With just a few days left before their respective domestic leagues begin, Nice and Benfica face off on Wednesday, August 6 at the Allianz Riviera in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 third qualifying round. The home side, coached by Franck Haise, finished fourth in last season’s Ligue 1, edging Lille on goal difference. That placement earned Nice a return to the Champions League qualifiers for the first time in eight years. Although they’ve never reached the Champions League group stage, Nice does have international experience, having competed in last season’s Europa League and making it to the Conference League quarter-finals in 2022/23. The goal for the upcoming season remains securing a top-four finish in Ligue 1—or more realistically, finishing behind Paris Saint-Germain, the clear title favorites once again. On the Benfica side, confidence is running high following their Portuguese Super Cup victory over historic rivals Sporting CP. The 0-1 win on Thursday, July 31 offered some redemption after finishing second to Sporting in last season’s Primeira Liga—a rivalry sure to define the coming campaign as well. There are no doubts about Benfica’s international pedigree. The Portuguese giants have featured in almost every Champions League group stage since 2010, reaching the quarter-finals in 2021/22 and 2022/23 and the round of 16 in 2024/25. Under the guidance of the young but experienced Bruno Lage, the squad enters this season with several changes: following the departures of key players like Di Maria, Carreras, and Kökçü, the club reinvested heavily, bringing in striker Ivanovic from Union SG, midfielder Richard Rios from Palmeiras, and right-back Amar Dedic from Red Bull Salzburg. Their seasonal objectives remain unchanged: fight for the domestic title and go as far as possible in the Champions League. However, success in Europe hinges on a solid start—beginning with this tricky two-legged tie against Nice.

Nice's Recent Form and Key Stats

With their Ligue 1 opener set for August 16, this two-legged tie against Benfica effectively kicks off Nice’s 2025/26 season. The French side, who finished fourth in the 2024/25 Ligue 1, closed their pre-season with a 3-2 win over English club Sheffield Wednesday.

Overall, their summer friendlies were promising, including solid wins over Feyenoord and Cercle Brugge (both 2-1). The only blemish was a 2-0 defeat to St. Pauli.

Nice ended last season strongly, losing just one of their final six Ligue 1 matches (four wins, one draw). They are especially tough to beat at home thanks to their solid defensive setup: they conceded only 15 goals in 17 home matches last season at the Allianz Riviera.

Benfica's Recent Form and Key Stats

Benfica’s season began with silverware, as Bruno Lage’s men secured the Portuguese Super Cup on July 31, defeating Sporting CP 0-1 courtesy of a second-half goal by Vangelis Pavlidis.

It was a significant win, marking the team’s 17th consecutive match without a loss in regular time, and featuring strong debuts from new signings Dedic, Rios, and Barrenechea, all of whom started.

Benfica are in great form on the road as well: they are unbeaten in their last eight away games (seven wins, one draw) and closed last season with an away record of 11 wins, 3 draws, and 3 losses, averaging 1.88 goals scored and 0.94 conceded per match.

Nice vs Benfica Prediction and Tactical Overview

Nice and Benfica have previously met only in friendly matches, with the Portuguese side winning both: 3-0 in the summer of 2022 and 2-1 in July 2013.

The Nice vs Benfica prediction by BetMines points to a balanced match, but one that promises goals and entertainment. Both teams bring recent international experience and are physically fresh with their domestic campaigns yet to begin.

Offensively, both clubs are prolific scorers in their domestic leagues: Nice averaged 1.9 goals per match in Ligue 1 last season, while Benfica scored 2.5 goals per game in the Primeira Liga. That’s why BetMines’ algorithm expects both teams to score, with at least three total goals in the match.

Two key players to watch are Evann Guessand and Vangelis Pavlidis, who scored 13 and 30 goals respectively in the 2024/25 season.

From a tactical standpoint, Benfica are likely to dominate possession, leveraging the passing ability of their midfielders and the creativity of their attacking midfielders.

Nice, in contrast, will likely adopt a low block, aiming to disrupt Benfica’s passing lanes and transition quickly using the pace and physicality of their front two. However, the French side can’t simply rely on defense—they’ll need to take initiative if they want an advantage heading into next week’s second leg.

• Nice vs Benfica Prediction by BetMines: Both Teams to Score – 59%
  
  
• Nice vs Benfica Prediction by BetMines: Over 2.5 Goals – 56%

Probable Lineups: Nice vs Benfica

NICE (3-4-3): Diouf; Mendy, Juma Bah, Dante; Clauss, Sanson, Boudaoui, Bard; Bouanani, Moffi, Guessand.
Manager: Franck Haise

BENFICA (4-3-3): Trubin; Dedic, Antonio Silva, Otamendi, Dahl; Rios, Barrenechea, Barreiro; Aursnes, Pavlidis, Akturkoglu. Manager: Bruno Lage