Benfica host Portimonense in the Liga Portugal in the game week 15. The Eagles head into this matchup as the table toppers with 37 points and a 5-point lead over Porto. Portimonense, on the other hand, is in the eighth spot currently with 19 points. While the former will look to bounce back after a defeat in the last match, the latter will look to give the leaders a tough game and secure a point. Below are some stats looking at the likelihood of the outcome of this match.
Season overview for both teams
Benfica are having an outstanding season. They have won 12 matches, drawn one, and lost one match thus far. The team has scored 37 goals while averaging 2.35 xG per match. Their defence has let in ten goals with an xGA rate of 0.56. Benfica was amidst an incredible 13-game unbeaten run until their last match, where they lost 3-0 away to Braga.
This season, Benfica have been the best performer in Liga Portugal. The above viz shows the percentile rank of the team’s stats in comparison to the other teams. We can observe that Roger Schmidt’s team tops the percentile ranking in almost every department. Notably, the team has an excellent rank in terms of xG, key passes, final third entries, xGA, and more. Benfica will look to bounce back to winning ways against Portimonense and restore their momentum.
Portimonense were in good form earlier in the season but has shown signs of struggling recently. They have won six matches out of 14, drawn one, and lost seven. The team has netted 13 goals with an xG rate per match of 1.65. They have conceded 16 goals, averaging 1.36 xGA per match. Portimonense have only one win in their last five league outings and lost 2-1 to Casa Pia at home in their last match.
Portimonense’s form has been fading away further as the season progresses. Looking at the viz above, we can observe that Paulo Sergio’s team isn’t performing too well in the attacking and possession departments. They have registered low numbers in terms of goals and accurate passes. Otherwise, they are adequate for parameters such as xG and key passes. It is their defence that has impressive stats in areas like opposition xG per shot and recoveries. Portimonense is likely to allow Benfica to have the ball while they keep things tight at the back.
The comparison chart above shows the superiority Benfica has over Portimonense in attack and possession. The Eagles are way more potent on offence and are the better passers of the ball. Interestingly, in defence, the stats of both teams match more closely across all indicators.
Benfica vs Portimonense: Positional attacks, counterattacks, xG per shot
Benfica will look to be on offence from the start. Roger Schmidt’s team has averaged 41 positional attacks and 2.08 counterattacks per match this season. Their efficiency in positional attacks has been the highest. However, in terms of counterattacks, the efficiency falls short a bit in comparison to other teams.
Meanwhile, Portimonense creates 28.21 positional attacks and two counterattacks per match. These are decent figures in comparison to most teams. In terms of efficiency, they enjoy more success with their counterattacks compared to positional attacks. We can expect Benfica to be the aggressors in this fixture, with Portimonense trying to hit them on the break.
Benfica takes 17.46 shots per match with an accuracy rate of 36.1%. Alternatively, Portimonense takes 12.21 shots per match and has an accuracy rate of 35.1%. The above viz shows Benfica possessing the highest xG per shot in the top division, while their opponents are close behind them in terms of the metric. While Benfica will look to enhance their goal tally further, Portimonense will be motivated to be defensively solid.
Key players
Goncalo Ramos is having an excellent season with Benfica. He is the league’s leading goal scorer this season with nine goals in eleven appearances and also has three assists. He averages 39 shots per match with an accuracy rate of 39.5%. All of his shots have come from a very close range, and he has been sublime in front of the goal. Going into the fixture, the 21-year-old will be keen to add to his goal tally further.
Another of Benfica’s key attackers, Rafa Silva, could pose a threat to Portimonense. The above viz shows that the forward has taken 35 shots, averaging 2.69 shots per match. In addition to scoring goals, he has the ability to create chances for his teammates. The 29-year-old has six goals and two assists thus far and will be looking to increase his tally further.
Team News
Benfica is expected to field a full-strength lineup, with the exception of David Neres, who is out due to injury.
Meanwhile, Carlinhos and Pedro Sa are expected to be out for Portimonense due to injuries.
This will be a must-win fixture for Benfica to maintain their momentum at the top of the table. They will try to collect all three at home and return to winning ways. Portimonense, on the other hand, will be motivated to get a point and consolidate their position within the top half.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
