Liga Betclic: Benfica-Rio Ave X-ray

Benfica hosts Rio Ave this Sunday, January 14, in a game from matchday 17 of the Liga Betclic. In the last match of the first half of the competition, the team under Roger Schmidt will fight, on the Estádio da Luz pitch, for a seventh consecutive victory in all competitions.

The Eagles' superlative run of form is also illustrated by their 15-game unbeaten run in the league, seven of them in as many games played at the Cathedral. Rio Ave, meanwhile, has just three wins in the competition and is one of two Liga Betclic teams yet to win away from home.

In the history of League matches between the two teams, Benfica has 42 wins and 10 draws in 56 League games and remains unbeaten against the Vila-Condenses as host, with 24 wins and four draws in 28 games. The Eagles have won their last 10 games against Rio Ave at Estádio da Luz.

With 31 goals scored against 18 for their next opponents, Benfica is superior in all the offensive parameters provided by the Wyscout platform. Leading the pack of the 18 teams competing in the competition in shots taken, 272 against 170 for the Vila-Condenses, the Glorioso also have more touches in the box: 458 against 255.

Individually, Rafa is the Reds' top scorer in the League, with six goals scored. The No. 27 is also one of the two players with the most assists in the competition: seven. On Rio Ave's side, Boateng, with four goals, and Costinha, with four assists, are the players who stand out most in this regard.

With the best defense in the league, Benfica has conceded just 10 goals in the 16 league matches played so far and has managed to clinch nine clean sheets, three of them in the last three games. The 15th-placed team in the Liga Betclic comes to the Estádio da Luz with 24 goals conceded.

A key factor in Roger Schmidt's team's defensive performance is the high percentage of defensive duels won (60.8%), one of the best in the league, which contrasts with Rio Ave's 57.3%.

The records for ball possession (58.7%), passes made (8810) and passing efficiency (86.1%) illustrate Benfica's tendency to play the role of ball owner in their games, with Rio Ave showing figures above the league average in the three aforementioned parameters: 49.8%, 6350 and 82%, respectively.

Control of the game has been a hallmark of the Reds, but there is also room for fantasy, as illustrated by the 592 dribbles attempted throughout the league (with 54.1% effectiveness) compared to 377 by their next opponents.

In the 0-3 triumph in Arouca on matchday 16 of the Liga Betclic, Roger Schmidt launched Trubin, Aursnes, António Silva, Otamendi, Morato, João Neves, Kökcü, Di María, João Mário, Rafa and Arthur Cabral in the starting lineup.

For his part, Luís Freire used a 3x4x3 made up of Jhonatan, Josué Sá, Aderllan Santos, Miguel Nóbrega, Costinha, Guga, Amine, Fábio Ronaldo, Joca, Leonardo Ruiz and Boateng in the 2-0 win against Portimonense.