Sport Lisboa e Benfica
Sport Lisboa e Benfica (), commonly known as Benfica, is a professional football club based in Lisbon, Portugal, that competes in the Primeira Liga, the top flight of Portuguese football.
Founded on 28 February 1904 as ''Sport Lisboa'', Be ...
Primeira Liga
The Primeira Liga (; English: Premier League, also written as Liga Portugal 1), also known as Liga Portugal Bwin for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Portuguese football league system. Organised and supervised by the Liga Portugal, ...
,
Taça de Portugal
The Taça de Portugal (; "Cup of Portugal") is an annual association football competition and the premier knockout tournament in Portuguese football. For sponsorship reasons, it has been known as Taça de Portugal Placard since the 2015–16 sea ...
,
Taça da Liga
The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual football club competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the Primeira Liga and LigaPro, the top two tiers ...
, the group stage of the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
, and the knockout phase in the
UEFA Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. ...
. Benfica qualified for the Champions League by coming second in the previous Primeira Liga.
On 4 June 2013, coach Jorge Jesus renewed his contract for a further two seasons, making him the first manager since
Otto Glória
Otto Martins Glória (9 January 1917 – 4 September 1986) was a Brazilian football coach.
Career
Glória was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but had his greatest successes with Benfica in Portugal, guiding the club to nine national trophies. ...
in 1958–59 to start a fifth consecutive season at Benfica.
The season was one of the best in Benfica's history, as the club won its 33rd title, its fifth Taça da Liga (without conceding a single goal), reached the Europa League final for the second consecutive season (without any defeat) and won its 25th Taça de Portugal achieving the tenth double (record) of the club.
By winning the Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga, Benfica achieved a unique treble in Portugal. Benfica also finished the season unbeaten in home matches, and the 57 games played are a club record for a single season.
Events
Pre-season
The pre-season started on 1 July 2013 with medical evaluations on the players. After a brief period of exercising at the
Caixa Futebol Campus
Benfica Campus (formerly Caixa Futebol Campus), also known as , is the training ground and youth academy of Portuguese football club Benfica. Having nine pitches (three of synthetic turf), including the main one with 2,721 seats – Benfica B's h ...
the team was due to travel on 8 July for
Évian-les-Bains
Évian-les-Bains (), or simply Évian ( frp, Èvian, , or ), is a commune in the northern part of the Haute-Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. In 2018, it had a population of 9,100.
A high-market holida ...
in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, but on 6 July, it chooses to stay at Futebol Campus instead of travelling to France, but still maintained the three pre-season games against Ètoile Carouge,
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefectu ...
and Sion. The team participated in the semi-finals of the tournament
Lisbon Football Association
The Lisbon Football Association (''Associação de Futebol de Lisboa'', abrv. ''AF Lisboa'') is the district governing body for the all football competitions in the Portuguese district of Lisbon. It is also the regulator of the clubs registered in ...
Honour's Cup, where they played against
Sporting CP B
Sporting Clube de Portugal B is the reserve team of Portuguese football club Sporting CP, a team based in Lisbon. Reserve teams in Portugal play in the same league system as the senior team, rather than in a reserve team league. However, they cann ...
, using a mix of first team players like
Ola John
Ola John (born 19 May 1992) is a professional footballer who plays for Al-Hazem as a left winger. Born in Liberia, he has represented the Netherlands national team.
A product of FC Twente's youth system, he played with their first team from ...
, Rodrigo or Jardel, with the remaining players from
Benfica B
Sport Lisboa e Benfica "B", commonly known as Benfica B, is a Portuguese professional football team based in Seixal. Founded in 1999, dissolved in 2006, and restarted in 2012, it is the reserve team of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica. They play in ...
. In the 3rd/4th place match, Benfica fielded a team with only one first-team player, Paulo Lopes. On 24, 26 and 27 July, Benfica faced
Peñarol
Club Atlético Peñarol (; English: ''Peñarol Athletic Club'') —also known as ''Carboneros'', ''Aurinegros,'' and (familiarly) ''Manyas''— is a Uruguayan sports club from Montevideo. The name "Peñarol" comes from the Peñarol neigh ...
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative ...
at
Estádio Algarve
The Estádio Algarve (Algarve Stadium), also known as ''Estádio Faro/Loulé'' (Faro/Loule Stadium), is an association football stadium located between Faro and Loulé municipalities, in the Algarve region of Portugal. The stadium has a capacit ...
