Champions League
2025-08-12 - Benfica vs Nice
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: UEFA Champions League Third Qualifying Round Second Leg
Tuesday 12th August 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
Preview
It will be argued that Benfica gave Chelsea the most problems at the Club World Cup, especially in the Knock Out Rounds, but it resulted in a Second Round loss at the tournament. They will have taken some confidence out of the performances having beaten Bayern Munich in the Group Stage and Benfica have had plenty of time to prepare for the new season, including having to go through the League Path of the Champions League Qualifiers.
Opening up with a win over rivals Sporting Lisbon will have been a boost for Benfica when considering how close they came to winning the big trophies that were snapped up by Sporting instead.
The Portuguese authorities are also aiding Benfica in their bid to earn a spot in the financially rewarding Champions League Group Stage and that meant postponing what should have been the opening Primeira Liga fixture. This means Benfica have had a full week to prepare for the Second Leg of this Third Qualifying Round tie and they are huge favourites to progress to the Play Off Round having won 0-2 in Nice in the First Leg.
They were the better team on the night and Benfica are hugely experienced after reaching the Last 16 of the Champions League last season. Prior to that, Benfica had reached the Quarter Final in the Champions League in 2022 and 2023, while then doing the same in the Europa League in 2024 and that experience makes it very difficult to imagine them blowing this advantage in this Third Qualifying Round tie.
Progressing through the League Path of the Qualifiers is that much tougher considering the standard of opponent that has to be beaten, but Benfica have perhaps benefited from facing Nice at this moment in time.
After finishing 4th domestically, Nice would have been hoping that the team had not be hit as hard by injury as they have and that is making it very difficult for them to compete at this level.
There is also a lack of the same kind of experience as Benfica have built up- Nice did reach the Quarter Final of the third UEFA competition in 2023, but then missed a year of European Football before being eliminated in the League Phase of the Europa League last season. The side lost all 4 away Group games played in that section, including disappointing defeats at the likes of Ferencvaros and Elfsborg, and it could be another tough night for the Nice players in Lisbon.
Benfica ended last season with 2 wins in their last 5 home games in all competitions, while they only won 1 of the 6 home Champions League games played last season. This should offer Nice some comfort, despite their own poor away record.
Pointing out that Nice won 1 of their last 4 away games in all competitions at the end of last season does not do much good to their chances of turning this tie around. However, that one victory came at Paris Saint-Germain in a fixture Nice won 1-3 so there are possibilities for this team, even if they are going into the tie short-handed.
This is the first competitive fixture between the teams that is hosted by Benfica.
Prediction
The superior chances were created by Benfica in the First Leg of this tie and there is every chance that the Portuguese giants can progress behind another victory.
They have been given every opportunity to do that with the Portuguese FA allowing the League fixture that was scheduled between these two Legs to be postponed and Benfica can take advantage against a Nice team dealing with a significant injury list.
Scoring first has to be the only hope for the visitors, but it will be tough to contain a Benfica team that created quality chances in the First Leg.
Benfica did struggle at home in the Champions League last season, which is something that will need to be improved. However, Nice lost all 4 away games played in the League Phase of the Europa League and Benfica can secure a win in a game where they do hit the back of the net at least twice, as they did in the First Leg.
The Statistics :
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The Pick :
Benfica 2-0 Nice
