The Champions League match between Red Bull Salzburg and Benfica will take place at Red Bull Arena Salzburg on Wednesday at 1:30 am IST.
Needing a three-goal victory to prevent elimination from European competition, Benfica concludes their Champions League Group D journey by facing Red Bull Salzburg on Tuesday. While both teams are no longer in contention for a spot in the last 16 of UEFA’s premier club competition, Salzburg holds the advantage in securing a place in the Europa League playoff.
Securing third place in Group D is still up for grabs for Salzburg, who, in the last Champions League, finished behind Chelsea and AC Milan. To secure Europa League entry, they need to fend off Benfica for 90 minutes in their upcoming match. Despite a head-to-head advantage after a 2-0 win on the opening matchday, Salzburg has only earned one more point since. While their Champions League campaign may likely end with a Europa League consolation, Salzburg recently ended a three-game losing streak with a goalless draw against Real Sociedad, displaying defensive resilience and setting a national record with 24 away Bundesliga games undefeated.
After an impressive quarter-final run in the 2022-23 season, where they topped a group with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus, Benfica struggles in the current campaign. With just one point, they sit at the bottom of Group D. Despite a remarkable 3-3 draw against Inter last time, Benfica remains winless in seven Champions League matches. Coach Roger Schmidt, formerly with Salzburg, aims to improve their away form. Benfica, only one point off the top spot in Portugal, extended their unbeaten league run to 12 matches with a recent draw against Farense, maintaining consistency domestically despite European challenges.
Red Bull Salzburg probable starting lineup: Schlager, Dedic, Piatkowski, Pavlovic, Baidoo, Gourna-Douath, Bidstrup, Sucic, Gloukh, Simic, Konate
Benfica probable starting lineup: Trubin, Aursnes, Victor, Otamendi, Morato, Florentino, Kocku, Di Maria, Silva, Mario, Tengstedt
Red Bull Salzburg
| Opponents | Score |
|---|---|
| Rapid Vienna | 1-0 (W) |
| Wolfsberger AC | 1-0 (W) |
| Real Sociedad | 0-0 (D) |
| Hartberg | 3-2 (W) |
| Austria Vienna | 0-0 (D) |
Benfica
| Opponents | Score |
|---|---|
| SC Farense | 1-1 (D) |
| Moreirense | 0-0 (D) |
| Inter | 3-3 (D) |
| Famalicao | 2-0 (W) |
| Sporting CP | 2-1 (W) |
| Last match- Results | Score |
|---|---|
| Salzburg beat Benfica | 2-0 |
The Champions League match between Red Bull Salzburg and Benfica will take place at Red Bull Arena Salzburg on Wednesday at 1:30 am IST.
| Red Bull Salzburg vs Benfica | Key Details |
|---|---|
| Date | December 13 |
| Venue | Red Bull Arena Salzburg |
| Kickoff time in Austria | 9:00 pm (Tuesday) |
| Kickoff time in Portugal | 8:00 pm (Tuesday) |
| Kickoff time in India | 1:30 am (Wednesday) |
Football fans in Austria can catch the live action via DAZN2, DAZN Austria, Sky Sport Austria 2, Sky Sport Austria 1 while those in Portugal can watch the match live via Eleven Sports 1 Portugal, DAZN Portugal.
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