Liga Bwin: X-ray of the Gil Vicente-Benfica match

Benfica will play Gil Vicente away, this Saturday, April 29. The game from Matchday 30 of the Liga Bwin kicks-off at 8:30 pm.

Coming from a win over Estoril (1-0), the reds lead the Liga Bwin with 74 points (+4 than the second ranked club) due to 24 victories, 2 draws and 3 losses. In turn, Gil Vicente are 14th in the league with 31 points (8 victories, 7 draws and 14 losses).

History also gives clear advantage to the eagles, with 35 victories, 7 draws and 6 losses in the 48 previous clashes against the club from Minho.

The team led by Roger Schmidt arrives at Estádio Cidade do Barcelos with the best attack (69 goals scored) and the best defense of the Liga Bwin (17 goals conceded) in opposition to the 26 scored and 34 conceded by Gil Vicente. João Mário and Gonçalo Ramos, both with 17 goals, are the league’s top scorers, while Fran Navarro, with 13 goals, lead the minhotos' list.

In what concerns to shots, Benfica have 456 (39,5% on target) against 359 (34% on target) from the opponent. The gilista Fran Navarro is the player with the most shots in the league (83). On the eagles’ side, Gonçalo Ramos, with 72 attempts, stands out.

Leader of the Liga Bwin in crosses (664, success rate of 37,2%), against 496 from Gil Vicente (28,6% success rate), Benfica are also the team with the most headers in the league, one of the club’s biggest weapons, as proved by Otamendi in the win over Estoril. Grimaldo is the player with the most crosses (175 attempts) and still leads the ranking of assists, with 8 clutch passes. 

In the passes into the final third, Benfica have a total of 2087 (80,2% success rate), an unparalleled record in the competition. The benfiquistas Aursnes (87,56%), Morato (84,78%), António Silva (83,96%), Florentino (83,93%), Otamendi (83,18%) and Rafa (82,46%) show up in the top-10 of the most efficient players.

Defensively, Benfica are the team with the less shots allowed (184), while Gil Vicente have one of the worst records in the Liga Bwin, with 379.

In the home win (1-0) against Estoril, in Matchday 29, Roger Schmidt put the following line-up: Odysseas, Aursnes, António Silva, Otamendi, Grimaldo, João Neves, Chiquinho, João Mário, Neres, Rafa and Gonçalo Ramos.

In their last game, defeated by Portimonense (1-0), Gil Vicente played with Andrew, Carraça, Tomás Araújo, Rúben Fernandes and Marín, Vítor Carvalho, Aburjania and Fujimoto, Murilo Souza, Marlon Douglas and Fran Navarro (4x3x3).