Benfica 3-1 FC Porto: Numbers are an illusion

Not unlike Atlético Madrid and Barcelona over in neighbouring Spain, Benfica and FC Porto met once again this season for the first of three upcoming Clássicos over the upcoming weeks, with the soon-to-be Portuguese champions resiliently (and enthusiastically) overcoming the incumbents for the Portuguese Cup.

Without Luisão, Fejsa, Lima and Markovic from the starting XI, Benfica coach Jorge Jesus proceeded with the squad rotation he's implemented throughout the second half of the season, with Salvio and Cardozo allowed to maintain their recent run on the team.

Even though this match was expected to be another installment in the hard-fought (and rather interesting) Clássico series since Jorge Jesus arrived at the Luz, it stubbornly progressed into a scrappy affair following Siqueira's dismissal on 28 minutes, at a time when Salvio had already put Benfica 1-0 up after Gaitán's beautifully delivered cross.

Jesus' men came out from the blocks with guns blazing, with Gaitán showing the team's intents on 20 seconds with a hard tackle on Danilo and signalling the intense pressure that would befall FC Porto. Benfica pressured Fernando, the Dragons' key man (namely through Rodrigo's tireless work), and kept their opponents from getting into their passing rhythm - a pattern that repeated until the home team found themselves in front.

FC Porto improved after the goal but mostly due to Benfica's purposeful dropping back, waiting for FC Porto to become unbalanced as so often has been the case this season. It is now impossible to assess if Luís Castro's charges would be able to turn things around under normal circumstances, but Siqueira's sending-off turned it into a moot question.

Despite being a man down, Benfica did not despair and were able to understand the predicament they were in and wait for the right moment, and the second half proved them right. A heroic display that will surely be remembered by most supporters might indeed be the springboard for what the team supporters hope will be a great ending to the season.

Rather than dwell on the game's minutiae (riddled with coach and player dismissals), we will now be turning our attention to specific tactical issues, as this column often does.

• Rodrigo

The Brazilian-born Spanish forward has been on top of his game for most of the season, finally realising all his vast potential by all accounts. With Cardozo (a striker made in the more traditional mould) playing instead of Lima, Rodrigo was asked to drop off a few yards, where he combined excellently with team-mates on the wings.

By acting in front of Fernando, the forward kept forcing FC Porto's holding midfielder to track him, opening up space for Gaitán to exploit. In fact, Benfica's superiority up until Salvio's goal was intrinsically linked to Rodrigo's forays into the flanks and the area in front of Fernando, allowing the Eagles' full-backs or wingers to appear unmarked.

• All about the pressing

It is usually said that football is a numbers game, in the sense that the team that takes correct decisions the most often will be more likely to win over time. However Benfica showed last night that there can be more than just the one interpretation. Even though FC Porto were a man up for more than a hour, the Eagles revealed how a well-drilled, disciplined tactical unit (not be mistaken for defence) is much more important than numbers in themselves.

While FC Porto pressed in rather disjointed fashion (Fernando would often be the first man to come out and try to get something out of the game), Benfica understood they couldn't press all over the pitch, but rather would have to pick their moments. The numbers-up situation did mean FC Porto enjoyed a greater share of the ball possession than would probably have been the case had Benfica remained with eleven players, but it did not mean FC Porto were able to trouble Benfica 'keeper Artur that much, which serves as a simulteanous testament of Benfica's persistence and awareness and of FC Porto's cluelessness while attacking, with the team seldom choosing the right option when presented the opportunity to finish play. Combined with FC Porto's absolute inability to take control in midfield, this was definitely the key factor to the match.

• Gaitán

It is by now undeniable that Nico Gaitán has been having his best season in a Benfica shirt so far and that he will probably not be calling Lisbon his home for much longer. The Argentinean seemed to be all over the place (and he indeed deputised as left-back while André Almeida did not come on) and he now blends his technical wizardry with much improved tactical awareness and a willingness to better understand what the match asks of him in each moment.

Despite starting on the left wing, Gaitán refuses (and is allowed) to limit his actions to the flank and has now become a maestro-like winger, realising where spaces have been cleared and roaming around the pitch almost at will. Juventus coach Antonio Conte should pay special attention to Benfica's no. 20, since he might be instructed to buzz around Pirlo and dictate play from the middle, rather than from the left.

