Goal.com's Portuguese Liga Team of the Season so far: Sporting CP & Benfica dominate nominations

With the Portuguese Liga now close to its midway mark and a winter break ahead, Goal.com selects the best XI from the opening 13 rounds of the competition

21 Dec 2011 14:48:00

More On :  Benfica, Braga, Marítimo, Porto, Sporting CP
Alvaro Pereira (FC Porto) vs Maxi Pereira (Benfica)
Panoramic
Portuguese Liga

Team Of The Season So Far:

2011-12
GOALKEEPER

Helton
Porto
At the age of 33, Helton remains a core member of Porto's squad, six years after joining the club from Uniao Leiria. Despite some sub-par displays in the Champions League, the Brazilian shot-stopper has been in great form domestically, where Porto have the best defence, together with Beira-Mar, with just eight goals conceded in 13 matches. Helton has kept eight clean sheets in the league, and with a backline that often comes under scrutiny, he looks set to play a major role in the second half of the campaign.
DEFENDERS

Joao Pereira
Sporting CP
Ewerton
Sporting Braga
Ezequiel Garay
Benfica
Emiliano Insua
Sporting CP
Benfica may have a more experienced option at centre-back in Luisao, but it has been Ezequiel Garay who has taken the spotlight at the Estadio da Luz. The Argentine defender, who was signed in the summer as a replacement for David Luiz, may not be as vigorous as the now-Chelsea player, but he rarely turns in a bad performance and is one of the league's best summer signings.

When Ewerton signed for Sporting Braga in the summer, few expected him to hold down a regular place in Leonardo Jardim's team, but the 22-year-old has gone even further and has established himself as one of the competition's top defenders. Prior to Monday's 4-3 victory against Olhanense, Braga had one of best defences in the league, and much of that is owed to Ewerton, who is believed to be on Porto's transfer agenda.

Emiliano Insua was a late addition to Sporting CP's squad, just days before the close of the transfer market, but the haste with which Os Leoes thrashed out the deal for the ex-Liverpool man did not prevent them from completing a bargain. The Argentina international has breathed new life into what has long been one of the club's weakest areas and has overtaken Porto's Alvaro Pereira as the top left-back in Portugal at the moment.

On the other side of the rearguard comes Sporting's right-back Joao Pereira, whose solid club displays have earned him a regular place in the Portugal national team. Last season, the 27-year-old was like an Englishman in New York: he was unable to show his true colours as he often found himself lost in the middle of such defensive mediocrity. Under Domingos Paciencia, Sporting's backline has registered considerable improvements, and Joao Pereira has only benefited from that.

MIDFIELDERS

Elias
Sporting CP
Javi Garcia
Benfica

  
Pablo Aimar
  Benfica
Javi Garcia has confirmed this season his billing as one of Spain's most promising holding midfielders. The former Real Madrid man, currently in his third season at Benfica, has reportedly attracted interest from several big guns across Europe with his physical, no-nonsense playing style. Javi Garcia's goal in the 1-0 victory over Sporting CP in November gave his side three important points in the race for the league title.

After Sporting signed Netherlands international Stijn Schaars, the first games of the season showed that the midfield area still lacked some creativity. That is how Elias' name came up. The Brazil international, deemed out of favour by Atletico Madrid coach Gregorio Manzano, has brought so much to the fare that the team miss him in the Europa League, in which he is cup-tied.

Even more decisive than Elias is Pablo Aimar, as the Argentine has shown the level of form which once led him to being recognised as one of the game's best No. 10 midfielders. The former Valencia star may no longer withstand 90 minutes of action, but his passing and creativity still make him the league's top playmaker, as his five assists in the competition prove. Aimar's delicious backheel assist in Friday's 5-1 victory against Rio Ave is evidence that the 32-year-old still has much to give to football before he hangs up his boots.

FORWARDS

Hulk
Porto
Baba
Maritimo

  
Diego Capel
 Sporting CP
Hulk remains as important as ever in Porto's attack this season, just months after the departure of star striker Radamel Falcao. The powerful attacker's incredible speed, technique and strength, coupled with his ferocious left foot, make him a constant worry for the opposition. With seven assists in the league, which makes him the top provider in the competition, and just as many goals, Hulk is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most complete attackers performing in the country.

On the opposite wing lies Diego Capel, signed by Sporting CP in the summer transfer window. The Spaniard, who was on Sevilla's periphery, has rediscovered his best form at the Estadio de Alvalade, despite having been affected by the club's slow start to the season. Capel is key to Sporting's bid for the league title and his contribution can only improve once he gets more used to coach Domingos Paciencia's system.

The unlikely player in the best XI of the opening 13 rounds comes in the form of Baba. This 23-year-old striker, who hails from Senegal, has become quite the object of desire for several clubs in Europe with his nine league goals. Topping the competition's scoring charts is always an impressive feat, but doing so at a team that usually fight for a mid-table position just makes it all the more impressive. The African's £1.7 million release clause will make him an easy target for any potential suitors craving for a quality goalscoring solution.

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England 1-0 Belgium, Netherlands 2-0 Northern Ireland - follow all the international action LIVE! ahead of Euro 2012
With countries across the continent gearing up for their final warm-up games ahead of Euro 2012, join us for all the action from Saturday's friendlies. Get in touch with us via Twitter with your reaction.

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Here's Roy Hodgson's reaction to the result and some injury chat: "I'm very pleased, it's been a hard week and we've used a lot of players. There was a lot of disruption in the second-half with substitutions – some forced upon us, some we wanted to do. But it's still a very good end to the week playing against a good Belgian team here. Arguably even stronger than the Norwegian team we played last week and I've got to be more than happy that we've come out with another victory."

"[Gary] Cahill I suppose is slightly more of a concern for me because it is a jaw injury. We're desperately hoping the CT scan doesn't show any fracture and it's just going to be a bruising situation, which will be bad enough, but won't stop him taking part in the tournament. As far as John's [Terry] concerned he felt his hamstring a little bit. Again it wasn't a major thing when he came off but we still need to scan it just to be 100 per cent sure."

Suffice to say, if Cahill has broken his jaw, he won't play any part in the tournament.
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And another point from today: Eden Hazard wasn't great. Don't think you can judge him on one performance though. What do you think? Is it just a case of too much hype around the Chelsea-bound Belgian?
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We're getting plenty of people saying it was boring. PLENTY. But Spain scored seven goals in eight games at the World Cup and I didn't hear too many of their fans complaining. Or as Fran Stinchcombe points out on Twitter: "If we had lost but played free flowing attacking football would these people still have moaned?"
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