Match Report
The table gap was wide: 44 points between Benfica (3rd, 80 pts) and Santa Clara (13th, 36 pts). Santa Clara had been over-performing their table position on recent form: 8th in the league over the last five rounds against 13th overall. Scoring rates set the scale: Santa Clara 0.94 scored and 1.21 conceded per game, Benfica 2.18 and 0.74, with the league averaging 1.34.
Four consecutive defeats weighed on Santa Clara. Over the last five, Santa Clara had taken 1 of 15 points to Benfica's 10.
The head-to-head ledger counts 14 games: 1 Santa Clara win, 11 for Benfica, 2 draws, at 3.36 goals per meeting. Three-plus goals is the norm here, arriving in 71% of the meetings, and both sides scored in 57%.
Estádio de São Miguel, capacity 13,277, hosted the game. Half-time and full-time told different stories: Benfica led 2-0 at the break, before 1 more goal closed it at 1-2.
Goal scorers
Santa Clara: Gonçalo Paciência (47') · Benfica: Vangelis Pavlidis (16'), Paulo Victor (38' og)
Key stats
Possession: Santa Clara 53% · Benfica 47% · Total shots: 9-11 · On target: 2-3 · Corners: 1-7