Champions League: X-ray of the Club Brugge-Benfica clash

This Wednesday, February 15, Benfica returns to the Champions League. They will face Club Brugge, at 8 pm, in the first leg of the round of 16 at the Jan Breydel Stadium.

With no history of previous matches, the two teams are facing each other for the first time.

Winners of group H in Europe's most important club competition, the Reds totaled 14 points from four wins and two draws, which allowed them to stay ahead of PSG (14 points, but with a disadvantage in away goals), Juventus (3) and Maccabi Haifa (3).

The men under Roger Schmidt scored 16 goals and conceded seven, in a campaign in which they beat the Israeli by 2-0 and 1-6 and clinched two wins against the Vecchia Signora (1-2 and 4-3). Against PSG, there were draws in Lisbon and in Paris (1-1).

The Belgian club, who reaches this stage of the Champions League for the first time in their history, amassed 11 points, as a result of three wins, two draws and one loss. Club Brugge qualified for the next stage in the 2nd place of group B, behind FC Porto (12 points) and ahead of Leverkusen and Atlético Madrid (both with five points).

The three-time Belgian champion scored seven goals and conceded four, all in a single match and at home against FC Porto (0-4, after winning by the same score at Estádio do Dragão).

Against Atlético Madrid, Club Brugge prevailed in Belgium (2-0) and clinched a scoreless draw in the Spanish capital. There was also a win over Bayer Leverkusen at home (1-0) and a scoreless draw in Germany.

Leader of the Liga Bwin, faces the current 4th place of the Belgian league, an emblem that has 17 Championships, 11 Cups and 14 Super Cups to its list of honors. 

Looking at the group stage, Benfica's 16 goals represent the fourth-best record, only behind Napoli (20), Bayern (18) and Liverpool (17).

Benfica had an average of 11,97 shots per match, a higher number than the next opponent (7.72), as the statistics from the Wyscout platform show us.

Benfica crossed more (76 against 55) and with more efficiency (44.7% against the Belgians' 29.1%) and bet on more dribbling and one-on-one plays (157 against 150).

In the parameter of shots conceded, the Reds were better (only 55 shots allowed, while Brugge allowed 92).

In the 2853 passes carried out by the Reds there was an 87.6% accuracy, a value higher than the Belgians (82.6% in 2466).

More significant were the rates in the chapter of passes into the final third (289, and an 81.7% accuracy for Benfica against 276 and an 62.7% accuracy of the Belgians).

The eagles have more interceptions (271 against 264) and more touches in the opponent's penalty box (116 against 64). 

This match may also mark Yaremchuk's reunion with Benfica. The former striker from the eagles transferred to the Belgian side in the Summer transfer market and has two goals scored this season.