Taça de Portugal 2019/20: Famalicao vs Benfica – tactical analysis

With the winter break in full swing, attention turns to Portugal where the semi-final second leg in the Taca de Portugal took place between Famalicao and Benfica. The first leg a week ago proved to be an epic battle between the two sides, with Benfica taking a slight advantage into the away leg after winning 3-2. The defeat, however, made it zero wins in the last five for the newly-promoted side.

In the end, it was Benfica who progressed as they overcame a plucky performance from Famalicão. The 1-1 draw means a victory on aggregate which takes Benfica through to a final in a competition theyve not won since 2016/17. Porto awaits.

In this tactical analysis, we look at the tactics used by Famalicão in their attempt to overcome a one-goal deficit. We also provide an analysis of the tactics used by Benfica that eventually overcame their opponents.

Lineups

Some games immediately find a rhythm, falling into a pattern thats immediately distinguishable. Other games, such as this, struggle to find a tempo and a lot of the time its down to how the two teams tactics align. That was the case in this match as both sides started the game in rigid systems designed to frustrate the opposition and not give away too much too early.

Benfica started in a 4-4-1-1 shape that shifted into a 4-2-3-1 in the attacking phase. Adel Taarabt and Florentino Luís started in the middle of the pitch. Their movement was limited, with their main duty being more defensive-minded. The pair rarely ventured beyond the ball as they looked to control the tempo from a deeper-lying role. Rafa Silva was handed the number 10 role, he was deployed to connect the midfield and attack when in possession. His (lack of) movement however, often meant options were limited for the ball-players behind him  as well look at later.

Álex Grimaldo and Tomás Taveres were the full-backs for the visitors. With the double-pivots anchored positioning, they were allowed to move forward liberally and support the wingers using clever underlap movements into the half-spaces. Highly-rated Vinícius spearheaded the attack as the lone striker, supported by Franco Cervi and Pizzi.

The home side lined up in