Bruno Lage and the impact of Benfica's total puzzle

"We look to ourselves, we see what state we are in and we are counting on everyone", stated the coach of Benfica after the recent away win at Aves, the seven straight win in the Liga NOS. A broad analysis confirms convergence: from the 27 players who are part of the squad, only Ebuehi (recovering from an injury) was not included by Bruno Lage in a game sheet.

For the coach who is at the helm of Benfica for 11 matches, and who in the competitive period (started on January 6) amassed 10 wins (seven in the Liga NOS, two in the Portuguese Cup and one in the Europa League, which corresponds to a winning record of 91%), the squad management is comparable to the composition and assembly of a puzzle, which is only complete and perfect when all the pieces are considered, worth for the individuality, but above all for collective expression.

From the 26 players from the current roster included in the 11 game sheets, only two players have not had a chance to amass minutes: the goalkeeper Zlobin and the forward Jota. "All players count and we are very pleased", stressed Bruno Lage in Vila das Aves.

The three goals scored by the eagles on matchday 22 of the Liga NOS, scored by Seferovic, Rafa and João Félix, have consolidated their status as the most prolific team in the competition which Benfica has been defending for several rounds. The Reds have reached the 60-goal tally in the competition (an average of 2,72 per match), 29 of which scored under Bruno Lage (an average 4,1 goals per match).

In a comparison with the most prolific teams of Europe's top five leagues (England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France) according to the UEFA ranking, Benfica is in third place on the podium with regard to the average number of goals scored per game (2,72) and is only outperformed by Manchester City (2,72) and by PSG (3). The team leaves Barcelona (2,54), Borussia Dortmund (2,45) and Juventus (2,16).

UEFA Top 5 Leagues + PORTUGAL

Text: João Sanches

Pics: Archive / SL Benfica