Thursday's clash between Fenerbahce and Benfica promises to be a fiery showdown in the Champions Leaguequalifiers, with both sides eager to plant their flag and make a statement.
Confidence will be flowing in the Portuguese camp. Benfica have strung together six wins in their last seven outings heading into the opening leg of the playoff round. Fener, meanwhile, have stumbled of late, managing just a single victory across their past three fixtures.
The two sides already traded blows in a July friendly, where Benfica edged a 3-2 thriller. History also leans in their favor—the Eagles have come out on top in three of the last five meetings, while Fenerbahce's lone triumph over the Lisbon giants dates back to 2013. The Turkish club will be desperate to snap that barren run and carve out their place in Europe's elite.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch Benfica vs Fenerbahce online - TV channels & live streams
 | Paramount+ | Watch here |
 | ViX | Watch here |
The match will be shown live on Paramount+ and ViX in the US. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
How to watch anywhere with VPN
If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.
Benfica vs Fenerbahce kick-off time
The match will be played at Estadio da Luz in Lisbon, Portugal, on Wednesday, August 27, with kick-off at 3:00 pm ET or 12:00 pm PT for fans in the US.
Team news & squads
Benfica vs Fenerbahce lineups
4-2-3-1
Formation
5-3-2
FBBEN-Line up
BENSubstitutes
Manager
B. Lage
FB-Line up
FBSubstitutes
Manager
J. Mourinho
Injuries and Suspended players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Benfica team news
On Saturday, Bruno Lage rotated heavily with five changes in Istanbul, but he’s expected to restore Antonio Silva, Kerem Akturkoglu, and keeper Anatoliy Trubin to the XI. Florentino will sit out through suspension, while Akturkoglu, linked with a move to Benfica all summer, has the perfect stage to showcase his talents in support of Greek marksman Vangelis Pavlidis, who boasts a goal every other game in UEFA competition.
Injuries are piling up for the hosts, with Bruma, Manu Silva, and Alexander Bah unavailable. On the other side, Fenerbahce will be without Cenk Tosun, Rodrigo Becao, and skipper Mert Hakan Yandas.
Fenerbahce team news
The good news for Jose Mourinho is the return of Jayden Oosterwolde from a domestic suspension, giving him the option to shift into a back three. Up front, the strike partnership of Jhon Duran and Youssef En-Nesyri is still searching for rhythm, but the creativity of Polish playmaker Sebastian Szymanski could prove the vital link between midfield and attack.
Form
BEN-Form
BEN- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 8/0
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 1/5
- Both teams scored
- 0/5
FB-Form
FBFenerbahce
3
-
1
Kocaelispor
W
Fenerbahce
0
-
0
Benfica
D
Goztepe
0
-
0
Fenerbahce
D
Fenerbahce
5
-
2
Feyenoord
W
Feyenoord
2
-
1
Fenerbahce
L
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 9/5
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 3/5
- Both teams scored
- 3/5
Head-to-Head Record
BENLast 5 matches
FB3
Wins
2
Draws
0
Wins
Fenerbahce
0
-
0
Benfica
Benfica
3
-
2
Fenerbahce
Fenerbahce
1
-
1
Benfica
Benfica
1
-
0
Fenerbahce
Benfica
3
-
1
Fenerbahce
Goals scored
4- Games over 2.5 goals
- 2/5
- Both teams scored
- 3/5