Primeira Liga · Matchday 9 Santa Clara v Benfica: Two Top-Four Sides Fight for Position
Benfica won the last meeting between these sides in February, and they arrive in Ponta Delgada on Monday with a point more than Santa Clara in a tight race for the Primeira Liga's top spots.
📍 Estádio de São Miguel
All Matchday 9 matchesFull head-to-head
Match facts
Recent form
Last 5 league games, latest on the right
Goals per game
| · | Scored | Conceded |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Clara | 1.5 | 0.5 |
| Benfica | 3.0 | 0.9 |
PreviaXI model
- Predicted score
- 0-1
- Expected goals (model)
- 0.80 – 1.49
- Double chance
- X2 · 79%1X 47% · 12 74%
- Over 2.5 goals
- 40%Over 1.5: 66% · Over 3.5: 20%
- Both teams score
- 42%
- Clean sheet
- 23% – 45%Santa Clara–Benfica
- Half-time result
- X · 45%1 17% · 2 38%
- Half-time / full-time
- 2/2 · 33%X/2 19% · X/X 17%
- Expected corners
- 9.73.0 – 6.7 · Over 9.5: 50%
- Expected cards
- 5.73.3 – 2.4 · Over 3.5: 77%
- Most likely scores
- 0-115%
- 1-112%
- 0-211%
- 0-010%
- 1-29%
Statistical model based on expected goals (xG), results and match statistics from the last two seasons. For information only. How our model works →
Why the model leans towards Benfica
- Power ratings: Santa Clara +0.17 goals per game (7th of 18 in Primeira Liga), Benfica +1.32 (1st).
- Santa Clara's attack (1.15 goals per game) meets Benfica's defence (0.85 conceded per game).
- Benfica's attack (2.17) meets Santa Clara's defence (0.98).
- Home advantage in this competition: home sides score about 17% more goals.
- Put together, the model expects 0.80 – 1.49 goals: Santa Clara 21%, draw 26%, Benfica 53%.
Chance to score
Santa Clara
- Gonçalo Paciência5 goals in 8 games21%
- Brenner Lucas Gonçalves Santos2 goals in 6 games9%
- José Luís Rocha Tavares1 goals in 8 games5%
Benfica
- V. Pavlidis10 goals in 16 games21%
- G. Prestianni6 goals in 15 games14%
- F. Aursnes2 goals in 8 games7%
Model estimate: each player’s season goals per minute compared with his team’s, applied to the model’s expected goals for this match and his usual minutes. Players listed as out are left out.
Trends
- Benfica have scored in each of their last 30 matches.
- Benfica are unbeaten in the last 10 meetings with Santa Clara.
- Santa Clara are unbeaten in their last 8 matches.
- Santa Clara are unbeaten in their last 6 home matches.
- Benfica have won their last 3 matches.
- 6 of Benfica’s last 8 matches had over 2.5 goals.
Season stats
| · | Santa Clara | Benfica | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| · | All | Home | All | Away |
| Won-drawn-lost | 5-3-0 | 2-2-0 | 6-1-1 | 3-0-1 |
| Goals scored per game | 1.50 | 1.75 | 3.00 | 3.75 |
| Goals conceded per game | 0.50 | 0.50 | 0.88 | 0.75 |
| xG per game | 1.30 | 1.49 | 2.39 | 2.00 |
| xG against per game | 0.66 | 0.78 | 0.62 | 0.49 |
| Scored in | 88% | 75% | 100% | 100% |
| Clean sheets | 62% | 75% | 50% | 75% |
| Failed to score | 12% | 25% | 0% | 0% |
| Both teams scored | 38% | 25% | 50% | 25% |
| Over 1.5 goals | 50% | 50% | 100% | 100% |
| Over 2.5 goals | 38% | 50% | 88% | 100% |
| Over 3.5 goals | 25% | 50% | 62% | 75% |
| Shots per game | 13.2 | 14.2 | 19.6 | 16.0 |
| Shots on target per game | 3.5 | 4.0 | 6.9 | 6.5 |
| Shots on target | 27% | 28% | 35% | 41% |
| Possession | 47% | 48% | 63% | 63% |
| Passes per game | 384.0 | 399.0 | 562.2 | 565.0 |
| Pass accuracy | 80% | – | 88% | 88% |
| Corners per game | 4.1 | 4.5 | 7.8 | 4.5 |
| Corners against per game | 5.2 | 5.0 | 2.2 | 2.5 |
| Cards per game | 2.8 | 2.0 | 2.1 | 2.8 |
| Fouls per game | 13.2 | 14.0 | 12.1 | 12.2 |
League matches this season (Primeira Liga). Per-game averages; % = share of matches.
