Under intense pressure at Stamford Bridge, Moises Caicedo was outstanding. Chelsea defeated Benfica 1–0, and Caicedo was voted Player of the Match. His play was calm, physical, and purposeful.
Moises Caicedo Performance
First, Caicedo dominated the midfield. He made 60 out of 61 passes — the highest completion percentage on the field. Many of those passes were made in Benfica’s half. He created two opportunities, tied for most among teammates in the match.
Defensively, he was solid as a rock. He registered seven tackles and nine duel wins — the highest anyone else could match. He also lost possession seven times, four of them within Benfica’s defensive third. He intercepted twice as well.
He was never passive. Social media showed a clip where he burst into action four times within 90 seconds, either challenging, blocking or recovering. That indicates his energy and incessant involvement.
It was also a milestone. That game was his 100th Chelsea start. He knows he’s good enough for this level. The club’s own analysis described him as “central to our Champions League ambitions.”
Caicedo played cleverly for every minute of the 90, despite being a fitness concern at kickoff. His presence enabled Chelsea to balance defense and attack. He cut off Benfica’s supply routes, limited their opportunities, and drove Chelsea forward.
Moises Caicedo Significance
Later, Caicedo spoke modestly. He emphasized the need to take a game at a time and doing his best to assist the team in any manner possible. He has involvement in every minute of both Premier League and Champions League this campaign.
Author’s Insight
Moises Caicedo was Chelsea‘s midfield heartbeat that evening. He passed, defended, created, and never allowed the match to get away from their grasp. For such play in a close match, Player of the Match was well earned. The Ecuadorian will consistently give such performances.
