuring so far this calendar year, Danish defender Alexander Bah remains on the sidelines with a long-term knee issue. Handed a full rest over the weekend, Ukrainian goalkeeper Anatoliy Turbin will return between the sticks.
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