Red Bull Salzburg vs Benfica Prediction 12.12.2023

• Competition: UEFA Champions League - Group D
• Date: Tuesday, 12th, December 2023
• Kickoff: 20:00 UTC / 21.00 CET
• Venue: Red Bull Arena (Salzburg)

With the third spot in Group D still up in the air, Salzburg and Benfica are set to clash in a decisive showdown as they lock horns in the group stage finale of the 2023-24 Champions League campaign at the Red Bull Arena on Tuesday.

The unrivaled rulers of Austrian football, Salzburg, penned a dream start to their 2023-24 UEFA Champions League campaign by stunning Benfica on Portuguese soil with a routine 2-0 victory. Unluckily, their success in Lisbon emerged as a singular achievement, as they could muster only one more point in the ensuing five Champions League showings, securing that lone point in their most recent European outing with a goalless 0-0 draw against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian. The current state of affairs finds Die Roten Bullen in control of their destiny, standing on the cusp of securing European football in the spring, with only a staggering three-goal defeat potentially relegating them to the group's basement.

Few could have anticipated that the reigning champions of Portuguese top-flight football, especially the side that impressively reached the quarterfinals of the European elite club competition last season, would endure a humiliation in this year's UCL edition. Incredibly, it took the Lisbon Eagles five European matches to break the deadlock in Group D, and their only point came in the last time out, as they shared the spoils in a thrilling six-goal encounter, ending in a 3-3 draw against last season's quarter-final tormentors, Inter. Occupying the lowest position in their group and trailing by three points for the coveted Europa League spot currently in Salzburg's possession, Roger Schmidt's squad continues to nurture their slim European hopes.

Red Bull Salzburg vs Benfica Betting Tips: BTTS

Without a doubt, a firework of goals is in store for the two sides separated by just three points before the last 90 minutes of the UCL group stage and with third place still up for grabs, as Benfica, with nothing to lose, will look to activate their full attacking potential from the first minute in order to make a hard-to-achieve turnaround. Bearing in mind that they were beaten in a 0-2 defeat by Salzburg on the opening matchday and possess a significantly inferior goal difference (-6), the Lisbon outfit will need to at least secure a victory by a three-goal margin, which will be really a difficult mission, but not an impossible one.

In order to pull off such a turnaround, Schmidt's men will first need to be more complex at the back, which will be extremely difficult given that they have conceded in each of their opening five UCL fixtures, while in their last European outing with Inter they highlighted the lapses even more in defense as their three-goal lead at half-time proved to be insufficient supply against the Nerazzurri, who nullified the Eagles' significant surplus within just 21 minutes of the second 45. Benfica's bold strategy to launch an aggressive attack from the referee's first whistle, seeking an early lead, might prove costly against Salzburg's exceptionally prolific offensive unit. Considering all factors, we are confident that both teams will find the back of the opponent's net in this dynamic and thrilling battle, making BTTS our recommendation.