Liga Betclic: SC Braga-Benfica X-ray

With the national title still up for grabs, Benfica enter the final matchday of the Liga Betclic at 6 pm this Saturday, May 17, aiming to win at SC Braga and aspiring to another title in 2024/25.

Coming off the back of 7 consecutive away wins in the league, Bruno Lage's men are looking to finish the main domestic competition with another 3 points, extending their winning streak with an outcome they can celebrate.

On the other hand, fourth-placed team from Minho haven't won in three matches [draws against Famalicão and Santa Clara, both 1-1, and defeat in the last round against Casa Pia (2-1)].

Unbeaten for 14 matches, Benfica will be facing the Arsenalistas for the 138th time in the National Championship. In the history of duels between the teams in this competition, the eagles have a total of 91 wins (66%) and 28 draws (20%), with a balance of 317 goals scored and 117 conceded.

As visitors to Minho, Glorioso have 38 wins (56%) in 68 games, with 117 goals scored and 72 against.

With one matchday to go, Benfica have 83 goals to their name (an average of 2.52 per match), while their next opponents have fewer goals (54, an average of 1.64 per match).

The Eagles enter the 34th and final round with 27 goals conceded, making them one of the best defenses in the Liga Betclic. SC Braga are close behind with 29 goals conceded.

Benfica's offensive advantage can be seen in the number of shots per game for each team: 16.9 (6.8 on target) compared to 13.6 (4.8 framed), according to data from the Sofascore platform.

In terms of possession, the two teams are not far apart: 58.3% for Benfica against 57.5%. In terms of passing efficiency per duel, the Eagles have a better record (84.5% to 83.7%). Leaders in the parameter of accurate long balls (average of 25.8 against 21.4), the Reds also have the advantage in successful crosses (5.5 per game against 4.8).

Benfica's attacking prowess is reflected in the number of corner kicks, with an average of 7.1 per game to SC Braga's 6.1.

In an analysis of the figures relating to the defensive processes of both sides, Benfica are ahead in the number of tackles made per game (18.5) compared to 16.6 for the Minho side, who are in 7th place in this item.

The Reds also have more interceptions per game (9.1 to 8.2), recovering an average of 54 balls per clash compared to 51.1 for the Archbishops. Benfica have also won more duels per game (51.6% against 49.9%).

In individual terms, Pavlidis is Benfica's top scorer. The Greek striker has 18 goals to his name, 7 more than Ricardo Horta, the most prolific player in Carlos Carvalhal's squad.

The host club's striker also stands out in terms of assists, with 5, the same as Zalazar, half of which are passes for goals by Aktürkoğlu, the eagle most in evidence when it comes to providing goals for his teammates.

In terms of key passes per match, Kökcü is the leader (2.3), outperforming Ricardo Horta (1.8).

When comparing the players from the two teams, it is Florentino who is the most prolific when it comes to tackles (80), as is captain Otamendi when it comes to interceptions (58), compared to Gabriel Martínez and Niakaté (33), respectively.