João Neves position and style of play

Portuguese football has produced some supreme players over the years and, in João Neves, they look to have another sparkling talent. Named Primeira Liga midfielder of the month on six occasions in the 2023/24 season, aged 19, the Benfica man is among the highest-rated young footballers in Europe. That followed a league title when he was only 18, helping Benfica get over the line for the first time in four years.

A Benfica development centre had picked up Neves’ prodigious talent in his early years, before he moved to their main academy in 2016. Six years later, at the age of 17, he was part of the side that won the UEFA Youth League final 6-0 against Red Bull Salzburg in April 2022. His first-team call-up followed eight months later, with an international bow coming in October 2023. 

What makes his progress even more impressive is the role he has played within Benfica’s team at such an early stage. Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed Neves’ position and style of play…

Technical and positional analysis

Neves is a deep-lying central midfielder who has played primarily in a double pivot, as part of Benfica’s 4-2-3-1. There, he has had a key role in their attempts to dictate possession. A technically proficient player, he actively looks to receive under pressure, using his agility and acceleration to evade opponents and dribble forwards.

Neves has been integral to Benfica’s build, via his willingness to drop deep and receive, at times inside his own box. His acceleration over short distances allows him to create distance from his marker, without needing too much disguise or deceptive movement. It also enables him to receive and turn to bounce to deeper, supporting players (below). His technical ability and decision-making are both assets in these situations. He is adept at knowing when to bounce using one touch, and when to take touches under pressure, drawing defenders towards him before laying off to teammates in more space.

His versatility also allows him to drop between central defenders (below), or between a central defender and full-back, to create overloads in the build phase. In the example below, against Rangers in the Europa League, Neves dropped to receive a short set pass from Anatoliy Trubin inside the six-yard box. He then dribbled out, towards the edge of the area. With the Rangers front two pressing out-to-in, it allowed Neves to create an overload with António Silva and Nicolás Otamendi. As Cyriel Dessers and Fábio Silva arced their pressing runs, Neves was able to use his dribbling and acceleration to travel with the ball and break the first line of the press. Had Silva or Dessers narrowed too much, he would have been able to pick them off to break the press.

In possession

One of his key attributes is his ability to dictate possession. Neves ranked second for passes (1,900) in the 2023/24 Primeira Liga, and fifth for passes into the final third (267). He often receives between lines with a closed body shape, to invite pressure. He times his final scan as the pass is played into him, so he can assess which direction and how much pressure he is under.

His most potent ability is evading this pressure, using his agility and low centre of gravity to roll away to the opposite side of the defender’s approach and accelerate into the space beyond. Neves also uses his body well in similar situations, as a moving screen to protect the ball. He looks to receive safe-side (furthest from the opponent, below) and use his body to create a barrier between ball and defender. He then allows the ball to run across his body before travelling into space, with the defender unable to intercept without committing a foul.

To progress through midfield, Neves likes one-two combinations with nearby teammates, before using his acceleration over shorter distances to break towards the opposition’s defence. On the ball, he often dribbles until defenders are drawn towards him, before releasing quickly and making a run into the space behind (below). The timing of his initial release prevents the pressing defender from recovering.

In situations where opponents look to shape their pressing run to cut off Neves’ nearby passing options, he uses disguise to look as if he is passing, enticing them to intercept. Then he drops his shoulder and quickly changes direction to exploit the space vacated by the defender.

His dribbling forms a good proportion of his attacking threat. When Benfica are in attacking areas, Neves usually stays in line with or deeper than the possession, opting to receive where he can dribble forwards into wider areas (below).

More broadly, the final third is one of Neves’ weaker areas. Despite his availability and efficiency in possession, his ability to play key passes or take more risks to be more of a creative spark has so far been rather limited. In the 2023/24 Primeira Liga, Neves recorded only three goals and one assist, with no goal contributions in the Champions League or Europa League.

Tenacious pressing

Neves is a tenacious and aggressive presser. His athletic attributes enable him to excel in the counter-press, where he reacts immediately to losing possession. He presses on the front foot, engaging the opposing ball-carrier to restrict their time and space – even if a teammate is already challenging them. In these situations, his aggressiveness in duels and pure acceleration are major assets.

His intent to press can leave him vulnerable in defensive areas, when being more cautious could restrict the opposition from penetrating or playing past. He sometimes vacates his more secure central position to press the ball-carrier – the opposition can then play a pass beyond him, back inside (below). In these areas, he could be more pragmatic. Here, he could stay central, maintain compactness and allow situations to develop before pressing from a more secure footing when triggers present themselves. This is something he will surely develop as he plays more competitive fixtures at the elite level.

Nonetheless, Neves is an exciting player who is courting interest from Europe’s richest leagues. That is par for the course at Benfica, a club that has grown accustomed to developing talent before selling for big fees, as was the case with João Félix, Rúben Dias and Gonçalo Ramos. The expectation is that João Neves will follow in their footsteps, sooner or later.

To learn more about the technical and tactical aspects of football, and gain insights from coaches at the top of the game, visit CV Academy