Álvaro Carreras had a steady season at Benfica in 2024/25. He started 30 of 32 league matches he played, filled a position that had lacked stability since Álex Grimaldo’s departure, and contributed at both ends of the pitch without drawing much attention to himself.
He didn’t dominate games, but he didn’t need to. His role was to provide balance on the left, and he did that consistently. Benfica kept 15 clean sheets with him in the team, and his numbers—both defensive and attacking—were among the most reliable in the league for his position.
Carreras’s defensive performance is built on positioning and ball recovery. He ranked in the 77th percentile for interceptions (1.31 per 90) and in the 91st percentile for ball recoveries (5.48), indicating awareness in both reactive and proactive phases. His tackle rate was moderate at 2.07 per 90 (54th percentile), and he won 1.25 tackles (47th percentile), with most of that work done in the midfield third. Notably, his block rate was low (0.79, 14th percentile), suggesting a defender who controls space rather than frequently throwing himself into last-ditch actions. He ranked in the 78th percentile for aerial win percentage (58.5%).
He averaged 67.33 passes per 90 minutes, placing him in the 95th percentile among full-backs, with an overall pass completion rate of 81.0%. He ranked in the 97th percentile for progressive passes (6.63 per 90) and 98th percentile for passes into the final third (5.87), highlighting his ability to advance play consistently from deeper areas. Though his assist total was low (0.03 per 90, 19th percentile), he still recorded 0.10 xAG (60th percentile) and 1.08 key passes per 90 (67th), reflecting involvement in build-up rather than final delivery. He also completed 1.12 take-ons per 90 at an 83rd percentile rate, offering occasional 1v1 ability from wide areas.
One useful indicator of his impact in possession was his rate of completed passes into high expected threat (xT) zones. Among all players in Liga Portugal with over 1,000 passes, Carreras ranked 8th.
This stat measures the percentage of a player’s completed passes that land in high xT (Expected Threat) zones — the most dangerous areas of the pitch in terms of goal probability.
The xT model used here is a custom implementation based on Markov chains, inspired by the…
— Mehedi Hassan (@MHassanFootball) May 30, 2025
Liga Portugal 2024/25—Top 10 players by % of completed passes into high xT zones (minimum 1000 passes)
Gustavo Garcia – 6.9% (1096 passes)
Orkun Kökçü – 6.7% (1657)
Fredrik Aursnes – 4.4% (1066)
Tiago Silva – 4.2% (1631)
Víctor Gómez – 4.1% (1047)
Francisco Moura – 4.0% (1237)
Jordan Holsgrove – 3.8% (1596)
Álvaro Carreras – 3.1% (1662)
David Simão – 2.9% (1013)
Marios Vrousai – 2.7% (1022)
For comparison, Marcelo’s 2016/17 season—widely regarded as his attacking peak—saw him complete 4.8% of his passes into high xT zones, placing him 9th in LaLiga.
LaLiga 2016/17—Top 10 players by % of completed passes into high xT zones (minimum 1000 passes)
Neymar – 14.0% (1264 passes)
Lionel Messi – 12.7% (1337)
Beñat Etxebarria – 7.7% (1318)
Emre Çolak – 7.5% (1065)
Vitolo – 6.8% (1050)
Jonathan Viera – 6.2% (1720)
Mariano – 5.8% (1315)
Tana – 5.5% (1066)
Marcelo – 4.8% (1408)
Antoine Griezmann – 4.6% (1017)
Carreras doesn’t play the same role, and his numbers aren’t meant to match Marcelo’s. But the comparison helps frame the type of contribution he offers—progressive, but not flamboyant.
Carreras joins Real Madrid at a time when the club is still searching for clarity and consistency at left-back. Ferland Mendy has struggled with injuries and offers little in attack. Fran García has yet to fully convince. Carreras doesn’t arrive as a depth option—he arrives to compete for the position.
A conversation between Mehedi Hassan of Managing Madrid and Zach Lowy, Chief editor at Breaking The Lines
Mehedi (Managing Madrid): How would you assess Álvaro Carreras’s development at Benfica since his move from Manchester United, and what aspects of his game have improved most under the club’s system?
Zach (Breaking the Lines): Ever since Álvaro Carreras moved to Benfica, he’s done very well—going from a player who was playing irregularly to a starter. I think he’s improved a lot in terms of how he’s handled possession, crossing, and playing out from the back.
Mehedi: Why did Benfica go for him in January 2024? What were they specifically looking for?
Zach: I think that Benfica, when they signed him, were looking for a player who could really fill Alex Grimaldo’s void because their previous signings for that position weren’t working out. After a really promising start to his loan spell, he did incredibly well this season. He’s probably been the best left-back in the entire Portuguese division. He has a lot to be proud of, and I think he knocks it out of the park.
Mehedi: From your perspective, what would be the biggest challenges and opportunities for Carreras if he were to make the step up to Real Madrid this summer?
Zach: It’s going to be a big challenge to make the move from Benfica to Real Madrid. There’s going to be a lot of pressure on his shoulders. The environment is much more competitive and athletic. But I think Carreras is capable of facing that challenge because he’s done really well at such a young age.
He’s almost like a defensive-minded player—a hybrid of a centre-back and a left-back. He’s good at stopping wingers from going down the flank, but he’s also good at progressing the ball and delivering crosses. He’s definitely a complete left-back, and I think he would be an upgrade on Real Madrid’s current left-backs.