Boca Juniors vs Benfica Prediction & Tips
This is Benfica’s first appearance in the Club World Cup, and they qualified following FIFA’s restrictions on only two teams per country, so the Eagles’ UEFA coefficient was enough to seal their place in the ground-breaking tournament. Benfica will be favourites to win with implied odds of over 50 per cent when they open in Miami against Boca Juniors and face the traditional Argentinian club for the first time.
Boca Juniors failed to qualify against Alianza Lima for this year’s Copa Libertadores in a result that sparked a crisis in February and continued into another quarter-final exit in the Argentine first division tournament against Independiente. That result did lead to the sacking of Fernando Gago as manager and the return of Miguel Angel Russo.
Meanwhile, Benfica on 25 May ended a frustrating season where they lost the Taca de Portugal to Sporting Club, but also the Portuguese league where they finished second. In the Champions League they were stopped by Barcelona in the last 16.
