Match Analysis: Benfica Vs. Sporting

by Mário Cesar Navarro Handball Analysis, Placard League

S.L. Benfica and Sporting CP, two of the leading contenders for the Placard League title, faced each other this Saturday in the Lisbon derby on the 9th round of the Placard League. So far, they only know the taste of victory in the league.

Since 2016, S.L. Benfica won 6, Sporting CP won 13, and a draw in one match between the two teams in the last twenty matches.

Read more to stay with some data about this Lisbon derby fighting for the title race to Placard League.

An atypical start to the game, where defences outweighed attacks, S.L. Benfica presented an extremely disciplined attack with 35 seconds per possession, while Sporting CP bet on a fast game, with an average of 26 seconds per possession.

In a very balanced first half, S.L. Benfica kept the lead until the 17th minute, when Sporting CP managed to go ahead and reach a four-goal advantage at the 22nd minute. However, a good response from S.L. Benfica, taking advantage of Sporting CP’s exclusions, managed to regain the scoreboard lead, reaching the break with a one-goal lead.

In the first half of the match, it is important to highlight the effectiveness of S.L. Benfica goalkeepers with six saves in seventeen shots (35.3%), ineffectiveness in attacks in numerical superiority (20%), and shooting effectiveness (50%). In turn, it is important to highlight in Sporting the shooting effectiveness (52.6%), the five exclusions, and the seven saves in nineteen shots of the goalkeepers (36.8%).

The halftime did well for both teams, and the game started with a hell of a pace of eight goals in five minutes, promising a lot of spectacles. However, in the 36th minute of the match, the exclusion of S.L. Benfica led to a partial 6:1 in favour of Sporting C.P. in 10 minutes.

This way, S.L. Benfica had to speed up their game to 30 seconds of the average attack, while Sporting C.P. managed the result, maintaining their quick game style.

Despite the exclusions in the last minutes, Sporting C.P. saw their margin on the scoreboard narrow but always maintained their advantage and, in the end, won the match by three goals.

At the end of the match, Sporting C.P.’s shooting efficiency was 68.2%, the goalkeeper’s thirteen saves (31%), the efficiency of the pivots and wings (100%), and the average time of each possession of 28 seconds. On the other side, S.L. Benfica had a shooting efficiency of 58,7 %, efficiency in numerical equality of 38,1%, and a numerical superiority efficiency of 42,9%.

After this result, Sporting C.P. remains on top of the Placard League with F.C. Porto, nine wins in 9 games, and S.L. Benfica, with their first defeat, fall to 3rd place.

Author Profile

Mário Cesar Navarro
Portuguese handball coach with over 15 years of experience coaching both male and female youth and senior teams. Passionate about game analysis and coaching.