Liga Bwin: X-ray of the Benfica-Famalicão clash

Leader of the Liga Bwin with 59 points (an average of 2.7 per match), Benfica faces Famalicão in the Cathedral at 9:15 pm on Friday, March 3, in a game from matchday 23 of the competition.

This will be the 24th official clash between the two teams. In the history of matches, the Reds have a clear advantage: 18 wins, four draws, and only one loss. 

With a very positive record at home this season (11 wins and a draw in the League), Roger Schmidt's team aims to extend this streak with three more points to consolidate the first place. On the other side is the 9th-placed team, with 27 points, resulting from eight wins, three draws and 11 losses.

Away from home, this season, Famalicão only won twice (Chaves, 0-2, and Santa Clara, 1-3). They register two draws and seven losses.

After the away win against Vizela (0-2), Benfica arrives at this round with the best attack of the competition (56 goals) and the best defense (13 goals). Famalicão has 22 goals scored, and 29 goals conceded, which make the "minhotos" the 13th most beaten defense.

With the two goals scored in the last round, João Mário is the top scorer of the Liga Bwin, with 14 strikes. Right behind the Benfica midfielder is Gonçalo Ramos (13).

According to the Wyscout platform, Benfica stands out and is the team with more ball possession (64.3%), a better record than the next opponent in the major national competition (48.4%).

In offensive parameters, the reds beat the direct competition in the number of shots (352 against 250 from Famalicão), and, in terms of crosses, they total 503, the best record in the competition. Of these crosses, there was a percentage of 38.2 success, against 31.4% of Famalicão, which has crossed 340 times so far.

The attacking posture of the eagles is also reflected in the number of touches in the opponent's box (591), an item in which Famalicão has 296. Benfica occupies the top spot in passes (13,691 and a success rate of 88.1). Famalicão has a much lower number (8509 and 83.1% success rate).

Benfica leads the charts in passes into the last third (1616) and Famalicão arrives at Estádio da Luz with 993.

If we look at the defensive plan, the leaders are the team that allows the fewest shots (139), while Famalicão is the 16th worst team in this particular aspect, with a record of 302 shots allowed, which is an average of 12 per game.

The two teams are also in opposite sides when it comes to fouls. Famalicão is the fourth team that commits the most infractions (330), while the Reds are the second team that commits the fewest fouls in the League (280).

In the last match, in which they beat Portimonense (1-0), the team coached by João Pedro Sousa played in 4x2x3x1. Luiz Júnior, Alexandre Penetra, Riccieli, Mihaj, Francisco Moura, Youssouf, Colombatto, Alex Dobre, Ivo Rodrigues, Iván Jaime and Denilson Júnior were the players chosen for the Starting XI.