November 22nd sees the return of the Champions League, and in Group A, CSKA Moscow is tied with Basel for second place on six points. Benfica has no points and are likely out of the running for even the Europa League, but they can play spoiler when they head to CSKA Moscow.
What To Know About Benfica
Benfica lost 2-0 at Manchester United to effectively end their Champions League campaign as Mile Svilar had an own goal, and they also gave up a penalty. The 18-year-old had a pair of tough matches against Manchester United as he looked out of his element, but he also made some good plays that will hopefully give him some confidence, although it was still very strange that he was selected to play in both of those matches. Benfica has lost all four of their Champions League matches with one goal scored and 10 goals allowed, and while they battled hard, they just don’t have the quality to compete at this level. This could be a game where Benfica starts a lot of their younger players because really, they have nothing to play for.
What To Know About CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow battled back from a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1 at Basel as Alan Dzagoev and Pontus Wernbloom scored in the second half to get three huge points for the visitors. CSKA Moscow has two wins and two losses with five goals scored and eight goals allowed, but their home form has been worrying in the Champions League as they have lost both games with one goal scored and six goals allowed. CSKA Moscow also doesn’t have that one player that can turn a game by themselves as five players have scored one goal each, although Vitinho has had 15 shots on goal with just five on target. Dzagoev was supposed to be that guy, but at 27 years old, he has just never hit the heights that many thought he would. \
Outlook
Moscow are the home favorites at +100, while Benfica is rated at +260 and a draw comes in at +250. These two clubs have met three times, with CSKA Moscow winning 2-0 in the first leg of the 2005 UEFA Cup (now the Europa League) Round of 32, and then they drew 1-1 at Benfica. CSKA Moscow won 2-1 at Benfica in September as Haris Seferovic opened the scoring in the 50th minute, but Vitinho scored from the penalty spot 13 minutes later, and Timur Zhamaletdinov netted the winner in the 71st minute. This is a game that CSKA Moscow should win easily enough, especially at home, but their home form has to be a concern. That being said, CSKA Moscow has everything to play for and with Basel hosting Manchester United (who have 12 points to top the group and would like to win and clinch first place), this is their shot to get to the knockout stage. If they fail to win or even get a point, it would be a terrible result for CSKA Moscow.
Champions League Betting Pick: CSKA Moscow
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