Preview: Hosts want to distance themselves, while Arouca tries to climb the league standings
Benfica is even on points with their same city rivals Sporting CP at the top of the table, but a victory on Friday would move them three points clear. Friday's match will also be Jorge Jesus' 400th match in the Portuguese League, but due to a suspension, he will have to watch the match from the stands.
Since his arrival at the club, the Portuguese manager has turned the Lisbon side into an offensive powerhouse.
In his 233 matches in charge, Benfica has scored 496 goals. They have also gone 68 consecutive matches at home in the league where they have always scored. On Friday, he will be hoping his side can keep that tradition, as they will be up against an Arouca side that is struggling, and are currently in the relegation zone.
Pedro Emanuel's squad is even on points with Paços de Ferreira, who both have eight points, and are last in the league. But despite their poor start to the new campaign, Arouca's board of directors met with their manager, and gave him complete confidence that they believe he is the man for the job earlier in the week.
He will now have to prepare his players for a tough task at the Estádio da Luz, against a Benfica side that has been slowly but surely starting to find their rhythm.
They started the season with a defeat away to Maritimo, which led to many fans asking for the manager to be sacked, after their melt down late in the season last year. But 11 matches into the season, Benfica is currently tied for first place, and will have a chance to distance themselves on Friday night, even if just for a day.
With only eight goals conceded, Benfica is tied with Porto for the best defensive record in the league. They also have the second best offense with 20 goals scored, only to be outdone by Sporting CP, who has 28 goals.
These numbers do not bode well for Arouca, who have only scored six goals in the current campaign. They are averaging 0.55 goals per match, while they concede an average of 1.4 goals. Away from home things get even worst. In five matches, Arouca has two goals scored, while they have conceded seven, which has contributed to one win, one draw and four losses.
Friday's match will be difficult for the visitors, as Benfica has won their last five league matches, and have only conceded three goals at home in five matches.
It will all likely come down to how efficient Benfica's offense can be, knowing that Arouca will likely sit deep and look to take advantage of a defensive mistake or a set piece.
Where to watch this match - live stream, start time, TV channels, live scores
Watch Benfica vs Arouca live on Friday, December 6, 2013:
In Canada at 15:15 ET on: Portuguese Football League
In the UK at 20:15 BST on: BBC One
In the USA at 15:15 ET on: Benfica TV, Premium Sports
For more TV listings, be sure to visit the Benfica vs Arouca match page for more info.
