PortuGOAL writers select the Portuguese Primeira Liga 2022/23 team of the season | OneFootball

Another memorable Portuguese league campaign has come to a close, with the Bwin Liga winners decided only on the final weekend of the season.

Benfica won their first title in four years, Braga recorded their best ever points total, and strong campaigns in Europe by the traditional Big Three makes choosing the best Primeira Liga XI a difficult task, even before we consider worthy candidates from other teams.

Arouca, Chaves and Casa Pia were hugely impressive in arguably seasons of overachievement, while the likes of Vitória and Famalicão also hit noteworthy purple patches in 2022/23.

PortuGOAL’s team of writers have each compiled their team of the season.

The image to the right contains the players that were selected in at least four of the six teams chosen by Matthew Marshall, Albert Carter-Phillips, Barney Carter-Phillips, Jamie Farr, Tom Kundert and Patrick Ribeiro. To find out who made the cut in each individual team and why, read on…

Matthew Marshall’s Primeira Liga team of the season 2022/23

GK Ignacio de Arruabarrena (Arouca) – The Uruguayan was sensational this season, keeping 14 clean sheets in 30 matches and saving countless penalties to help his side get into Europe for the second time.

RB Fredrik Aursnes (Benfica) – Aursnes arrived in Lisbon with everyone expecting him to play defensive midfield, but he became so indispensable to Roget Schmidt that he featured prominently on the left wing before ending the season at right-back.

CB António Silva (Benfica) – I saw Silva make his debut at Boavista in late August with Benfica suffering an injury crisis in central defence. He took his chance and then some, showing no fear against PSG, Juventus with the teenager representing Portugal at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

CB Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica) – Otamendi is not immune to mistakes, but over the course of the season he has been rock solid, statistically the best centre-back in the Primeira Liga and played a big role in Argentina winning the World Cup.

LB Alejandro Grimaldo (Benfica) – Grimaldo is the best left-back in Portugal and it’s not even close, will be a big loss for the Eagles.

CM Enzo Fernández (Benfica) – Watching Fernández live, his importance to Benfica’s early success was undeniable as was his status as the best buy of the season, justified by the Eagles pocketing around €80m in six months after he forced his way into Argentina’s World Cup winning side and made a big money move to Chelsea.

CM Pote (Sporting) – The 24-year-old is sure to be under close scrutiny, his versatility and ability to score and assist up there with the best, having a hand in 26 Primeira Liga goals for the Lions.

CM Otávio (Porto) – Easily the most annoying player in Portugal and a big reason why the Dragons exited the Champions League, but on the ball he continually terrorized opposition defences and is one of the first names on Sérgio Conceição’s team sheet.

LW Ricardo Horta (Braga) – Horta didn’t let the failed transfer to Benfica affect him, Braga’s talisman dealing with being played in a number of positions that didn’t necessarily suit him, scoring 14 goals and providing eight assists to help the Warriors finishing third.

RW João Mário (Benfica) – Mário was on fire this season, burying penalties for fun and showing his class throughout, excelling in Schmidt’s system where speed is not a prerequisite to excel out wide.

ST Mehdi Taremi (Porto) – The Iranian striker is clearly the best front man in Portugal, a huge part of Porto’s success and hardly missed a game for the Dragons this season.

Subs:

GK Bruno Varela (Vitória Guimarães) – Varela kept 13 clean sheets in 27 Primeira Liga appearances, missing seven games through injury where the Conquerors picked up just four points.

CB Vítor Tormena (Braga) – The Brazilian was a huge part of Braga’s early season success, his speed getting the Warriors out of a lot of sticky situations.

FB Pepê Aquino (Porto) – Sérgio Conceição used Pepê in so many positions this season, he has to be on the bench to cover the full-back positions.

CM Manuel Ugarte (Sporting) – Ugarte is a midfield destroyer, quietly going about his business and playing a vital role in disrupting opposition attacks.

