Benfica’s head coach Bruno Lage has overseen a remarkable turnaround since taking over at the club in January 2019, leading them to their 37th league title in unlikely circumstances.
When Lage was promoted from his position as B team manager to take over from the sacked Rui Vitória, Benfica had already lost three times in the league and seemed set to watch FC Porto claim the championship for the second year in a row. But in the remaining 19 Liga NOS games, Lage led Benfica on a miraculous run, winning 18 and drawing one to snatch the title back from Porto by a two-point margin.
This was even more impressive considering the drastic changes he implemented, in both system and personnel. The players quickly took to Lage and his new 4-4-2 formation, which allowed wonderkid João Félix to shine up front alongside Swiss striker Haris Seferović.
As well as focusing on influential players like Félix, this tactical analysis will examine the dynamics of Benfica’s attacking play, through which they scored an astonishing 103 goals in this 34-game LigaNOS season.
João Félix
Promoted from the B team in the summer of 2018, Félix began the season as a rotation option on the right- hand side of Vitória’s 4-3-3 system, but Lage recognised his potential to play as an out-and-out striker.
And the 19-year-old did not let his new manager down, as he notched 15 goals from just 21 starts and five substitute appearances over the course of the season. To complement his excellent technical ability, the youngster makes intelligent runs, such as in the image below where he switches direction to break free from his marker and get on the end of the cross to score Benfica’s third goal at home to Marítimo.
As well as posing a goal threat, Félix is equally adept at creating chances for teammates, as can be seen in the image below where he plays through fellow striker Jonas with a first-time pass after having dropped deep to receive the ball from midfielder Luís.
Midfield transformation
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