GAME CHANGERS – PRIMEIRA LIGA 23/24 #2

In our analysis, we evaluate all the players who played in the Primeira Liga (Liga Portugal) until January (2023/2024 Season – Games until 01/02/2024). All things considered, this type of analysis evaluates and filters the best performers with a minimum of 900 minutes played in the league and, assessing all the positions, we can evaluate a lot of factors and indicators in their games that allow us to generate and select the players with an Rating of 8.00+ : players referred to as the “Game Changers”.

Ranking	Player	Rating	Club / Team
1.	Viktor Gyökeres	8.50	Sporting CP
2.	Rafa Silva	8.39	Benfica
3.	Pedro Gonçalves	8.19	Sporting CP
4.	Fredrik Aursnes	8.15	Benfica
5.	Ángel Di María	8.12	Benfica

• Player: Viktor Gyökeres
  • Team: Sporting CP
    • Nationality: Swedish

Before joining Sporting CP, Viktor Gyökeres was already a Swedish international. Obviously, the incredible play at Coventry City drew attention from Sporting CP in a large investment. Considered by many to be the best player in the league, Viktor Gyökeres has the highest average rating in the Primeira Liga until February of 2024.

• Player: Rafa Silva
  • Team: Benfica
    • Nationality: Portuguese

Rafa Silva is continuing his great run of form at Benfica since the arrivel of Roger Schmidt. His skills with and without the ball are crucial to the team since he can show his acceleration alongside speed and dribbling, making him Benfica’s biggest offensive weapon. As a result of his great impact in Benfica´s style of play, Rafa Silva has one of the highest average ratings in the league.

• Player: Pedro Gonçalves
  • Team: Sporting CP
    • Nationality: Portuguese

As shown above, Pote is one of Sporting’s best players so it is always expected to find him in these type of rankings. It his important to realize that this year’s incredible performance has allowed Sporting CP to make up for Morita’s absence (for his national team) in the fight for the title.

• Player: Fredrik Aursnes
  • Team: Benfica
    • Nationality: Norwegian

In consecutive seasons, Aursnes played a huge part in his teams success: firstly, helping Feyenoord reaching the UEFA Europa Conference League final and then Benfica winning the League title. Without a doubt, Aursnes continues to have a tremendous impact on the Benfica team, reinforced even more by his ability to play in almost every position in the field. Being an extremely versatile player, his ability at full-back is particularly important to adress the difficulty of finding solutions in this positions.

• Player: Ángel Di María
  • Team: Benfica
    • Nationality: Argentinian

Playing normally from the right hand side, Di María is a winger who enjoys cutting inside – after all, he wants to go onto his favoured left foot. With only an one year on contract, Di María can have a bad game but he has always the ability to be a “Game Changer”!

GAME CHANGERS: Graphical Comparison of the Best Players in the Primeira Liga 23/24.

VARIABLES FOUND IN THE GRAPH:

INT_90: Interceptions per 90 min.
TKL_90: Tackles per 90 min.
PP_90: Progressive Passes per 90 min.
PC_90: Progressive Carries per 90 min.
A_90: Assists per 90 min.
xA_90: Expected Assists per 90 min.
G_90: Gols per 90 min.
xG_90: Expected Goals per 90 min.

MORE PRIMEIRA LIGA CONTENT:

BEST PLAYERS IN PRIMEIRA LIGA – PORTUGAL (JAN 2024)

BEST PLAYERS IN PRIMEIRA LIGA – PORTUGAL (DEC 2023)

Data from FBref.