Every other team taking part in the International Champions Cup will have played at least once, with some having completed their three matches, before Olympique Lyon first takes the pitch on Wednesday. Lyon was a last-minute replacement for La Liga side Sevilla, who had to bow out of the tournament in mid-June because of scheduling conflicts due to Europa League play and the Spanish Super Cup. That meant the schedule had to be jumbled around in order to accommodate both Lyon and the three teams that Lyon will play in place of Sevilla, and the first of those will be Portuguese club Benfica.
The International Champions Cup brings some of the top clubs in Europe to cities around the world that normally don’t get to see top flight football. The match will take place at Estadio Algarve in Sao Joao da Venda, Portugal at 4:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday, August 1, 2018. Catch every moment of the match live on ESPN News.
International Champions Cup Betting at BookMaker.eu
Olympique Lyon +168
Benfica +158
Draw +245
Over/Under 2.5 and 3
Last Matches
Both of Benfica’s first two matches at the International Champions Cup ended up going to penalties, providing fans in attendance with a nice little ending to their friendlies. In the first match, Benfica took on Borussia Dortmund in Pittsburgh, and they were able to play spoiler for Christian Pulisic’s homecoming. Dortmund took a 2-0 lead into halftime, but then Benfica took over in the second half with a goal from Andre Almeida in the 51st minute and a goal from Alfa Semedo in the 69th minute. No one scored afterwards, sending the match to penalties where Benfica won 4-3.
Benfica’s second match was a largely listless affair. They took on Juventus just outside of New York City, and the two sides played to a scoreless draw at the end of the first half. Alex Grimaldo was finally able to break open the scoring in the 65th minute, putting Benfica up 1-0 and it looked like they would be able to hold on from there. Unfortunately, Juventus youngster Luca Clemenza scored on an exquisite strike in the 84th minute to level the match at 1-1. From there, the match went to penalties, and Juventus was able to knock off Benfica 4-2.
It’s never good when a player gets injured, but it feels particularly pointless in an exhibition. New Benfica signing Facundo Ferreyra may have suffered a serious injury in the club’s loss to Juventus. He collided with one of his teammates and had to be stretchered off the field in a neck brace. His status has yet to be updated officially, but there is no real chance that he plays against Lyon after that type of injury.
Benfica Player to Watch
After notching a beautiful goal against Sevilla prior to the start of the ICC, we have not seen much out of new acquisition Nicolas Castillo. The Chilean international sat out the match against Juventus, but he is likely to get an extended run of play here ahead of Benfica’s Europa League clash against Fenerbahce later this week. Castillo is great in the air, and Lyon must have a way to effectively stop him.
Olympique Lyon Player to Watch
Memphis Depay may not have worked out at Manchester United, but he has been a shining star at Lyon. Since being acquired last year, Depay has made his presence felt in Ligue 1. He averaged scoring a goal every other game, and he showed the set piece prowess that has made him such a promising prospect since his days at PSV Eindhoven.
Free Soccer Betting Pick
This is Benfica’s last tune-up before their important match against Fenerbahce in Champions League qualifying. Manager Rui Victoria will want his side to be in top form for that match, so he will play most of his starters in order to pick up a win here.
International Champions Cup Odds: Benfica 2, Olympique Lyon 0
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