Liga Betclic: Benfica-AVS X-ray

Benfica host AVS this Sunday, April 27, at 6 pm, at Estádio da Luz, on matchday 31 of the Liga Betclic, with the aim of adding three points to their tally in the race for the national title.

With their 6th consecutive away win, against Vitória SC (0-3), on matchday 30 of the Championship, and their presence in the final of the Portuguese Cup confirmed - after a 4-0 victory over Tirsense in the second leg of the semi-final - Benfica will return to the Cathedral, where they will present themselves with 72 points at the top of the standings.

This time, their opponents are AVS, who, at the start of this round, are in 16th place with 24 points, i.e. the play-off place, with Boavista and Farense chasing them.

This will be the third match between the two clubs, who already met on December 21, 2023, with Benfica winning 4-1, in the group stage of the League Cup, and on December 15, 2024, in round 14 of the Liga Betclic, in Vila das Aves, in a duel that ended in a 1-1 draw.

AVS arrive at Estádio da Luz with a record of 1 draw and 5 defeats in their last 6 games. On the final day of the competition, the northern side drew 1-1 at home to Casa Pia.

The teams' collective figures reflect the difference between them in terms of goals and the arguments they have at their disposal. Benfica head into this clash with an average of 58.5% possession per game, compared to 43.3% for AVS, and are largely dominant in terms of shots taken.

The Eagles average 17 shots per game, compared to 9.9 for AVS. The northerners also fall short when it comes to shots on target (2.6 per game) compared to Benfica (7 per game): the Reds have the best record in the competition, while this Sunday's rivals have the worst in this parameter.

In terms of passing efficiency, the Reds prevail over their rivals (84.6% against 78.5%), as well as in successful dribbles per game (9 against 6.8).

Still in offensive terms, the average number of corner kicks per match is in Benfica's favor (7.1 vs. 3.3), as are accurate long balls (26.3 vs. 16.9 on average) and accurate crosses (26.9% vs. 22%).

Benfica, on average, win more duels per game (52.4 and 51.8% effectiveness against 52.1 and 51.1%), while AVS win more aerial duels, even though they are less effective in disputing them (14.4 per game and 56% effectiveness against 16.6 and 54%).

The Eagles also have more tackles per game (18.2 against 16.7) and more recoveries (53.5 against 47.1).

Individually, Pavlidis is Benfica's top scorer with 17 goals. Aktürkoğlu stands out for his number of assists (9), while Pavlidis is the Eagles' player with the most shots (72). Bruma, with an average of 2.28 successful dribbles per match, has the highest success rate in this parameter among Bruno Lage's men.

Among the AVS players, John Mercado and Nenê are the top scorers with 3 goals, as well as the team's top shooters (35 and 32 shots).

Statistical sources: Sofascore and Liga Portugal