SL Benfica players line up during their recent Champions League match with Atletico Madrid. (Photo : Getty Images)
Kazakhstan Premier League winners FC Astana (0-2-2, 2 points) will try to get their first win in the 2015-2016 UEFA Champions League group stage competitions against the powerhouse Primeira Liga champions SL Benfica (3-1-0, 9 points) at their home stadium of Astana Arena on November 25.
Astana is coming off a surprising 0-0 draw with La Liga giant Atletico Madrid in their most recent game held also at their home field, via Goal.
It was the second tied match and a feat for Rui Vitória's men to earn them two points in the overall standings while denying Atleti of a chance to tie Benfica on top of the Group C table.
Meanwhile, Los Encarnados avenged their previous loss to Turkish club Galatasaray with the same score of 2-1 this time at their own home field of Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal last November 3, as per the Portugal News.
Águias' Brazilian striker Jonas scored the first goal of the match at the 52nd minute, which was equalized by Galatasaray's German forward Lukas Podolski six minutes later. Another Brazilian, center back Luisão, finished off Cim-Bom at the 67th as the defense held on until the finish.
Benfica blanked Astana, 2-0, during their first meeting in the group stage opener last September 15 at the Estádio da Luz as the Eagles' scoring machine Nicolás Gaitán and Greek striker Konstantinos Mitroglou scored one goal apiece both in the second half of the game.
Expect the Portuguese champions to duplicate that feat in Astana.
The prediction is another 2-0 victory for Benfica.
Astana starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Eric; Ilic, Postnikov, Anicic, Shomko; Visnakovs, Canas, Maksimovic, Kethevoama; Kabananga, Muzhikov
Benfica starting lineup (4-4-2 formation): Cesar; Silvio, Luisao, Jardel, Eliseu; Guedes, Almeida, Talisca, Gaitan; Jonas, Jimenez
