Liga Bwin: X-ray of the Estoril-Benfica match

Benfica and Estoril lock horns at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota this Sunday, November 6, at 8:30 pm, in a clash from matchday 12 of the Liga Bwin.

Leaders with 10 wins and a draw in the competition, the Reds, who in the middle of the week sealed 1st place in group H of the Champions League with a superb record, are coming from another rout in the Championship (5-0 against Chaves). Estoril drew against Portimonense, away from home (1-1).

Unbeaten in 22 official matches played this season, Roger Schmidt's men lead the Liga Bwin with 31 points. Benfica will face the current 10th place, with 16 points, resulting from four wins, four draws and three losses. At home, Estoril has one win, against Famalicão (2-0) on the opening round. One of the four draws came against FC Porto (1-1) on matchday 7.

In official terms, the two teams have met on 66 occasions, with Benfica dominating with fifty wins (76%) against four wins for Estoril. In the National Championship, the history is made up of 54 matches, with the Reds winning 39 (72%). There were 11 draws and four wins for Estoril.

Without winning for two games [lost at home against Braga (0-2) and drew with Portimonense (1-1) in the Algarve], Estoril, coached by Nélson Veríssimo, former coach of Benfica, lined up 4x2x3x1 in Portimão with the following eleven: Dani Figueira, Tiago Santos, Pedro Álvaro, Lucas Áfrico, Joãozinho, Ndiaye, Rosier, Léa-Siliki, João Carvalho, Rodrigo Martins and Erison Danilo. 

Benfica arrives in Amoreira with the best attack in the Liga Bwin (29 goals) and the best defense (five goals conceded). In the attacking chapter, highlight for Gonçalo Ramos, the top scorer of the competition with seven goals.

The Reds also lead in ball possession (66.7 percent) and crosses (251, with a 35.1 percent success rate).

When it comes to corner kicks, Benfica gets 7.87 every 90 minutes, the best rate of the 18 teams participating in the Liga Bwin. With only 59 shots conceded to opponents, the eagles lead in this parameter, as well as in completed passes (6991, an average of 579 per match, with 88.4% effectiveness per game).

The team coached by Roger Schmidt also totals 75 key passes and 839 passes to the final third of the pitch (70 per encounter and with a success rate of 80%).

Estoril reaches matchday 12 with 12 goals scored and 10 conceded (it is the fourth team with the fewest goals conceded, tied with Braga and V. Guimarães). Estoril is the 11th team with more ball possession (48.6%) and has allowed 172 shots to opponents (average of 13.98 per match), a chapter in which they are the 3rd worst team, behind Rio Ave and Chaves. 

* Statistical source: Wyscout