Benfica vs Nice Tips & Preview - Portuguese giants to complete the double

By Tolu Shotade

2 hours ago

Tolu Shotade 2 hours ago

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Benfica lead 2-0 against Nice in Champions League qualifier.
Portuguese side's strong form includes five wins in last six matches.
Nice struggling in attack; lost important striker to Premier League transfer.

Benfica vs Nice

Benfica will aim to improve on their 2-0 advantage when they host Nice in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League qualifier.

The Portuguese side are playing with confidence at the moment and will be relaxed heading into Tuesday's clash. They should have the upper hand over their French rivals, who have been unconvincing lately.

Benfica News

Benfica were full value for their win in the first leg after dominating the possession and creating several scoring opportunities. In the end, second-half efforts from Franjo Ivanovic and Florentino were enough to earn them the win.

The Portuguese side’s overall form has been solid lately, having won five of their last six matches across all competitions, stretching back to the FIFA Club World Cup. Bruno Lage's team also have a habit of leaving things late and have won the second half in their last two matches.

At the heart of Benfica's recent form is a solid defence, which was evident in the first leg against Nice. They have also kept clean sheets in four of their last six matches across all competitions.

Nice News

It was a disappointing performance from Nice in the first leg despite being the home side. They struggled to create much going forward and could only muster two attempts on target throughout the contest.

One issue that was evident for Nice in the first leg was a lack of cutting edge in attack, which has seen them fail to score in two of their last three matches across all competitions. That problem is likely to be made worse by the departure of striker Evann Guessand, who has left to join Premier League side Aston Villa.

Beyond the first leg defeats, Nice’s overall form has not been convincing, having lost two of their last three matches. Franck Haise's team suffered a 2-0 friendly defeat to St Pauli in their previous away fixture.

Head to Head

Benfica have now won the two previous matches against Nice. The hosts claimed a 2-1 victory in a friendly back in 2013 before last week's 2-0 first leg win.

Verdict

Benfica v Nice

Benfica already showed their superior quality in the rest leg and should claim the upper hand against Nice once again. The Portuguese side seem to always find a late push in games and should win the second half for the third straight match.

Nice have struggled going forward lately, a problem that could be made worse by the exit of Guessand. Benfica have won to nil in four of their last six matches and will be confident of a repeat here.

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