It's Champions League time and the hopeful contenders are Spartak Moskva and Benfica

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Competition: Europe Champions League
Competition: Wed 04.August
Match begins: 17:00 (UTC)
Venue: Otkrytiye Arena (16500 seats)

Spartak Moskva host the first leg in this deciding Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round game. Benfica will try their very best to bring a solid result back to Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (da Luz) before the return leg in 10 days.

Spartak Moskva and Benfica should both be in good shape for this meeting, as there's been enough days for both of them to train and rest since their last matches.

Everyone involved with the away team has to get their travel gear ready for this match as there's a whopping 4500 kilometers to cover before arriving at the match.

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Spartak Moskva form and stats

Last season, Spartak Moskva's Europa League journey ended in the play-offs.

The opportunity of a proper winning streak is there for the hosts, with two straight wins here at Otkrytiye Arena.

Spartak Moskva enjoyed a nice away win last time out, playing at Krylya Sovetov's place. The match ended 1-0 with Aleksandr Sobolev scoring. Zelimkhan Bakaev (midfield was the top team player in that game with a rating of 7.85/10. Bakaev hit five key passes.

A Premier League defeat was the result before that one, 0-1 away at Rubin Kazan.

Another home game is coming up fairly shortly for the hosts, as Olimpiyets are coming to town in three days.

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Benfica form and stats

They also participated in Champions League last season. This ended in the 3rd qualifying round.

The away team have been very comfortable on their travels so far, racking up 11 wins, 4 draws and only 2 losses in the Primeira Liga. Benfica are enjoying a nice run from their away games now, having played nine in a row without losing.

Benfica play their second straight away game, having lost the previous one 0-2 to Sporting Braga.

A 0-2 defeat away at Sporting Braga before that.

There might be some complaints about the fixture list from the Benfica manager J. Pinheiro de Jesus as the team has another away game coming up in only three days, this time against Moreirense.

Benfica have scored more than twice on average per away game (in the league), an impressive attacking display. They have 38 goals from 17 away matches. They concede less than a goal on average per away game (12 so far).

Head 2 Head

Spartak-Benfica H2H statistics last two meetings regardless of arena: Spartak Moskva one win, Benfica one win, zero draws. one of these two matches had three or more goals (over 2,5).

Top Goalscorers

SpartakA. Sobolev
A. Sobolev
1 goals

Spartak Moskva missing players

Benfica missing players

Total First Half Second Half
Spartak Moskva Benfica
Total Home   Statistics Stat   Away Total
25 14   Played P   11 25
14 9   Won W   7 16
3 2   Drew D   2 6
8 3   Lost L   2 3
53 38   Scored S   26 49
32 17   Conceded C   9 20
100% 100%   Over 0.5 O 0.5   91% 92%
84% 93%   Over 1.5 O 1.5   91% 84%
64% 71%   Over 2.5 O 2.5   55% 40%
44% 50%   Over 3.5 O 3.5   45% 28%
24% 36%   Over 4.5 O 4.5   27% 20%
56% 64%   BTTS BTTS   45% 48%
20% 21%   Clean Sheets C S   45% 48%
24% 14%   Failed to Score F T   18% 12%
 
6.8 6.3   Corners for (avg) C F   5.2 5.6
3.8 3.4   Corners against (avg) C A   3.7 4.2
2.6 2.4   Yellow cards (avg) Y C   2.4 2.5
4 2   Red cards R C   2 2
 
16.1 16.3   Shots (avg) S (   12.9 12.1
6.4 6.9   Shots on Target (avg) S O   5.3 4.7
33% 39%   Goal Efficiency G E   45% 43%

