Nicolas Otamendi continues to be an effective player for Benfica even at his advanced age and he looks a strong contender to commit one or more fouls. The Argentine centre-half has given away a free kick on six occasions across his six Primeira Liga outings this season so far. He has been shown just one yellow card this season to date but last term he ended the campaign with a whopping 12 cautions and one red.

Otamendi sinned twice during Saturday’s 5-1 win over Gil Vicente and it would be fair to say that a visit from Atletico Madrid will represent both his and Benfica’s toughest test of the season so far. He will likely be in a direct battle with Alexander Sorloth, who has been fouled at least once in each of his last four outings for Atleti.

Given that the aforementioned Otamendi will be keeping a close eye on Alexander Sorloth, it makes sense to side with the Atletico Madrid man to be fouled at least once in Lisbon on Wednesday night. As already alluded to, Sorloth has earned his side a foul in each of his last four appearances, including two against RB Leipzig on matchday two.

He was also fouled in each of Norway’s two Nations League games during September, further highlighting his knack for winning set pieces. Otamendi will not think twice about throwing his weight around with a view to disrupting the Atleti frontline, making Sorloth an obvious candidate to be on the receiving end of a foul.

Another Atletico Madrid player who has a habit of drawing fouls from the opposition is Antoine Griezmann. The classy French forward was fouled once during Atleti’s 1-1 draw with Real Madrid on Sunday. He has also won his side at least one free kick in three of the other five La Liga matches in which he has featured from the start this season. What’s more, Griezmann also found himself on the receiving end of a foul in Atletico Madrid’s 2-1 win over RB Leipzig on matchday one.

Benfica’s Florentino will be the man most likely trying to keep Griezmann quiet. The combative midfielder has committed one offence or more in each of his eight outings for the Eagles across all competitions this season.

Koke’s combative streak will almost certainly be on show inside the Estadio da Luz on Wednesday night. The Atletico Madrid captain has clocked up a combined total of eight fouls across his eight La Liga appearances this season to date. In fact, he has committed multiple offences in three of his six starts in the Spanish top-flight this season, making him a standout selection for a solitary misdemeanour in Lisbon this midweek.

The Atleti stalwart was giving away just shy of one foul per 90 in last season’s Champions League. Koke will be assigned one of the toughest jobs on the pitch on Wednesday night when he comes up against Benfica’s Orkun Kokcu. The Turkish international has been fouled 13 times across his last five appearances for the home team.

Backing both teams to score looks worth supporting in Lisbon on Wednesday night. While Benfica are in the midst of a four-game winning run at present, both teams have contributed to the scoring in three of those victories, one of which was their Champions League opener away at Red Star Belgrade.

That was also the case for Atletico Madrid on matchday one, who left it late to overcome RB Leipzig 2-1 in the Spanish capital. Consequently, BTTS would have paid out in three of Atleti’s last four matches in all competitions.

Diego Simeone’s side have scored in all bar one of their nine outings this season, while Benfica have blanked in just one of their overall eight assignments this term. Thus, backing both teams to land a blow at the Estadio da Luz holds plenty of appeal at the price on offer.

Florentino has been a frequent offender for Benfica this season, and he looks like a prime candidate to commit two or more fouls during his contest. The Portuguese midfielder fell foul of the referee twice during Benfica’s 2-1 win over Red Star Belgrade. He has also given away two or more free kicks in three of his seven domestic outings this term, two of which saw him tot up four and five fouls on separate occasions.

With the midfield battle likely to be intense on Wednesday night, a further two fouls from Florentino should be within range. He is likely to be marking Antoine Griezmann, who has been fouled in three of his last four appearances for Atletico Madrid.

This clash has the potential to escalate into an ill-tempered affair, which makes over 4.5 match cards an appealing prospect. Benfica battled their way to a 2-1 win over Red Star Belgrade on matchday one, in a game that saw the referee produce five bookings. The over 4.5 card barrier has also been broken in three of the Eagles’ seven Primeira Liga games this season.

As for Atletico Madrid, they have long been accustomed to playing their part in card-heavy contests over the years. A sizeable seven yellow cards were flashed when Diego Simeone’s warriors edged out Leipzig on matchday one, not to mention tensions threatened to boil over in their 1-1 draw with rivals Real Madrid on Sunday night, with four yellows and one red dished out.

Each of Atleti’s opening three games in last season’s Champions League featured five cards or more and there is plenty of scope for a repeat in the Portuguese capital.

Conor Gallagher collected his first yellow card of the season against Real Madrid on Sunday and he could be in line for another in Lisbon on Wednesday night. The England international was a regular offender with Chelsea last season, racking up eight yellows and one red across all competitions. In each of the two seasons before last, Gallagher amassed no fewer than 12 cautions across each respective campaign. Thus, he is no stranger to tackling his way into trouble, something that is not uncommon to see with Diego Simeone sides in general.

Gallagher and his midfield colleagues will find themselves up against Benfica’s Orkun Kokcu, who has proven to be a real foul-magnet this season. The Turkish midfielder has regularly found himself on the receiving end of some rough treatment this term, evidenced by the fact that he was fouled five times on matchday one.