Liga Betclic: Benfica-Portimonense X-ray

This Sunday, February 25, the Cathedral opens its gates for the clash between Benfica and Portimonense (6 pm), on matchday 23 of the Liga Betclic. The Eagles continue their unbeaten run in the league, with 17 wins and four draws in their 21 matches.

After beating Vizela (6-1), Roger Schmidt's men face an opponent that occupies 13th place in the standings with 22 points, one more than Rio Ave, who are in 16th place, a position that dictates a play-off with the third-placed team in Liga 2.

In the last three league games, Portimonense have suffered two defeats, against Arouca (1-2) and Estrela da Amadora (3-0), and a draw at home to Vitória SC (1-1).

It will be the 52nd clash between Benfica and Portimonense, and the Eagles have won 40 (78%) and drawn nine (18%). In the National Championship, the two teams have met on 41 occasions and the Reds have come out on top in 33 duels (80%), drawing six (15%). In the same competition, as visitors, Benfica has won 16 games (80%) and drawn three (15%) in 20 encounters.

In the current 2023/24 season, Benfica faced Portimonense on matchday 6 of the Liga Betclic, in Portimão, and won (1-3), with goals from Bah, Musa and Neres.

Looking at the data from the Wyscout platform at the start of matchday 23, Benfica, compared to Portimonense, are still the team with the most shots in the competition (358 against 215), the team with the most one-on-one and dribbling actions (741 against 566) and the second team with the most crosses (395 against 301).

The eagles' percentage of shots on target rose to 42.2%, while the Algarve side recorded 36.7%. When it came to dribbling, the Portimonense players were successful 56% of the time, despite the lower number of attempts.

With 12,000 passes made in the competition, Benfica continues to lead in this parameter - Portimonense have 7,935 passes - and has an efficiency of 86.4%, compared to 80.2% for the Algarve side, one of the lowest in the competition. This is reflected in possession, where Roger Schmidt's men have an average of 58.2% per game, while Paulo Sérgio's men have 45.1%.

While Benfica continues to be the team with the best defense in the competition (15 goals conceded), Portimonense is the second most conceded team (45 goals). The Algarve outfit have conceded 294 shots, while the Reds have just 219.

The two teams have the most defensive duels, with Portimonense's advantage in terms of quantity (1,636 against 1,519) and Benfica's in terms of success (61.4% against 59.8%).

Rafa consolidated his position on the list of players with the most assists in the competition (10), where four Benfica players remain in the top five: Neres (7), Di María (6) and Aursnes (6). The No. 27 is also the top scorer for the Reds in the competition, with 10 goals. On the Algarve side, Carlinhos stands out, a 29-year-old Brazilian midfielder who has already scored six goals.

Di María is the player with the second most crosses in the competition (104) and the fifth most one-on-ones and dribbles (121), behind Rafa (124). Rafa is also the player with the second most touches in the opposing penalty area (123).

In the match of round 22 of the Liga Betclic, against Vizela, coach Roger Schmidt opted for an eleven made up of Trubin, Bah, Tomás Araújo, Otamendi, Morato, João Neves, João Mário, Neres, Tiago Gouveia, Rafa and Tengstedt.

Paulo Sérgio, coach of Portimonense, in the 1-1 draw at home to Vitória SC in the previous round of the Liga Betclic, presented the team organized in a 3x5x2, with the following formation: Nakamura, Alemão, Pedrão, Filipe Relvas, Igor Formiga, Carlinhos, Dener, Lucas Ventura, Sylvester Jasper, Hildeberto Pereira and Hélio Varela.