, respectively. On 31 July, Benfica played
Elche
Elche ( ca-valencia, Elx) is a city and municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2014 data, Elche has a population of 228,647 inhabitants,presentation game in
Elche
Elche ( ca-valencia, Elx) is a city and municipality of Spain, belonging to the province of Alicante, in the Valencian Community. According to 2014 data, Elche has a population of 228,647 inhabitants,Eusébio Cup
The Eusébio Cup is a pre-season friendly football match hosted by Portuguese club S.L. Benfica since 2008. It has been played mostly at their home stadium, Estádio da Luz, with the two exceptions being the 2015 and 2018 editions (played at E ...
against
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaW ...
on 3 August, ending their pre-season on 9 August against
Napoli
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
as part of the MSC Crociere Cup.
August
*18: Benfica is defeated at Estádio dos Barreiros by Marítimo in their first loss of the season. Additionally, Benfica continue their negative record in the first matchday, not winning it for the ninth consecutive season, never with Jorge Jesus, and only once during the 10-year term of
Luís Filipe Vieira
Luís Filipe Ferreira Vieira (born 22 June 1949) is a Portuguese real estate businessman who was the 33rd president of sports club S.L. Benfica, from October 2003 to July 2021.
He was also president of the club's SAD board of directors until ...
.
*25: Benfica beat
Gil Vicente
Gil Vicente (; c. 1465c. 1536), called the Trobadour, was a Portuguese playwright and poet who acted in and directed his own plays. Considered the chief dramatist of Portugal he is sometimes called the "Portuguese Plautus," often ref ...
with a dramatic stoppage time late goal from
Lima
Lima ( ; ), originally founded as Ciudad de Los Reyes (City of The Kings) is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín Rivers, in the desert zone of the central coastal part of ...
at the 93rd minute, a minute after
Marković Marković ( sr-Cyrl, Марковић, ) is a common family name in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Austria and Serbia. It is a patronym of '' Marko'', the local variant of the common European name "Marcus" or "Mark".
Marković is the ...
equalizing the match. The
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
n armada was decisive in the victory, with both Sulejmani and Đuričić assisting in a goal. Earlier, Diogo Viana made it 1–0 for the after a
Maxi Pereira
Maxi may refer to:
People Given name
* Maxi Biancucchi (born 1984), Argentine footballer who plays for Flamengo
* Maxi López (born 1984), Argentine footballer who plays in Europe
* Maxi Pereira, Uruguayan footballer who plays for SL Benfica
...
mistake.
*29: Benfica draw
Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
,
Olympiacos
Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós ( el, Ολυμπιακός Σύνδεσμος Φιλάθλων Πειραιώς, Olympic Club of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a numbe ...
and
Anderlecht
Anderlecht (, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, Forest, Molenbeek-Saint-Jean, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the ...
Sporting CP
Sporting Clube de Portugal, founded Sporting Club de Portugal (), otherwise referred to as Sporting CP, often known abroad as Sporting Lisbon , is a Portuguese professional sports club based in Lisbon. It is best known for the professional foot ...
, Benfica draw at the
José Alvalade
José Alfredo Holtreman Roquette (10 October 1885 – 19 October 1918), better known as José Alvalade, was the founder and first club member of Sporting CP in the early twentieth century, along with the brothers Stromp, Henrique de Almeida Leite ...
. The ''lions'' took the lead after an early goal from
Fredy Montero
Fredy Henkyer Montero Muñoz (born 26 July 1987), known as Fredy Montero (, is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC. He is Seattle's all-time top scorer in official clu ...
, but Lazar Marković equalized the match in a solo run past three Sporting defenders, finished by rolling the ball under goalkeeper
Rui Patrício
Rui Pedro dos Santos Patrício (; born 15 February 1988) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A team Roma and the Portugal national team. He is often nicknamed "São Patrício" (''Saint Patrício'') for ...
.
September
*14: Benfica beat
Paços de Ferreira
Paços de Ferreira () is a city in the Porto District, in the north of Portugal. The population of the city in 2011 was 7491, while its municipality had 56,340 inhabitants, in an area of 70.99 km².
Sometimes referred to as the ''Capital do ...
, with an early goal from
Enzo Pérez
Enzo Nicolás Pérez (; born 22 February 1986) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for River Plate and the Argentina national team.
He played four years for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, where he won five trop ...
, cemented by two goals from
Ezequiel Garay
Ezequiel Marcelo Garay González (; born 10 October 1986) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a central defender.
He started his career with Newell's Old Boys but moved to Spain at the age of 19, going on to amass La Li ...
, the first time he scored twice at Benfica. Ljubomir Fejsa and
Guilherme Siqueira
Guilherme Madalena Siqueira (; born 28 April 1986) is a Brazilian retired footballer who played as a left back.
Siqueira started his senior career at Udinese in Italy before moving to Granada in Spain, where he was finally able to establish him ...
made their club debut.
*17: In the first day of the Champions League, Benfica beat Anderlecht with a goal from Filip Đuričić on the fourth minute, followed by a
Luisão
Ânderson Luís da Silva (born 13 February 1981), known as Luisão, is a Brazilian former professional association football, footballer who played as a centre back.
