Benfica mid-season awards by Senhor Benfica

The Portuguese League season has hit it's midway point with Benfica currently sitting atop the league with a seven point lead over second place FC Porto. I would like to take this time in the season to hand out my mid-season awards to the teams players in a variety of categories, so here goes:

Goal of the Season

Nuno Tavares

 The youngster has appeared in only 3 leagues games but his first career goal was a bomb from outside the box to get the season going.

Best Defender

Ruben Dias

Dias has been a rock all season in Benfica's back four, he is a big part of why the club has earned 12 clean sheets in the first half of the season, he has 40 clearances and 18 interceptions during the season.

Best Playmaker

Alex Grimaldo

Benfica's left back has stepped up again this season adding six assists while taking most of the clubs important free kicks, his 769 accurate pass completions leads the club at the halfway mark.

Best Newcomer

Carlos Vinicius

Vinicius was not the striker that the clubs fans were all excited about when the season commenced but he has stepped up to take over the starting striker role and sits second in the league with 10 goals, scoring a goal in every 69 minutes of action.

Benfica turn to Boavista keeper Helton to shore up position

Benfica continue to look for a keeper to shore up the position and rumours from Portugal have the club eyeing Boavista keeper Helton Leite. Benfica have been after a keeper since the summer when their deal for Juventus keeper Mattia Perin fell through as they look for a more veteran presence with Ivan Zlobin and Mile Svilar both under the age of 22. Helton who is 29 joined Boavista in the summer of 2018 from Brazilian side Botafogo and has appeared in 28 games for the club across all competitions but only in four games this season after suffering a ligament rupture in February 2019 that kept him out of the lineup until this past September. In his absence Boavista have turned over the number one role to veteran keeper Rafael Bracali and Benfica feel that Helton would be an excellent option behind current keeper Vlachodimos. A move for Helton would free up the club to loan current back up Zlobin to another side for more playing time as Benfica see the 22 youngster as the clubs potential number one keeper down the line.

Benfica win Derby with late Rafa Silva goals

Benfica went into the Estadio Jose Alvalade knowing that the first half of the Portuguese League season would end with them in the top spot in the league, but it could be by as little as one point depending on how the day would unfold. The first part of the day could not have gone better for Benfica as Sporting Braga earned a major away win over second place FC Porto 2-1 which guaranteed that Benfica would be up by four or more points into the first turn of the season. Benfica would then go into their game against their cross town rivals looking for all three points as they worked to widen their league lead over FC Porto.

Benfica would kick off the game with the first real scoring chance when league scoring leader Pizzi's left footed shot from the right side of the box was saved by Sporting keeper Maximiano at the 11 minute mark. Sporting would come right back with a chance just of their own just a minute later as Rafael Camacho hit the right side of the post after being sent in by Bruno Fernandes. Benfica would then just miss opening the scoring as a Gabriel header off of a corner kick would take a bounce off the grass before being palmed over the bar by the Sporting keeper midway through the first half. Benfica continued to press looking for the opening goal and would get another chance to open the scoring off of a corner once again but this time Ferro would send his header sailing wide over the bar. Sporting's Camacho would get and miss his second scoring chance of the half when he would send his header right into the arms of Benfica keeper Vlachodimos. Then just moments later Sporting striker Phellype thought he had opened the scoring for the home side at the 35th minute but his strike was called back for offside and replays showed the 26 year old was ahead of everyone by a good foot. Sporting looked to gain confidence as the half reached its conclusion and Bolasie's left footed shot from in close was turned away by Vlachodimos to keep the game scoreless going into the half.