Benfica turn control into a 4-0 win at Moreirense

Benfica’s 4-0 win at Moreirense was built on control rather than fortune. They had 74 per cent possession, 21 shots and 16 efforts from inside the box, while Moreirense managed eight shots and only one on target. The match stayed close on the scoreboard for 45 minutes, but not in the underlying numbers.

Moreirense spent much of the opening half without the ball. Their 26 per cent possession was their lowest figure across five matches so far, 9.6 percentage points below their average of 35.6. Benfica, by contrast, recorded their highest possession of those five matches. Their passing told the same story: 702 passes, with 630 accurate, compared with Moreirense’s 244 and 168.

The turning point came at the end of the first half. VAR confirmed a penalty for Benfica at 45 minutes, and Vangelis Pavlidis converted it. Andreas Schjelderup then scored at 55 minutes, Gianluca Prestianni added another four minutes later, and Fredrik Aursnes made it 4-0 at 72 minutes. Moreirense made their first changes at 56 minutes, after trailing for 11 minutes, but the contest had already moved beyond repair.

The opener came from the penalty spot after the VAR review was confirmed at 45 minutes. Pavlidis gave Benfica a half-time lead despite Moreirense having held the score at 0-0 until the final moments of the half. It was a damaging concession because Moreirense had created very little pressure of their own.

The second goal arrived through Schjelderup, assisted by Prestianni, and the third reversed those roles: Prestianni scored with Schjelderup providing the assist. That pair therefore combined directly for two goals and three goal involvements. Aursnes completed the scoring at 72 minutes, assisted by Schjelderup. Benfica’s attack kept producing after the break, while Moreirense finished with one shot on target.

Moreirense did have one useful attacking number. Their eight shots were their highest total across five matches so far, and their five shots from inside the box also ranked first. That shows the problem was not simply a refusal to attack. The issue was what happened at the end of those moves: only one of the eight shots was on target, their second-lowest figure across those five matches.

The contrast with Benfica was severe. Moreirense had three shots from outside the box and one blocked, while Benfica produced 16 shots inside the box, nine on target and three blocked. André Ferreira made five saves, which kept the score from growing earlier, and his 6.69 rating was 0.29 above his season average of 6.4. At the other end, Moreirense’s attack did not test Samuel Soares often; he made one save.

There were also signs of a team forced into defensive work. Moreirense committed 17 fouls, their fourth-highest total across five matches and 2.8 above their average of 14.2. The first changes came at 56 minutes, when Tiago Andrade and Maranhão replaced Landerson and Alexandre Duville-Parsemain. By then, Benfica led 2-0 and the response had to come against a side already controlling the match.

Benfica did almost everything that usually gives a team control. Their 74 per cent possession was their highest across five matches, 8.8 percentage points above their average of 65.2. Their 21 shots matched their average, but the quality of access was strong: 16 came from inside the box, their second-highest total across those five matches, and nine were on target, also their second-highest.

The passing numbers explain how Benfica kept Moreirense pinned back. Benfica completed 630 of 702 passes, while Moreirense completed 168 of 244. Benfica also won seven corners to Moreirense’s three and committed 10 fouls, their lowest figure across five matches. This was a controlled performance, but it was not passive control: the ball was used to reach dangerous areas.

Schjelderup was the clearest attacking difference. He had five shots, seven key passes, one goal and two assists, with a rating of 9.71. That was 2.39 above his season average of 7.32. Prestianni added one goal and one assist, completed seven of nine dribbles and rated 9.0, although his rise from 8.6 was smaller at 0.4. Benfica’s bench then helped manage the final stages after the score reached 3-0.

Schjelderup was the outstanding player because his output and rating moved together. His 9.71 was 2.39 above his own average, and his two assists were the most in the match. Prestianni’s 9.0 was 0.4 above his average, while Clément Lenglet’s 7.89 was 0.21 above 7.68. Lenglet also completed 111 of 118 passes.

Aursnes made an immediate impact from the bench, scoring after coming on at 67 minutes. His 7.82 rating was 0.21 above his season average of 7.61, based on the supplied performance and comparison data. Samuel Soares was also above his average, with 7.09 against 6.94, although he needed only one save.

Moreirense had fewer positive comparisons. André Ferreira stood out with five saves and a rating above his average. Rodri Alonso was close to his usual level at 6.27 against 6.33. But Kiko rated 6.11 against 6.46, Landerson rated 5.86 against 6.21, and Gilberto Batista’s 4.98 was 1.52 below his average of 6.5. Dinis Pinto and Nile John were also well below their own averages, by 0.8 and 0.78 respectively.

The available match measures point firmly towards a deserved Benfica win. Benfica had 74 per cent possession, 21 shots, 16 shots inside the box and nine on target. Moreirense had 26 per cent possession, eight shots, five inside the box and one on target. That is not a narrow statistical edge that happened to become a 4-0 result; it is a wide territorial and chance-creation advantage.

The penalty was the one event that changed the shape of the game before half-time, but the rest of the evidence supports Benfica beyond that decision. They scored three normal goals after the penalty, and their goalkeeper made one save compared with André Ferreira’s five. Moreirense’s five inside-box shots show they were not completely shut out, yet the one shot on target explains why the result was not merely unlucky.

Moreirense leave this match with a clear split between effort and threat. Their shot total and inside-box total were both the best across five matches, but their one shot on target was the second-lowest. Their next improvement therefore has to be visible in the finish, not only in the number of attacks. The defensive side also needs attention after conceding four goals and asking Ferreira for five saves.

Benfica can take more than the scoreline. Their possession was a season high across five matches, their nine shots on target ranked second, and three different players scored. Schjelderup’s two assists and one goal made him the attacking reference point, while Aursnes scored after entering in the second half. The next read on both teams will come from whether this match’s strongest patterns repeat.

• Whether Moreirense can turn their highest shot total across five matches into more than one shot on target.
• Whether Benfica can maintain their highest possession figure of 74 per cent across five matches.
• Whether Schjelderup continues to produce above his season average after his rating of 9.71 against 7.32.