  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Rubin Kazan 2 2 0 0 4 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 4 6
2 Krasnodar 1 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 0 3 3
3 Lokomotiv Moskva 1 1 0 0 3 1 1 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 3
4 Zenit 1 1 0 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 3 1 2 3
5 Dinamo Moskva 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 0 2 3
6 Akhmat Grozny 1 1 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 3
7 CSKA Moskva 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
8 Olimpiyets 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
9 Spartak Moskva 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 1 1 1 0 3
10 Sochi 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0
11 Ufa 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 -1 0
12 Khimki 1 0 0 1 1 3 1 0 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 0
13 Krylya Sovetov 2 0 0 2 1 3 2 0 0 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 0
14 Rostov 1 0 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 -2 0
15 Ural 1 0 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 -3 0
16 Arsenal Tula 2 0 0 2 1 6 1 0 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 1 1 3 -5 0
  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Sporting CP 34 26 7 1 65 20 17 13 4 0 34 10 17 13 3 1 31 10 45 85
2 Porto 34 24 8 2 74 29 17 13 3 1 40 15 17 11 5 1 34 14 45 80
3 Benfica 34 23 7 4 69 27 17 12 3 2 31 15 17 11 4 2 38 12 42 76
4 Sporting Braga 34 19 7 8 53 33 17 11 3 3 27 15 17 8 4 5 26 18 20 64
5 Pacos de Ferreira 34 15 8 11 40 41 17 10 3 4 23 19 17 5 5 7 17 22 -1 53
6 Santa Clara 34 13 7 14 44 36 17 7 5 5 26 16 17 6 2 9 18 20 8 46
7 Vitoria Guimaraes 34 12 7 15 37 44 17 7 1 9 21 27 17 5 6 6 16 17 -7 43
8 Moreirense 34 10 13 11 37 43 17 4 10 3 24 23 17 6 3 8 13 20 -6 43
9 Famalicao 34 10 10 14 40 48 17 4 7 6 19 24 17 6 3 8 21 24 -8 40
10 Belenenses 34 9 13 12 25 35 17 6 5 6 15 18 17 3 8 6 10 17 -10 40
11 Gil Vicente 34 11 6 17 33 42 17 4 4 9 13 20 17 7 2 8 20 22 -9 39
12 Tondela 34 10 6 18 36 57 17 8 2 7 18 21 17 2 4 11 18 36 -21 36
13 Boavista 34 8 12 14 39 49 17 5 4 8 17 22 17 3 8 6 22 27 -10 36
14 Portimonense 34 9 8 17 34 41 17 6 5 6 20 17 17 3 3 11 14 24 -7 35
15 Maritimo 34 10 5 19 27 47 17 5 3 9 10 21 17 5 2 10 17 26 -20 35
16 Rio Ave 34 7 13 14 25 40 17 4 6 7 12 18 17 3 7 7 13 22 -15 34
17 Farense 34 7 10 17 31 48 17 4 6 7 19 20 17 3 4 10 12 28 -17 31
18 Nacional 34 6 7 21 30 59 17 4 3 10 19 30 17 2 4 11 11 29 -29 25

Table
  Total Home Away  
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A +/- P
1 Sporting CP 34 26 7 1 65 20 17 13 4 0 34 10 17 13 3 1 31 10 45 85
2 Porto 34 24 8 2 74 29 17 13 3 1 40 15 17 11 5 1 34 14 45 80
3 Benfica 34 23 7 4 69 27 17 12 3 2 31 15 17 11 4 2 38 12 42 76
4 Sporting Braga 34 19 7 8 53 33 17 11 3 3 27 15 17 8 4 5 26 18 20 64
5 Pacos de Ferreira 34 15 8 11 40 41 17 10 3 4 23 19 17 5 5 7 17 22 -1 53
6 Santa Clara 34 13 7 14 44 36 17 7 5 5 26 16 17 6 2 9 18 20 8 46
7 Vitoria Guimaraes 34 12 7 15 37 44 17 7 1 9 21 27 17 5 6 6 16 17 -7 43
8 Moreirense 34 10 13 11 37 43 17 4 10 3 24 23 17 6 3 8 13 20 -6 43
9 Famalicao 34 10 10 14 40 48 17 4 7 6 19 24 17 6 3 8 21 24 -8 40
10 Belenenses 34 9 13 12 25 35 17 6 5 6 15 18 17 3 8 6 10 17 -10 40
11 Gil Vicente 34 11 6 17 33 42 17 4 4 9 13 20 17 7 2 8 20 22 -9 39
12 Tondela 34 10 6 18 36 57 17 8 2 7 18 21 17 2 4 11 18 36 -21 36
13 Boavista 34 8 12 14 39 49 17 5 4 8 17 22 17 3 8 6 22 27 -10 36
14 Portimonense 34 9 8 17 34 41 17 6 5 6 20 17 17 3 3 11 14 24 -7 35
15 Maritimo 34 10 5 19 27 47 17 5 3 9 10 21 17 5 2 10 17 26 -20 35
16 Rio Ave 34 7 13 14 25 40 17 4 6 7 12 18 17 3 7 7 13 22 -15 34
17 Farense 34 7 10 17 31 48 17 4 6 7 19 20 17 3 4 10 12 28 -17 31
18 Nacional 34 6 7 21 30 59 17 4 3 10 19 30 17 2 4 11 11 29 -29 25

More from Europe - Champions League

Read more about Champions League

The UEFA Champions League is the major international club football tournament in Europe. The competition begins already in late June and lasts for almost a year, ending with the final played in late May or early June. After several qualifying rounds the group stage is where the “true” Champions League begins for many viewers. Eight groups with four teams each battle through six rounds to qualify for the knock-out phase. Then a round of 16, quarterfinals and then semifinals needs to be won before a place in the final is secured.