AM Iván Jaime (Famalicão) – Jaime’s class was obvious before he picked up a bad injury in February 2022 that saw him sidelined for more than eight months, a work in progress but the playmaker has big potential.

W Galeno (Porto) – Galeno quickly became a key part of Porto’s team, his speed and dribbling ability on the left-wing continually pinning the opposition back.

ST Gonçalo Ramos (Benfica) – The 21-year-old continues to improve, scoring 19 Primeira Liga goals and hitting an incredible hat-trick in Portugal’s 6-1 win against Switzerland at the World Cup in Qatar after replacing Cristiano Ronaldo.

Barney Carter-Phillips’ Primeira Liga team of the season 2022/23

I think the majority of my team won’t come as a surprise to many people. Perhaps the only one that people may question is Nakamura from Portimonense.

Portimonense have arguably been the worst team ever to survive in the Premiera Liga but the reason they have survived is down to Nakamura. He has outperformed his PSxG (Post Shot expected Goals, basically how likely a keeper is to shave a shot) by 12.4 the highest score by a keeper in the league and higher than Arruabarrena who I imagine will be picked in most people’s team of the season. Having scored the fewest goals in the league this season it comes as no surprise that the majority of Portimonense’s wins this season were classic “smash and grab” results, keeping it tight and frustrating teams before nicking a goal late in the game. Without Nakamura pulling off ridiculous saves and keeping teams at bay they don’t get those vital 3 points and they don’t stay up. His efforts have earned him a call up to the Japanese National team which is a fitting reward for his performances this season.

There are lots of Benfica players of course. Otamendi goes ahead of António Silva mainly because it would be his experience and leadership that would allow Silva to excel and look comfortable even in those big Champions League games. Alexander Bah has been the best RB in the league and his absence towards the end of the season was noticed coinciding with Benfica’s dip in form. Grimaldo played a vital role in the second half of the season filling in the creative gap left by the departing Enzo Fernández from the LB position. João Mário was imperious in the first half of the season and despite his decline in form in the later stages of the season still deserves a place in my team.

The reason Gonçalo Ramos doesn’t make my team is because of Ricardo Horta. Starting the season on the left side of midfield but moving into attack once Vitinha was sold to Marseille he once again has had an incredible season and very much been Braga’s talisman. Iuri Medeiros has also been incredible for Braga this season, having the best season of his career. Sikou Niakté could be signing of the season and was a key contributor to Braga’s improved defence.

Apart from Diogo Costa, Mehdi Taremi and Otávio are the only Porto players who would walk into Benfica’s team. If they had had a little more quality around them then the title could have been with Porto again; that’s how good these two have been this season.

Goal of the week in each of the 34 jornadas in Portugal’s top flight 2022/23

Albert Carter-Phillips’ Primeira Liga team of the season 2022/23

Picking a Team of the Season is simultaneously the most fun and most nerve-wracking part of the season. It’s a chance to reflect on the best players this season, but equally the easiest way to annoy a large number of people on the internet. When it came to picking my TOTS, I considered two main factors: individual ability/achievements, and the impact a player had on their team’s success.

An XI of the Primeira Liga’s technically best footballers would look slightly different to the XI I’ve chose for my TOTS, but it’s not just about picking the best footballers, but also crediting those footballers who have made the biggest impact on their team’s season.

The most obvious example of this is the inclusion of two Arouca players. For me, Arouca’s 5th placed finish is an achievement arguably on par with Benfica’s title win, relative to the size of the club and resources available to them. João Basso and Ignacio de Arruabarrena have had such a huge impact on that side - Arruabarrena as an incredible shot stopper, and Basso as a leader and talisman - that I had to honour them in my end of season list. It means the likes of Diogo Costa, Pepe, Otamendi, and others with arguably higher technical ability miss out, but their impact on their teams this season, in my opinion, was less than these two Arouca players.

