Maccabi Haifa will be hosts to Benfica at the Sammy Ofer Stadium in their final group stage game of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday.

The hosts, after a series of horrendous performances, saw themselves eliminated from the competition alongside Juventus. Maccabi were hammered 7-2 by PSG on matchday five, with Lionel Messi picking up two goals and as many assists. In the total of the 5 games they have played in the Champions league so far, Maccabi have only managed to secure just one win, with the rest ending in horrible losses, equaling a total of 4. In that same time period in the Champions League, they have seen their defences decimated and have conceded a total of 15 goals. Regardless of their home league form, where they currently sit top, the champions League has just proven to be way above their level as they have struggled greatly so far. They lost this reverse fixture by a 2-0 thrashing in that game, they only managed 2 shots on target.

Benfica on the other hand will be going into this game on the back of a 5-0 Primeira Liga victory over Chaves in their last match and will be building on that momentum. The visitors, have already progressed to the knockout stage and are currently tied on points with the leaders PSG, with only their goal difference separating them. Illustrating their appetite for eventful encounters, the back of the net has been hit an impressive 16 times in their previous six games, earning them 4 wins and two draws in that time period. A very impressive run. In their home league, Benfica sit atop with a 6 point lead. They remain unbeaten this season with 10 wins and one draw and on the attack, they have been all firing, as they have scored a whooping 29 goals so far from the 11 games they have played in the Primeira Liga while only conceding just 5 in that same time period. This defensive steel is what has boosted them forward in this current impressive form that they are in. Benfica are currently on a 3 game winning streak, they won the reverse fixture by giving Maccabi Haifa a 2-0 thrashing, and will be looking for a repeat of that performance and to continue their winning run.

Looking at key numbers going into this game, Benfica are unbeaten in their last ten champions league games. They are also unbeaten across competitions this season and in their last 5 games have scored 15 goals. These two teams met for the first time in September at the Estadio da Luz where Rafa Silva and Alex Grimaldo scored in the second half in the Portuguese giants' 2-0 win.

Benfica have qualified for the Round of 16, but top place in the group is there for the taking. They have been in solid form, scoring nine goals in their last two games and will be looking to continue that record. We are predicting an away victory here, with the visitors taking all three points from at the end of this game.