Can Benfica 'do an Ajax' on the European stage?

Benfica have been investing significantly this summer, recruiting some high-profile players as an obvious change in transfer strategy emphasises an urgency to compete not only domestically, but on the continental stage too.

That has, for a couple of years now, seemed like an unattainable goal, at least in the near future, with Benfica irrefutably failing when it comes to competing in European competitions. Yet with presidential elections on the horizon, Benfica have undergone a significant change in management, with the experienced and supremely successful Jorge Jesus returning to the club, while their transfer activity has been unrecognisable, attracting household names in a manner not seen in generations by the Benfica faithful.

It means Benfica are beginning to assemble an outfit with an exceptional blend of experience and youthful exuberance, drawing parallels to another historic emblem: AFC Ajax. Could it be that Benfica are set to replicate the Dutch outfit’s exploits in the UEFA Champions League, as soon as the 2020-21 season? We take a look at the stunning parallels between the two clubs and why there could be significant hope for Benfica to pull off an upset or two in continental competition, even if the odds are against them.

The blend of youthful prospects and experienced stars

As mentioned before, there are some clear comparisons to be made between Benfica this season and the Ajax stars from the 2018-19 campaign, with both clubs undergoing a significant transfer window to turn around their fortunes. Indeed, the summer transfer window leading up to the campaign in which Ajax reached the Champions League semi-final proves that a rapid turnover in players can lead to stunning results.

Ajax, in the season just prior to their Champions League run, only finished 2nd in the Dutch Eredivisie, missing out on the domestic title to perennial title rivals PSV Eindhoven. Losing out on the league title yet again proved the final straw for Ajax, and they ultimately decided that a change in strategy was required.

Indeed, in the 2018 summer window, Ajax spent a hugely significant 42.5 million euros. Spending like that had not really been seen at Ajax before. By comparison, from 2009 to 2016, there was never a single summer in which they spent over 15 million euros, a third of the transfer budget used in August 2018.

Their transfer spending had been picking up before the 2018-19 season too. Across both the summer and winter transfer windows in the 2016-17 season, for example, Ajax spent 36 million euros; then, in both windows in the 2017-18 campaign, Ajax spent another 32 million euros. So a huge amount of investment was starting to be put into the club, just as we have seen at Benfica over the last couple of seasons.

But, like Benfica have done this summer, not only were Ajax investing significant funds into strengthening their squad, but their recruitment was starting to look more towards bringing in experienced faces to play alongside their talented youngsters.

Nicolas Tagliafico (25 years of age at the time) was perhaps the first signing that showed a slight shift from not only bringing in young stars of the future, but also some more experienced players, and that was followed up by the signing of two seasoned professionals in Dusan Tadic (29) and Daley Blind (28) in the summer of 2018.

These two household names, who had significant experience both in England and on the international stage upon returning to the Netherlands, went on to immediately play a hugely significant role in Ajax’s run to the Champions League semi-final alongside Nicolas Tagliafico in the 2018-19 season.

These three signings could be comparable to three of Benfica’s own summer imports this campaign, too. Jan Vertonghen (33) could go on to play a similar role in leading from the back to that of Daley Blind, while the goal machine that is Edinson Cavani (33) should have a massive impact on the club in an attacking sense in the same way that Dusan Tadic did. Even Everton Cebolinha, despite only being 24, comes with a huge level of experience, much like Tagliafico did for Ajax despite his relative youth.

There are therefore hugely encouraging comparisons between the transfer strategies deployed by Benfica and Ajax - and, if anything, the players that Benfica have brought in not only come with bigger reputations and boast increased experience, but they are likely even more talented too. They should therefore be incredibly useful in helping the younger Benfica players raise their game on the continental stage in the manner that the likes of Tadic, Blind and Tagliafico did at Ajax.

From European failures to Champions League dark horses within the space of a year

Another comparison that is very encouraging for Benfica is just how quickly Ajax managed to go from European underachievers to Champions League contenders. In the 2017-18 season, for example, Ajax were, with no exaggeration, humiliated on the continental stage. Not only did they lose their first Champions League qualifier, knocked out by Nice on away goals in the third qualifying round, but they were then knocked out by Norweigan outfit Rosenborg in the Europa League play-off, losing both home and away against their unfancied opponents as they failed to even qualify for the Europa League group stage.

As disappointing as Benfica’s European exploits were last season - scraping a 3rd place finish in their Champions League group before being knocked out of the Europa League in the round of 32 - it was on a completely different level to that of Ajax in 2017-18, who failed in historic fashion.

To go from Europa League outcasts in 2017-18 to Champions League semi-finalists in the 2018-19 campaign was therefore an extraordinary feat by Ajax, and shows how quickly things can change in football - and how a few signings and some increased experience can make a huge difference.

Not only that, but Ajax had to topple some impressive sides to get to the semi-final. First off, they remained unbeaten in their group, which contained both Bayern Munich and Benfica, before then toppling both Real Madrid and Juventus to reach the semi-final, where they only missed out on a spot in the final two thanks to an incredibly late and dramatic Tottenham Hotspur goal.

Benfica, therefore, can be even more confidence that they have what it takes to reproduce Ajax’s miracle themselves.

Even from Pot 3, success can be had

One of the major aspects that could be getting Benfica fans down about their chances in the Champions League is that they are highly likely to be in pot 3 even if they do manage to reach the group stage - which is itself by no means a guarantee.

Indeed, if Inter Milan win the Europa League, Benfica will be the highest ranked pot 3 side in the Champions League even if they get through the qualifying rounds - and are therefore relying on Sevilla winning Europe’s secondary club competition to have any chance of being in pot 2.

Nevertheless, Benfica fans should remember that Ajax themselves were the pot 3 team in their Champions League group, and that did not stop them from advancing all the way to the semi-final. Indeed, this very season, RB Leipzig, who reached the semi-final, were actually a pot 4 team - and they went on to top their group and knock out both Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid. Lyon and Atalanta were then pot 3 teams, and they reached the semi-finals and quarter-finals respectively. Being in pot 3 is therefore not necessarily going to be Benfica’s downfall.

Can Benfica do it?

Ultimately, having strong similarities with a club and actually replicating their success are two very different things. The signs are positive for Benfica, but they will still require some good fortune with a positive draw and the same ability to hit the ground running from the off if they are even going to come close to matching Ajax’s feat.

And remember, they haven’t even qualified for the group stage yet. With two rounds of qualification to come, it’s going to be an immense challenge just to get to the group stage, which is the first objective. If they get there, though, they should not let a potentially daunting group block them from aiming high. If they don’t, a spot in the Europa League group stage is guaranteed - and that is a competition Benfica will fancy their chances in.

Taking it one game at a time and playing as a united team will be critical in Benfica having success on the European stage.

Carlos Vinicius. Photo author: Антон Зайцев. License link.