The other downside of picking a TOTS is the inevitable players who have to miss out, with only 11 positions available. For me this was most notable in midfield. Manuel Ugarte, João Mário, Fredrik Aursnes, Ali Al-Musrati, and Otávio all deserve to be in the TOTS, but only 3 could make it into my team. Recency bias meant I was tempted to include Aursnes over either João Mário or Otávio, but we cannot forget how incredible João Mário has been throughout 90% of this season, and Otávio - despite Porto not being in Benfica’s shadow this season - continues to show that he is one of the league’s best players.

In attack my only doubt was whether to choose Mehdi Taremi or Gonçalo Ramos, Taremi has 22 goals this season, but as 7 of those were penalties, and all 19 of Ramos’ were from open play, I went for the young Portuguese striker.

Subs: Diogo Costa, Otamendi, Al-Musrati, Aursnes, Iuri Medeiros, Mehdi Taremi

Jamie Farr’s Primeira Liga team of the season 2022/23

GK Matheus Magalhães (Braga): The Brazilian has always been a talented goalkeeper, but arguably produced his most mature and consistent campaign yet.

LB Leonardo Lelo (Casa Pia): Made the seamless step up in leagues to stand out as one of the best left full-backs in Liga Bwin, deservedly earning the interest of some bigger clubs.

CB João Basso (Arouca): The rock at the heart of arguably the most impressive team performance in the division, his consistency helping guide Arouca to 5th place.

CB Pepe (Porto): 40 years old but his excellent levels remarkably don’t look like dropping anytime soon. One of the best centre-backs in Europe over the past decade or so has somehow still got it.

RB Fredrik Aursnes (Benfica): Cheating a little as the Norwegian was predominantly used in his favoured midfield role, but his temporary shift to right-back at a crucial point of the season speaks to the vital versatility he offers.

DM Manuel Ugarte (Sporting): The Uruguayan’s game continued on its rising trajectory, with some of Europe’s biggest sharks circling the tough-tackling midfielder.

CM Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting): Exceptional numbers from “Pote” this season, reaching double figures for both goals and assists as he was used slightly deeper in midfield as well as his more usual attacking areas.

LW Ricardo Horta (Braga): In with a shout of being the top player in the country over the last two or three seasons, this was another season of increasingly customary excellence for Braga’s talisman.

AM Iván Jaime (Famalicão): The Spanish playmaker has returned from serious injury with a vengeance, scoring some stunning goals and showcasing his outstanding technical ability with regularity.

RW João Mário (Benfica): Suffered a blip in form after swapping Sporting for Benfica a couple of years back, but Roger Schmidt’s arrival breathed new life into the 30-year-old’s game.

AT Fran Navarro (Gil Vicente): A remarkable goal return playing in a team of Gil Vicente’s standing, the Spaniard’s lethality saw only two players score more in Primeira Liga.

Tom Kundert’s Primeira Liga team of the season 2022/23

Goalkeeper: Andrew (Gil Vicente). Just 21 years old, the Brazilian was outstanding in an often-unstable team, showing unusual consistency for such a young goalkeeper.

Right-back: Tiago Santos (Estoril). Another player whose individual displays were far better than his team’s overall performances, the speedy and energetic Santos was solid at the back and never afraid to contribute going forward.

Left-back: Grimaldo (Benfica). The outgoing Spaniard maintained his brilliance of previous seasons, accumulating 8 goals and 14 assists in all competitions as one of the brightest standouts in Benfica’s exciting campaign.

Centre-back: João Basso (Arouca). With an unremarkable career behind him, Arouca captain João Basso was a perfect illustration of how every Arouca player managed to consistently perform at the peak of their abilities, resulting in an exceptional campaign for the team. Basso was a rock at the heart of defence and also found the net three times.

Centre-back: António Silva (Benfica). Silva’s impact at Benfica was incredible. Only 18 years old at the time, Silva was drafted into the side because of injuries to his more experienced colleagues, but he was so good Roger Schmidt had no option other than to stick with the Viseu-born teenager throughout the season.

Midfielder: Pedro Gonçalves (Sporting). In an up-and-down season for the Lions, Pote hit the form that made him top scorer in the league two years ago and proved extremely useful to coach Rúben Amorim, playing deeper in midfield or further forward depending on the team’s needs.

