Benfica set unwanted record against Rio Ave, José Mourinho on alert | OneFootball

After Benfica’s triumph over AFS SAD (3-0) in José Mourinho’s first match at the helm of the Reds, the high expectations for the ‘Special One’s’ return to Luz plummeted, with a late goal from Rio Ave sealing yet another 1-1 draw in the league, following the slip-up against Santa Clara. In addition to dropping four points in their last two home games in the National Championship, the Eagles have also set another record that displeases the fans: against Rio Ave, the team recorded a new season-high for lost possessions.

In total, there were 148 occasions when José Mourinho’s side lost possession to the opposition. Previously, the highest number of lost possessions had been recorded precisely against Santa Clara, when Benfica lost the ball 137 times.

This record is also reflected in the fact that Benfica achieved a pass accuracy rate of only 86%, the second-worst percentage recorded by the Eagles this season. Worse than that, only the record set against Estrela da Amadora, where the Reds did not surpass 79%.

When it comes to lost possessions, Fredrik Aursnes was the Benfica player who contributed most to the negative record set against Rio Ave. In total, the Norwegian lost the ball on 19 occasions, the same number of times he lost it against Santa Clara.

However, not everything is bad. Against Rio Ave, Benfica showed a very offensive approach, playing a good part of their game in the opponent’s penalty area. In total, the Reds made 75 passes in the final third, and took 19 shots on goal.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.