FC Porto - Benfica: Tactical notes from the Dragão

FC Porto and Benfica played the first of (at least) four matches in three different Portuguese competitions in the upcoming weeks (with the possibility of fighting it out in the latter stages of the Europa League). With Paulo Fonseca gone (and almost as good as forgotten north of the river Douro), Luís Castro has managed to turn things around and, three weeks into his tenure, things look and feel quite different at FC Porto. Rather than having a play-by-play account of the match, let us look at the most relevant aspect of last night's match.

• 1. Jorge Jesus' eyes set on the league

Benfica's coach was in for some heavy criticism after last season's less fortunate ending. In fact, most (perhaps all) Benfica supporters were demanding Jesus' head after defeats against FC Porto, Chelsea and Guimarães kept Benfica from putting their hands on any piece of silverware. Jorge Jesus seems less inclined to make the same mistake again and has been rotating his starting eleven with some insistence.

Therefore, Benfica's XI at the Dragão could hardly have surprised anyone paying attention to the signs over the past few months, which is not to say the Eagles presented a weakened side. In fact, as Tom Kundert eloquently put it, the fact that Jesus changed five players and was still able to count upon a potent XI is a sign of Benfica's strength and depth.

• 2. There is only one Enzo Pérez

Ruben Amorim is perhaps one of the most underrated Portuguese players. His flare of tally of goals and assists may never be enough to astonish anyone, nor is he the sort of physically aggressive holding midfielder that gets noticed through tackles and hard-fought duels. However, his game-reading ability and versatility make him an asset for any coach fortunate to count on him.

At the Dragão, Amorim was asked to play the part of one Enzo Pérez - probably Benfica's outstanding player throughout this season, alongside the Chelsea-bound Nemanja Matic and Rodrigo. Pérez has not only been instrumental in orchestrating Benfica's attacks . seemingly capable of providing passing options for his team-mates and progressing with the ball himself - but he has also managed to lending a much-welcome helping hand in defence.

Here, Amorim was somehow caught between a rock and a hard place. Instructed to stick to Fernando should the Brazilian drop back while FC Porto were trying to bring the ball out from the back, he often left Fejsa fending for himself against the re-energised Defour and Herrera, since the Portuguese midfielder could hardly be expected to cover all that ground.

On the other hand, his contribution in attack was not on par with is expected from a player in that position in Jorge Jesus' plan. Amorim lacks the technical skill and speed to create spaces for himself and his team-mates, particularly against such an aggressive midfield as FC Porto presented today. It is then easily understandable that Jesus chose to rest the Argentinean wizard for the upcoming (perhaps more important) battles rather than wearing him out some more.

• 3. FC Porto gradually finding their stride

For a side that looked all at sea not that long ago (perhaps even as late as the beginning of the current month) FC Porto have managed to get some good results under Luís Castro, even if a few displays have not been as solid as the results might imply. At Napoli the Dragons struggled for most of the match, but when presented with the opportunity to grab the result, they did not flinch and ground out the result they needed, like they've done so often in years past.

Here, FC Porto looked indeed rejuvenated, motivated and with an extra spring in their step. Even though it is true that Benfica were well versed in FC Porto's difficulties in their build-up phase, the Portuguese champions made the most of the early goal and slowly but steadily got into their groove. The Dragons knew this was an opportunity not to be missed and pounced on Benfica's troubles as soon as they smelled blood.

There are still some wrinkles to iron out, namely in terms of creating more chances down the centre (as Luís Castro aptly mentioned in a press conference that made unusual sense when compared to some of his predecessor's), but there are encouraging signs of reborn players, such as Jackson Martínez.

• 4. A proper midfield

It was becoming increasingly, painfully obvious that Carlos Eduardo does not possess the necessary skills to play in a 4x3x3 like the one Luís Castro has been implementing at FC Porto. Even though his creativity is helpful in numerous occasions, he is usually far too prone to switching off defensively for such a crucial piece in such an important part of the pitch.

He was replaced in the starting XI by the Mexican Herrera, from whom good things were expected since he was first signed, but who could never find his place in the squad or a decent string of consecutive matches. With a reborn Defour by his side, Herrera was brought on to pose a greater threat both in the centre and down the wings, according to the words of Castro himself. FC Porto coach also mentioned they were willing to relinquish some control in midfield in order to get some runs behind Benfica's back line.

That mission was thoroughly accomplished as Herrera and Defour took it in turns to run at Benfica's centre-backs, who were often unprotected since their midfield (often comprised only by Fejsa, since Amorim was trying to press Fernando up front) afforded their opponents too much time on the ball, enough for them to pick their passes at will. Without properly pressing the man on the ball, a high line is borderline suicidal and Benfica could have paid dearly for that.

