Liga Bwin: X-ray of the FC Porto-Benfica match

The Liga Bwin returns with a bang! Benfica travels to the North of the country to lock horns with FC Porto this Friday, October 21, at 8:15 pm, at Estádio do Dragão, in a game from matchday 10 of the competition.

After the Portuguese Cup, in which Eagles and dragons saw off Caldas and Anadia, respectively, in the 3rd round, all eyes will be on Estádio do Dragão.

This is a historic clash in Portuguese football and will be held for the 251^st time.

This season, the eagles top the Liga Bwin with 25 points in nine rounds, as a result of eight wins and one draw. In fact, in 18 official games, the Reds (unbeaten) have won 14 and drawn four. Against Caldas, in the Portuguese Cup, Roger Schmidt has fielded the following starting XI in 4x2x3x1: Helton, Gilberto, António Silva, Brooks, Grimaldo, Florentino, Enzo, Aursnes, João Mário, Draxler and Rodrigo Pinho.

FC Porto has carried out 15 matches and has lost on three occasions (one in the Liga Bwin and two in the Champions League). In 2nd place in the Championship, with 22 points, they have seven wins, one draw, and one loss. In the Portuguese Cup, against Anadia, Sérgio Conceição fielded the following lineup in 4x4x2: Cláudio Ramos, Rodrigo Conceição, Fábio Cardoso, David Carmo, Wendell, Bruno Costa, Grujic, Otávio, Gabriel Veron, Danny Loader, and Toni Martínez.

This Benfica team, coached by Roger Schmidt, stands out in the stats, as Wyscout shows.

Apart from 23 goals scored (2.55 per match) and being the best defense of the competition (five goals conceded), together with Casa Pia, the eagles lead in ball possession (67.2%) and are the team with the most shots (162, being that 35% hit the target), with the most crosses (204) and that carries out the most dribbles and one-on-one situations (272).

Benfica has the most corner kicks (7.85 per game), the most passes (5868, at an average of 590.74 per match and with a success rate of 88.2%) and the team that carries out the most passes into the final third of the pitch (715); defensively, the Reds only allowed the opponents to carry out 42 shots and was involved in 629 defensive duels, with a 63,8% success rate.

Wyscout indicates that FC Porto stands out in the touches in the box (258), in the shots intercepted (10), in the interceptions (329), in the aerial duels (360, with 51.7% efficiency) and in the through passes (118).