Midfielder: João Mário (Benfica). Mário made the controversial switch from Sporting to Benfica two years ago and after a mediocre campaign last year he proved his worth with magnificent performances throughout 2022/23 in undoubtedly the best season of his distinguished career.

Midfielder: Otávio (Porto). The heady mixture of fierce competitiveness, football intelligence and superb technique were all on display in another outstanding campaign by the player Sérgio Conceição must absolutely adore.

Forward: Ricardo Horta (Braga). There were fears that the drawn-out transfer saga last summer would negatively affect Horta as his expected transfer to Benfica eventually fell through. None of it. 17 goals, 10 assists in all competitions in another scintillating season.

Forward: Mehdi Taremi (Porto). The Iranian’s career at Porto continues to justify the extravagant plaudits thrown in his direction. Taremi was top scorer thanks to 22 goals in the Bwin Liga, and he reached 31 in all competitions (with the Portuguese cup final to come).

Forward: Gonçalo Ramos (Benfica). Any doubts Ramos is the real deal were dispelled this season as the prolific striker, still just 21 years old, made himself the undisputed lone striker in Roger Schmidt’s Benfica side, notching 19 non-penalty goals in the league (27 in all competitions). Halfway through the season he even found time to bag a brilliant hat-trick in the World Cup.

Patrick Ribeiro’s Primeira Liga team of the season 2022/23

GK - Andrew (Gil Vicente): With a handful of names worthy of donning the number 1 shirt, Gil Vicente’s Andrew stood out with a quietly impressive campaign for the mid-table side at just 21 years of age. One to keep tabs on going into 2023/24.

CB - João Basso (Arouca): In a dream season for high-flying Arouca, securing a fifth-placed finish, João Basso saw himself shine among the very best within Armando Evangelista’s side. A more than worthy mention.

CB - Ibrahima Bamba (Vitória): Naturally a defensive midfielder, Ibrahima Bamba made a seamless transition into the heart of defence, showcasing his athleticism and ability to construct from the back. The interest from the Premier League says it all about Bamba.

CB - António Silva (Benfica): Very few could’ve expected this kind of ascendency for the previously unknown António Silva, starting at the tender age of 18. A defining character in Benfica’s title-winning season, Silva’s an easy pick.

RWB - Alexander Bah (Benfica): The Danish full-back proved to be a true locomotive down the right flank, settling in comfortably to his surroundings in the Portuguese capital.

LWB - Alex Grimaldo (Benfica): Options aplenty on the left side of defence, with Nuno Santos and Leonardo Lelo all grabbing attention, but it’s difficult to look past Alex Grimaldo, arguably back to his best under Roger Schmidt with 16 goal contributions.

CM - Manuel Ugarte (Sporting): Sporting won’t look back on this season with too many fond memories, but Manuel Ugarte was one of the few to offer hope throughout their disappointing year. Often sticking out like a sore thumb, the relentless ball-winner looks sure to take his football to a new level next season after yet another solid showing in green and white.

CM - João Mário (Benfica): Another player to reassert his form under Schmidt, João Mário’s composure offered the right dosage of coolness to a frenetic and potent Benfica attack, firing the Eagles to their 38th league title.

LW - Iván Jaime (Famalicão): With nine goals and four assists to his name, including some serious contenders for the annual Primeira Liga highlights reel, I’d be surprised to see Iván Jaime settle at Famalicão for much longer. A true standout!

RW - Marcus Edwards (Sporting): The tricky English winger continues to go from strength-to-strength in Portugal with 16 goal contributions in 33 league appearances. He’s one of the first names on Sporting’s team-sheet, just as easily as he was here.

ST - Mehdi Taremi (Porto): In a fierce battle against the up-and-coming Gonçalo Ramos for the golden boot, Taremi came out on top with 22 league goals, complementing that with an additional eight assists. Gonçalo Ramos made it tough, but the Iranian just about edges it for me.