Perhaps the most interesting development in FC Porto's new model is the fact that their players are playing much closer to each other. The player with the ball now has several passing options at his disposal nearby (with the exception of the back four, who sometimes struggle to find a team-mate or space to progress themselves), which not only contributes to more fluid passages of play, but also - and just as crucially - to a more expeditious reaction the moment the ball is given away. Previously FC Porto were far too vulnerable to opponents' counterattacks (be it Benfica at the Luz or Austria Vienna at the Dragão) that stemmed precisely from the huge distance that separated the players. Those days seem to be gone now.

Benfica 4-3 Sporting: Tactical notes

In a typically high-octane match, Benfica needed to go to extra-time and some poor goalkeeping from Sporting no. 1 Rui Patrício to progress after being in front up until the 93rd minute. Rather than looking at the game as a whole, the focus will fall upon specific tactical issues.

• 1. Jesus finally gives in

In a match that confirmed Jorge Jesus' latest change of hearts as far as tactics go, Benfica appeared in 4x3x3 (even though Jesus himself denied it in a press conference earlier this week). The 4x3x3 formation now seems to be Benfica's default option against strong(er) teams, after being often overrun through the middle over the past years. Although the coach was always reluctant to adhere to a more conservative approach, both the match against Olympiacos and the match against Sporting offered a Benfica more capable of controlling proceedings.

Jesus might have a point when he claims that this formation is not a 4x3x3 (at least, not the purest one). Gaitán, nominally deployed on the left wing, often drifts inside, while Markovic seems to have clear instructions to come to the centre whenever Cardozo gets the ball with his back to goal. That move is further compensated by Enzo Pérez' lateral movement to the right, so as to stretch the play. All of this is capped off by Cardozo's impressive ability to offer the right passing option at the right time, allowing the team to progress while he holds the ball upfield. Without it, this particular game plan would be that much harder to implement successfully.

However, it's Ruben Amorim that may be the most important clog as far as match control is concerned, by playing out the simple pass and always being present to make necessary the interception as soon as the teams gives the ball away. Arranged like this, Benfica look more the part of an organised, dominant side, rather than repeatedly betting on the "vertigem vertical" - literally vertical vertigo, as André Villas-Boas would put it.

• 2. André Martins is being played out of position

If you just kept your eyes on André Martins up until the moment he left the field, you would probably think that you were watching his game against FC Porto a few weeks ago - if it weren't for the red shirts, of course. Once again Sporting coach Leonardo Jardim insisted on deploying the young midfielder as a no.10 off Fredy Montero, rendering him virtually useless in a position where the player is not particular proficient.

The carbon copy of his display went as far as repeating the timings of the changes: After a whole half of wandering somewhere upfield, it was when he dropped back and Adrien Silva finally broke the siamese pairing with William Carvalho - in the second half - that Sporting looked more dangerous. It should be clear by now that Martins is not the perfect fit for the rarefied environment in front of his opponent's penalty box, against centre-backs and holding midfielders. His game improves exponentially as soon as he has team-mates to combine plays with and is facing towards the other team's goal, and not the other way around.

Given that Sporting are constantly being run over in the centre (much like their cross-town rivals were) against stronger teams such as FC Porto or Benfica, it might not be a bad idea to allow the 23-year-old back into the midfield fold - both for his sake and the team's. As it was, Sporting struggled to break through Benfica's defensive wall and to create any significant chances from open play for as long as Jardim insisted on his seemingly outdated system.

• 3. The privilege of being wrong

Sporting have looked weak in the middle throughout the season. That much has been plain for everyone to see in several matches, and even more so at the team's first real test, at the Dragão a few weeks ago. That is indeed one of the reasons why the Lions always seem more at ease when they play away from home, where the opponents are a bit more open and willing to get a positive result other than a draw based on bus-parking and time-wasting.

Last night's match offered yet again clear evidence that the team struggle to create opportunities from open play, particularly when Adrien is asked to help William Carvalho patrol the midfield area and André Martins is left ostracized up front. All of this means that the centre-backs (not the most technically gifted players to start with) often have to resort to long balls to the hard-working Montero, bypassing their own midfield altoghether.

What's worse, this forces both midfield and defence to keep readjusting over and over again as soon as the team give the ball away - which usually doesn't take that long, since Montero hardly has any support near himself. Here Sporting once again found themselves trailing early on after some poor defending, found a way to level the score only to concede a second goal just moments later. The third goal would soon follow in both matches after a less than perfect transition into defence.

Below you will find some images that may help understand where Sporting's biggest problem seems to lie, starting with the first goal.

