Arouca vs Benfica: A Frustrating Night in Vila das Aves

It was one of those nights where everything felt within reach, but where the final minutes turned into an absolute nightmare for Arouca. When the final whistle blew at the Estádio do Clube Desportivo das Aves, it was clear Benfica had come from behind to win, but the talk in the corridors was just as much about what might have been. Your correspondent was on the scene, watching an Arouca side that, for the first time in a long while, looked capable of troubling the big club from Lisbon.

A First Half to Build On

Arouca came out with a game plan that worked a treat. Their pressing was spot on, they shut down the space, and allowed almost nothing through the middle. It was a mature performance against a Benfica side that looked blunt in the opening stages. The first half was an intense midfield battle, and while the home side didn't create a stack of clear-cut chances, it felt like they were in control. You could see the players were buying into the match plan one hundred per cent. Which is precisely what made the ending so hard to swallow.

Diogo Monteiro: "We Could Have Gone Second or Third"

An extra thrill for us Swedes was getting to see the young centre-back Diogo Monteiro put in a Man of the Match-worthy performance. The former IFK Göteborg player, who now turns out for Arouca, was one of the absolute best players on the pitch for the majority of the match. He read the game superbly, won his one-on-one battles, and showed a composure that few his age possess. I caught up with him after the match for a quick word, and you could feel his disappointment. "We've been really good against the big sides this year, it's such a shame about these goals we concede in the final minutes," he said, his voice still thick with the frustration of the game.

That's the exact feeling the whole Arouca camp is sharing right now. They had Benfica exactly where they wanted them. Monteiro and his mates in the backline held firm, and they looked dangerous on the break going forward. They played their hearts out and deserved at least a point. Diogo wrapped up his brief analysis by stating the obvious: "We absolutely could have gone second or third in the table if we'd held onto these points." It's a bitter-sweet feeling of a potential giant-killing that slipped right through their fingers.

Late Goals Sink Arouca

It was a classic case of late goals. Benfica, who'd struggled to break down Arouca's compact defence, only got their reward when the air went out of the home side's tires. It was like watching a boxing match where the fighter has gone twelve rounds against a heavier opponent and finally gets caught by that exhausting body blow in the last second. Arouca's plan was crystal clear, and they stuck to it for 85 minutes, but football can be a brutal game.

Here are the three main reasons Arouca fell short despite a strong performance. This is the core of any decent Arouca vs Benfica review worth its salt:

• The inability to finish the job up front: As someone in our coaching group put it afterwards, "plenty of chances created, but nothing to show for it on the scoreboard." Arouca had enough half-chances to put the game to bed, but lacked that killer final ball or finish. They needed that second or third bit of quality to truly knock Benfica out.
• Benfica's individual class: Even though the team overall was lacklustre, individual quality often does the trick in this league. Once Benfica found gaps to exploit, it was players of the highest calibre who stepped up and made the difference. It's that extra ten per cent that separates the sides.
• Losing concentration in the final minutes: After holding on for almost the entire game, the team dropped a little too deep and invited pressure. Against a side like Benfica, that's absolute suicide. The two late goals were a direct result of the mental and physical exhaustion setting in.

So, how does this match serve as a guide for the future? For Arouca, it's about taking the good feels from the first 80 minutes and learning how to manage the last ten. This type of performance shows a squad that's on the right track, but one that needs to be sharper in both boxes. For us neutrals, and especially for those of us with one eye on Swedish talent Diogo Monteiro, it was a match that left you wanting more. Arouca are no pushovers, and with a bit of luck, they could well be in the hunt for a surprisingly high finish. But tonight, they left Vila das Aves with a feeling of 'what if', while Benfica could head home with three thoroughly unglamorous, but oh-so-important, points.