League Cup: new page in a winning path

It is the team with the richest record in the League Cup, with seven wins in eight finals! Undefeated this season on all fronts, Benfica begins its path in the 2022/23 edition of the competition at 7 pm on Sunday, November 20, against Estrela da Amadora, at the Estádio Municipal de Leiria (Dr. Magalhães Pessoa), on matchday 1 of group C.

At the start of this new cycle, Roger Schmidt's men have a recent history (25 official matches this season) marked by success.

Looking at the last meeting, against Gil Vicente, for the Liga Bwin, the eagles, with the victory (3-1) at Estádio da Luz, cemented the status of the team with the best points average per game in the European football leagues. The reds have an average of 2.84 points per game, as a result of 37 points out of a possible 39 in the 13 matches played. The Scots of Celtic, with 2.80 points per game, come closest, ahead of Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain, with 2.73 points per match.

The eagles are the team that boasts the best streak, which is why they lead the ranking of the most in-form teams in Europe, as a result of 22 wins and three draws.

In the Liga Bwin, Benfica has the best attack (37 goals), the best defense (seven goals) and the competition's top scorers (Gonçalo Ramos, with nine goals). And in all competitions, the goal tally comes to 72, which translates into an average of 2.88 goals per game.

Defensively, and looking at the League, Benfica didn't concede in eight of the 13 games played. The Reds are the team that has played more games without conceding in the Championship. And at the European level, among the teams from the UEFA top 10 leagues, they have the second-best record, with 12 games without conceding in the 25 games played this season.

For the clash on Sunday, November 20, against Estrela da Amadora, it is certain that Roger Schmidt will not be able to count on the six World Cup players: Bah (Denmark), Otamendi and Enzo (Argentina), António Silva, João Mário and Gonçalo Ramos (Portugal). 

Estrela da Amadora will host Benfica at the Estádio Municipal de Leiria (Dr. Magalhães Pessoa). The team sits 3rd in the Liga 2, with 22 points, as a result of five wins, seven draws and one loss. The team from Reboleira is on a five-match undefeated streak, in which they amassed three wins and two draws.