Having booked their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals after defeating Russian powerhouse Zenit, Benfica will turn their attention back towards domestic affairs as they welcome Tondela on Monday evening.
The hosts will be coming into this game having won five out of their last six fixtures across all competitions; in fact, the last time Rui Vitoria's side dropped points was back on February 12th, when they were defeated 2-1 by fellow title rivals Porto. Still, with things between them and Sporting CP being quite tight in the battle for the league crown this May, the Eagles will obviously want to pick up maximum points from this fixture to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
Fortunately for them, their upcoming opponents, Tondela, have been in poor form all season. In fact, the visitors not only have won just one out of their past five league fixtures, but also are bottom of the table with just three wins all season. Having lost a whopping 18 games already, things do not appear good for Tondela, who, with just 13 points are pretty much set for relegation at the end of this campaign.
Indeed, it has been a rough start to life for Tondela, who are appearing in the top flight for the first time in their history after winning the second league last term. This indeed caps a meteoric rise over the past ten years or so, which has seen them rise from the regional divisions all the way to the Primeira Liga. Unfortunately for their fans, their Cinderella tale appears to be coming to an end, and a return to the second tier appears pretty much an absolute certainty unless if two things happen.
First, Petit's squad will obviously need to arrest their dismal form - which, given that they lost 4-0 to Benfica in their first meeting - will not be likely to happen on Monday evening. And second, Tondela will hope that some of the other lower-ranked teams will have to start dropping points; otherwise, their venture into the Primeira Liga will be over before they even realize it.
All in all, this appears to be a clear-cut case of David and Goliath, in which Benfica will be expected to pick up a relatively comfortable win to start off their week. However, in the Biblical tale, David did manage, against all odds, to slay the giant Goliath. Will Tondela pull off a shock upset this Monday?
Which channel is broadcasting Benfica vs Tondela on TV or Online?
- In the USA at 16.00 EST on: fuboTV, NGSN USA, Premium Sports Broadband
- In Canada at 16.00 ET on: Premium Sports Canada
- In the UK at 20.00 BST on: BT Sport Europe, BT Sport Live Streaming
If you live elsewhere, check out the Benfica vs Tondela broadcast page for more information.
*Note: Live broadcast data is subject to change*
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
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