When goals come
Santa Clara
- 0-152 / 0
- 16-304 / 0
- 31-451 / 2
- 46-602 / 1
- 61-750 / 1
- 76-90+3 / 0
Usual formation: 4-2-3-1
Benfica
- 0-154 / 1
- 16-302 / 0
- 31-452 / 1
- 46-608 / 4
- 61-754 / 1
- 76-90+3 / 1
Usual formation: 4-2-3-1
Goals scored (green) and conceded (orange) by 15-minute period, league matches this season.
Primeira Liga table
| # | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  FC Porto | 9 | +17 | 27 |
| 2 |  Benfica | 8 | +17 | 19 |
| 3 |  Sporting CP | 8 | +11 | 18 |
| 4 |  Santa Clara | 8 | +8 | 18 |
| 5 |  Arouca | 9 | +5 | 17 |
| 6 |  Academico Viseu | 8 | +1 | 14 |
| 7 |  GIL Vicente | 9 | +1 | 14 |
| 8 |  Alverca | 9 | 0 | 11 |
| 9 |  SC Braga | 8 | -1 | 11 |
| 10 |  Estrela | 9 | -3 | 10 |
| 11 |  Vitória SC | 9 | 0 | 8 |
| 12 |  Moreirense | 8 | -7 | 8 |
| 13 |  Maritimo | 9 | -10 | 8 |
| 14 |  Famalicao | 8 | -1 | 7 |
| 15 |  Rio Ave | 8 | -9 | 7 |
| 16 |  Casa Pia | 9 | -12 | 7 |
| 17 |  Nacional | 8 | -9 | 4 |
| 18 |  Estoril | 8 | -8 | 2 |
Next matches
Santa Clara
- Sun 1 NovMaritimo – Santa ClaraPrimeira Liga
- Sun 8 NovSanta Clara – GIL VicentePrimeira Liga
- Sat 28 NovMoreirense – Santa ClaraPrimeira Liga
Benfica
- Thu 29 OctBenfica – GIL Vicente
- Mon 2 NovBenfica – AlvercaPrimeira Liga
- Thu 5 NovBenfica – Lech PoznanUEFA Europa League
Head-to-head: last 10 meetings
Santa Clara 0 wins · 1 draws · Benfica 9 wins
- 13/02/2026Santa Clara1-2BenficaPrimeira Liga
- 12/09/2025Benfica1-1Santa ClaraPrimeira Liga
- 15/02/2025Santa Clara0-1BenficaPrimeira Liga
- 30/10/2024Benfica3-0Santa ClaraTaça da Liga
- 14/09/2024Benfica4-1Santa ClaraPrimeira Liga
- 27/05/2023Benfica3-0Santa ClaraPrimeira Liga
- 21/01/2023Santa Clara0-3BenficaPrimeira Liga
- 12/02/2022Benfica2-1Santa ClaraPrimeira Liga
- 11/09/2021Santa Clara0-5BenficaPrimeira Liga
- 26/04/2021Benfica2-1Santa ClaraPrimeira Liga
Benfica won 2-1 at Santa Clara in February, and the rematch on Monday at the Estádio de São Miguel carries real weight. Both clubs sit in the top four, separated by a single point.
Two top-four sides, one table to shape
Benfica are second on 19 points after eight rounds, with a goal difference of +17. Santa Clara are fourth on 18 points, with +8. In an 18-team league, a result here would matter for both clubs’ hopes of staying among the leading group, and neither side can afford to drop points lightly.
Santa Clara’s home solidity against Benfica’s away firepower
Santa Clara have been difficult to break down at home. They have won two, drawn two and lost none of their four home games this season, keeping three clean sheets along the way. Across their last five matches they have conceded just twice, and their eight-game form line reads DWWDWWDW.
Benfica’s attack is the bigger story. They have scored 24 goals in eight matches, 15 of them away from home, and have found the net in every game this season. Eight of those 24 goals have come between the 46th and 60th minutes, a sign of a side that comes out of the break with purpose. Their form line of DWWWWWLW shows six wins, one draw and one defeat.
Benfica’s grip on this fixture
Benfica have dominated recent meetings. They have won four of the last five, with the other ending in a 1-1 draw in September 2025. Santa Clara have not beaten Benfica in any of those five games, and Benfica have scored 11 goals to Santa Clara’s three across that run.
Our prediction
PreviaXI’s model favours Benfica, and the football behind that lean is convincing. Benfica create more and score more away, while Santa Clara’s home record suggests they will be hard to break down. A tight, cagey contest looks likely, with Benfica’s greater quality in the final third giving them the edge.
Santa Clara 0-1 Benfica
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