Liga Betclic: Benfica-Boavista X-ray

After the qualification for the Champions League round of 16, Benfica hosts Boavista at 6 pm on Saturday, February 22, on matchday 23 of the Liga Betclic.

Now depending exclusively on themselves in the title race, the Glorioso, who occupy 2nd place in the Championship with 50 points, will now face the last-placed team in the competition with 12 points.

At the Estádio da Luz, Benfica have won 10 of their 11 league matches, while Boavista arrive at the Cathedral on a run of seven consecutive defeats and with the curious record of having won their only two league matches away from home.

This match also pits one of the best defenses in the competition against the worst. The Eagles have conceded 18 goals against the 37 of the axadrezados, who, on February 12, made official the arrival of 9 new recruits signed as free agents - 3 of them (Steven Vitória, Kurzawa and Van Ginkel) played their first minutes in the 1-0 defeat of Estrela da Amadora on matchday 22, in coach Lito Vidigal's debut.

In the history of league matches between the two teams, Benfica have a clear advantage over their next opponents. In all 123 matches, the Eagles have won 72 of them, scoring 278 goals and conceding 103. In the last match between the two sides, on Matchday 6 of this edition of the Liga Betclic, the Reds' winning trend was confirmed: 0-3 with goals from Pavlidis, Kökcü and Arthur Cabral.

As hosts, the Reds won 45 of the 61 matches, with 182 goals scored and 43 conceded.

It should be noted that in the last 10 encounters with the axadrezados at the Estádio da Luz, the Glorioso have won nine times.

The figures collected on the Sofascore platform emphasize Benfica's superiority over Boavista. With more chances created (80 compared to 35) and shots on target (6.5 compared to 3) per game, Bruno Lage's team has an easier time attacking the opposition's goal, and this is reflected in the number of goals scored in the league: 50 compared to 14 for the axadrezados.

Scorer of 8 goals in the competition (he made his scoring debut for Benfica in the 0-1 win over Santa Clara), Bruma is the Eagles' top scorer, while Miguel Reisinho, with four goals, has similar status at Boavista.

These same players also lead their respective teams in successful dribbles: 48 for Bruma and 19 for Miguel Reisinho.

With 59.2% possession, Benfica are used to dominating matches

The league leaders in crosses (5.8) and accurate long passes (27.2) per game, Benfica also have a much higher number of passes per 90 minutes than Boavista (441.2-236.3). 

Otamendi (1132, 89.94% efficiency) and Sebastián Pérez (590, 81.27% efficiency) are the players with the most passes attempted in both teams.

Defensively, the Eagles also have more tackles per 90 minutes (19.2-16.8), with Benfica's Florentino standing out individually with 56 in 22 rounds, three more than Joel Silva, Boavista's best.

Meanwhile, the axadrezados take to the Cathedral pitch as the competition's “kings” in interceptions per game (10-9.2), a parameter in which captain Otamendi, with 37 in all games, occupies one of the top positions in this ranking. Miguel Reisinho (25) leads the way among the Boavista players.