Benfica vs Bayer Leverkusen
Wednesday, November 5, 2025 • 20:00 WET • Estádio da Luz, Lisbon
The Estádio da Luz becomes a cauldron of desperation tonight. Benfica — 0 points from 3 games — face Bayer Leverkusen, unbeaten in 14 across all competitions. Xabi Alonso’s men arrive with 2 draws and 1 win in UCL, while Benfica have scored just 2 goals and conceded 7. First meeting since 2011.
Head-to-Head: Rare Encounters
Only two prior meetings — both in 2011/12 Europa League Round of 16:
| Date | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2012 | Leverkusen | Leverkusen 1-0 Benfica |
| Feb 23, 2012 | Lisbon | Benfica 2-2 Leverkusen |
Aggregate: Leverkusen 3-2 Benfica
Key: Benfica unbeaten at home vs German clubs in last 7 UCL games.
Current UCL Standings (After MD3)
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Leverkusen | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 10 | -5 | 2 |
| 35 | Benfica | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | -5 | 0 |
Recent Form (Last 6 All Comps)
Benfica: L L W L W D
- Goals: 7 scored, 9 conceded
- Clean sheets: 1/6
- Failed to score: 2 of last 3 UCL
Leverkusen: D W W D W W
- Unbeaten in 14 games (9W, 5D)
- Over 2.5 goals: 5/6
- Away clean sheets: 3 of last 5
Key Season Stats
| Metric | Benfica | Leverkusen |
|---|---|---|
| UCL Goals per game | 0.67 | 1.67 |
| UCL xG per game | 1.1 | 2.3 |
| Home UCL Win Rate (Benfica) | 71% (last 14) | |
Team News & Predicted Lineups
Benfica (4-2-3-1)
Predicted XI: Trubin; Bah, Silva, Otamendi, Carreras; Aursnes, Barreiro; Di María, Ángel Di María, Neres; Pavlidis
Kökçü suspended. Di María (3 assists) returns. Vangelis Pavlidis (6 goals) leads attack.
Leverkusen (3-4-2-1)
Predicted XI: Hrádecký; Tah, Kossounou, Hincapié; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Wirtz, Schick; Boniface
Terrier & Belocian injured. Patrik Schick (5 goals in 7) starts over Iglesias.
🔮 Score Prediction: Benfica 1-3 Leverkusen
Best Bet: Leverkusen Draw No Bet
Value Pick: Over 2.5 Goals (hit in 8 of Leverkusen’s last 10)
Why Leverkusen Will Edge It
- Xabi’s unbeaten run: 14 games, tactical flexibility
- Wirtz magic: 4 goals + 5 assists in UCL/Bundesliga
- Benfica blunt: 0 wins, 2 goals in 3 UCL games
- Away resilience: Leverkusen lost just 1 of last 12 UCL away
Can Benfica survive? Or will Xabi’s men cruise? Comment your score! 👇
Predict NowStats: UEFA, Opta, Transfermarkt. Gamble responsibly.