In a normal run of play, Sporting are already in a numbers-down situation.
The circle represents the area of constant problems for Sporting.

Markovic intelligently drags Rojo and Jefferson out of position.
As above, even the referee seems to have a better understanding of the best positioning.

Again, the circle stands for the most important area in football,
one that Sporting keep neglecting. Notice Rojo's feet, still pointing the wrong way.

A few precious seconds have elapsed and not only Rojo is stil adjusting his position,
but Maurício is also wandering elsewhere.

The second goal was a little less obvious, but a more thorough analysis shows how far Sporting's defence (let's leave the central midfield area for a while) lags behind FC Porto or Benfica's, for instance.

The initial deficient positioning stems from an aerial duel.
Enzo Pérez wins the second ball back and Sporting immediately look unbalanced.

Maurício comes out to pressure Pérez, Piris is on Gaitán,
while Jefferson and Rojo are both marking Markovic.

Instead of readjusting accordingly,
Jefferson and Rojo's reference is the man, rather than the zone.

Markovic once again drags the same two defenders as before
with his simple yet intelligent movement. There's no attempt to control the space.

By now, both Rojo and Jefferson are hugging the goal line
and Cardozo has all the time he needs to pick his spot.

Another win for reactive football

Starting elevens

The final of this season's Portuguese Cup was filled with expectation, since both Sporting and Académica earned their way into this match on the back of stressful campaigns. Therefore, the chance of an addition to the trophy cabinet was enough reason to see whether either team was willing to throw in one last effort.

This article begins with what constitutes one of football's major challenges - the decision making process. Sure enough, we're often told that this sport is all about willpower, attitude and heart, but also tactics and positioning. Decision making is a critical factor between all of those aspects, of which Académica's goal was a perfect example.

The play starts with Polga coming out to meet Adrien, who slides to make a tackle, ends up injuring the Sporting centre-back and delivers the ball to a team-mate. Presented with just a couple of seconds, the Lions were not able to make the necessary adjustments (usually, one of the central midfielders fills in as centre-back) and conceded the only goal of the match.

Polga, on the floor, is not replaced with anyone, as seen on the yellow circle.

Without anyone filling in for Polga, Insúa is forced to come inside,
leaving Marinho free to score.

If Académica were already thinking about sitting back and soaking up pressure, a 4th minute goal would not change their game plan. In fact, Sporting proved once again that they are much better equipped to be the underdogs than to inflict damages on smaller teams. The Students' strategy was plain for everyone to see: arranged in their more traditional 4x3x3, Académica would wait for Elias or Schaars and lure them forward, looking to exploit the spaces that opened up afterwards. By blocking almost every passing option through the middle, Sporting were forced wide, forced to resort to crosses towards Wolfswinkel, hardly his specialty.

Académica welcomed Elias' forward surges, looking to get Sporting off guard.
Notice the blue space behind the Sporting midfielder.

A few seconds later, Elias falls into the trap and Académica get the space they were looking for.

Unlike the newfound 4x2x3x1, the 4x3x3 means that your opponent's wingers are covered by the midfielders (in this case, Adrien and Diogo Simão), rather than the wingers, freeing the latter for quick breakaways. With Diogo Melo man-marking Matías Fernández out of the park, it should be Elias or Schaars' task to make the difference through the middle by taking advantage of the hole left by Melo. Instead, the Sporting players remained stuck to their original positions and too static.

Despite his limited range of movements, Capel was actually the one player trying to stir things up a bit, drawing fouls from his opponents, particularly in the final third. Even though the Lions have been great at taking advantage of set pieces since Ricardo Sá Pinto arrived to the club, this time not even the giant Onyewu was able to make the difference.

The second half was rather different - at least at first. Indeed, the first minute was the perfect example for what would follow for 20 minutes. With Izmailov replacing Elias (clearly the case of a player that suffers for being versatile, always seeming to play out of position), Sporting became a team broken in two lines of five players. While they could have scored a few seconds into the second half, they could have also conceded a goal in the play that followed, were it not for Edinho's terrible miss.

After 60 minutes, Académica started tiring out and unwilling to keep possession. Even presented with such an opportunity, Sporting were not able to break down their adversary's defence; in fact, Sá Pinto's men showed little creativity - apart from a few flashes of flare from Carrillo - and a worrying inability to bypass opponents willing to do what Sporting did themselves against stronger teams this season.

On a  side note, Adrien proved once again that he belongs in Sporting's first team and Diogo Simão also showed that he could be a very useful midfielder. If both Sporting and Benfica are interested in developing both these players, they could prove interesting additions to the national team's future plans.