Liga Betclic: Rio Ave-Benfica X-ray

With the Champions League campaign over, Benfica's focus is again on the Liga Betclic, with the next stop on matchday 26 scheduled for 6 pm on Sunday, March 16, at Rio Ave.

On the back of five consecutive wins in the competition, Benfica go into the game with the clear objective of extending their winning streak and ending the competitive cycle in the best possible way ahead of the final international break this season: Bruno Lage's team won't be back in action until March 28 (Friday) at Gil Vicente's home ground, to play the game in hand from matchday 24.

The eagles will face a team that has only won 1 of its last 6 games in the competition, but which has made a fortress of its home ground. Of Rio Ave's 29 points in the competition, 21 have been won at home, where Petit's side have only lost 1 of their 12 matches.

However, Benfica have done well in Vila do Conde: they have won 18 of their 29 league games with the Vila do Conde side as hosts, 7 of them in the last 10 matches in the Arcos.

The 27 points separating Benfica (2nd place, with one game in hand) and Rio Ave (10th) in the table can be explained by the numbers of each team in the Liga Betclic. With 56 goals scored compared to 27 for their next opponents, the Eagles have one of the best attacks in the competition, and data from the Sofascore platform validates their offensive superiority.

This difference in favor of the Reds is clear to see in the number of shots per game (17.2 against 10.9) and the number of shots on target per match (7 against 3.6). Bruma, Di María and Pavlidis make up the top 10 players with the most shots in the league, which also includes Clayton.

On the Reds' side, Pavlidis stands out as the top scorer in the league with 9 goals, but the most prolific player for both teams in the competition is Clayton, who has 12 goals: 44.44% of Rio Ave's total.

In terms of possession, the Reds have 59.7% of the ball compared to 47.1% for their opponents, and are also more effective when it comes to passing: 85% success rate compared to 79.9%.

The two teams clashing in Vila do Conde are among the most dribbling-minded in the league, with Benfica having 9.5 successful dribbles per game compared to Rio Ave's 8.4. Among the eagles, Bruma (53) is the most successful in this “art”, and Vrousai (37) has a similar status in the north side.

In terms of assists, Aktürkoğlu leads the way for the Reds with 7 passes for goals, while Vrousai stands out for Vila Conte team with 3.

Owners of the best defense in the Liga Betclic, with 18 goals conceded and 12 clean sheets, the Eagles are also imposing themselves on an opponent who, on the opposite side, has only kept a clean sheet in 3 matches and have conceded 40 goals: only Boavista (42) have conceded more.

The advantage in the percentage of duels won per game (51.6% against 50%), in ball recoveries per match (54.3 against 51.6) and in tackles per game (21.6 against 18.9) underlines Benfica's solidity, with captain Otamendi still the league leader in interceptions: 42.