New confrontation between Sporting and Benfica, in a short space of time, this time in the final to win the League Cup. Both teams with some changes in the eleven compared to the last clash, in the case of Sporting more for physical reasons, while in Benfica by choice.
1. Sporting performed without surprises, Benfica entered the field with different dynamics
Even with little work time, Rui Borges’ team has been trying to implement and consolidate the structure and dynamics that the coach wants, so it was a team that presented itself in this context, without changes in dynamics and without tactical surprises.
On the other hand, Bruno Lage’s team presented different nuances and dynamics compared to the other classic. Realizing the difficulties felt (especially in the first half), in this game he tried to adjust to correct this.
It was an intense game, with a high tempo, played at speed, with fast and dynamic attacks and both teams creating dangerous situations. Basically, it was a balanced classic, although with some more broken moments. Benfica used more positional attacks, although not very long, ranging from corridor to corridor to reach finishing zones. Sporting had fewer arrivals in positional attack, opting more for the counterattack, or faster attacks through a corridor.
There was a lot of balance, then. Benfica had more ball in the first phase and with a slight increase, but Sporting ended up with a little more ball.
2. Benfica started to pressure in 4-2-4 and prevented Sporting from connecting in a short game
Without the ball, Benfica was much more competent and effective in this match. The team was more pressing and intense, with a better ability to close spaces. They started with a 4-4-2 defense, with Aursnes and Pavlidis in the first line of pressure, but faced with an opponent building as a four, with low full-backs, Benfica started their pressure very high, practically in 4-2-4. .
Good work from the first line of pressure, very close together, directing the game to the outside, with the intention of putting pressure on the central defender with the ball, but always protecting his back, where Hjulmand or Hjulmand plus Simões could be positioned.
The wingers were very close to the opposing full-backs, to condition the pass and press, and could also press a defender if the ball was turned. This further limited Sporting’s construction, which was unable to connect its short play through the midfielders and often had to play long.
Florentino and Kokçu were well together controlling the central space, but closer to the defensive line to control the second balls.
In a second moment, the team closed more in 4-4-2, in a medium-high block, once again positioning itself well in the center and leaving little space between the lines, to better control the opponent’s game, which allowed it to create more difficulties for Leo players. Mainly Trincão, who had less space, less ball and consequently less ability to create imbalances.
3. Without the ability to play short, Sporting played in transitions and with Gyokeres as a reference
Sporting with the ball presented itself in the usual structure that Rui Borges has presented. It started from an initial 4-3-3 positioning, with low sides and asymmetrical dynamics.
In the right triangle of the attack, Trincão dropped down and occupied the interior zone, Catamo was wide open and Quaresma was further back, with a more fixed positioning on this side. The triangle on the left had more mobility and dynamics. Simões alternated between the inside right and a lower position (close to Hjulmand or even opening on the left along the defensive line), Quenda and Maxi Araújo alternated inside and outside.
Faced with more difficulties in connections through the middle and a shorter construction, it was a Sporting team with the ability to reach the front especially in offensive transition, or faster combinations along the corridor where the ball entered, although it made more attacks and showed more capacity along the left corridor.
Gyokeres has always been the reference for the most direct balls and many breaks in the space between central and full-backs, especially to the left. Sometimes trying to play directly with Gyokeres, who received and combined, and then quickly accelerated over the opponent’s defensive line, creating some imbalances.
4. Benfica very well in the three-way exit, with Kökçü retreating and superiority in the middle
Benfica with the ball had a nuance to overcome the opponent’s pressure: it opted for a three-way formation, with Kokçu being responsible for dropping to the defensive line in the build-up phase, sometimes in the middle, sometimes further to the left. Florentino was fixed in the middle, at the back in the first line of pressure, the full-backs were projected into the corridors, and three players were in the space between the lines (wingers and a midfielder), to fix Sporting’s midfielders.
As a result, the team had numerical superiority in construction, circulated the ball and found space better behind the pressure. He was then able to attract Sporting to a corridor, to make the ball quickly change between corridors (often with a long pass), creating finishing situations from there.
5. Sporting had difficulty stopping the red and black construction until João Simões touched Florentino
Without the ball, Sporting organized themselves in a 4-4-2 formation, with Trincão and Gyokeres on the first line of pressure. However, he was less pressing in the first phase than in the previous derby and showed less ability to control the space behind the first pressure. Florentino, sometimes alone and sometimes with another midfielder in support, managed to stay free in that space and make the ball advance. He had been substituted at half-time in the previous match and ended that game with the man of the match award.
Therefore, without much capacity to stop the construction, Sporting had to organize itself a little further back, with a more cohesive blockade. Given this, over time, the team tried to adjust, making João Simões go up at times to touch Florentino and try to better control this space. The team also tried to move up the lines and press further forward.
The game maintained the record and balance until the end, even with substitutions on both sides, which mainly sought to keep the teams fresh and cohesive, without major strategic changes.
A game in which both teams were intense and competitive, with periods in which each was a little better. This balance led to the decision by penalties, which were also defined with great competitiveness and balance.
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