Luisão started his career at Clube Atlético Juventus, Juventus-SP in 1999 bef ...
goal at the half-hour mark. Đuričić scored his first goal at Benfica and first Champions League goal, while Luisão scored his fourth Champions League goal. It was Benfica's first clean sheet of the season.
*22: In
Guimarães
Guimarães () is a city and municipality located in northern Portugal, in the district of Braga.
Its historic town centre has been listed as a UNESCWorld Heritage Sitesince 2001, in recognition for being an "exceptionally well-preserved and ...
, Benfica beat
Vitória de Guimarães
Vitoria or Vitória may refer to :
People
* Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian
* Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer
* Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer
* Steven Vitória ...
1–0 after a goal from
Óscar Cardozo
Óscar René Cardozo Marín (; born 20 May 1983) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Club Libertad and the Paraguay national team.
Known for his powerful left-foot shot and free-kick skills, he first gained att ...
David Addy
David Nii Addy (born 21 February 1990) is a Ghanaian footballer.
Club career
Randers
In Summer 2008, Addy made his first international move to Europe, from a Ghanaian Club – International Allies FC being signed by Danish SAS Ligaen club R ...
was sent off earlier in the match.
*28: Benfica draw with
Belenenses
Clube de Futebol Os Belenenses, commonly known as Os Belenenses (), is a Portuguese sports club best known for its football team. Founded in 1919, it is one of the oldest Portuguese sports clubs. It is based in the 25,000-seat Estádio do Reste ...
, losing the advantage won in the previous round. Both coach and president complained of mistakes of the referee Jorge Tavares.
October
*2: In the second round of the Champions League, Benfica is defeated by Paris Saint-Germain in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...
3–0, with the players received in
Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...
under criticism from the fans.
*6: At
Estoril
Estoril () is a town in the Municipality of Cascais, Portugal, on the Portuguese Riviera. It is a tourist destination, with luxury hotels, beaches, and the Casino Estoril. It has been home to numerous royal families and celebrities, and has h ...
, Benfica beat the local team 1–2, with goals from Lima and Óscar Cardozo. Despite the win, the team received further criticism from the fans.
*19: Benfica beat Cinfães in the third round of the Portuguese Cup, with a sole goal from Ola John, in the debut of
Ivan Cavaleiro
Ivan Ricardo Neves Abreu Cavaleiro (born 18 October 1993) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Ligue 1 club Lille. Mainly a winger, he can also play as a forward.
A product of Benfica's youth system, he was part of the club' ...
.
*23: In the third day of the Champions League, at home, Benfica draw before Greek side Olympiacos, with a goal from Óscar Cardozo in the 84th minute. In a rainy night, the pitch became soaked, difficulting the task of the players. Olympiacos'
Roberto
The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...
and
Javier Saviola
Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández (; born 11 December 1981) is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a forward.
He represented both Barcelona and Real Madrid, also having notable spells with Benfica and Olympiacos, and was n ...
returned to the Estádio da Luz.
*27: Benfica beat Nacional with goals from Guilherme Siqueira and Óscar Cardozo. The Paraguayan ties Nuno Gomes for ninth place in the all-time goalscoring list for Benfica.
November
*1: In
Coimbra
Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of .
The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...
, Benfica trash Académica 3–0, with goals from Óscar Cardozo, and Lazar Marković, with an own goal completing the score.
*6: Benfica lose 1–0 with Olympiacos on the fourth day of the Champions League, at the Karaiskakis Stadium. Roberto won man of the match, saving the Greek team numerous times.
*9: On the fourth round of the Portuguese Cup, Benfica defeat Sporting CP 4–3. A hat-trick from Óscar Cardozo and a late goal from
Luisão
Ânderson Luís da Silva (born 13 February 1981), known as Luisão, is a Brazilian former professional association football, footballer who played as a centre back.
Luisão started his career at Clube Atlético Juventus, Juventus-SP in 1999 bef ...
were enough to defeat the long-time rival. In an emotional match, which ended tied at 3–3 at regular time, the aforementioned goal from Luisão untied the score at overtime.
*19: Jorge Jesus is suspended for 30 days for his actions in Guimarães by the
Portuguese Football Federation
The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) ( pt, Federação Portuguesa de Futebol; ) is the governing body of football in Portugal. The federation was formed in 1914 as Portuguese Football Union (UPF) by the three existing regional associations ...
(FPF).
*23: In the tennth league matchday, Benfica beat
Braga
Braga ( , ; cel-x-proto, Bracara) is a city and a municipality, capital of the northwestern Portuguese district of Braga and of the historical and cultural Minho Province. Braga Municipality has a resident population of 193,333 inhabitants (in ...
with a goal in the 73rd minute from
Nemanja Matić
Nemanja Matić ( sr-Cyrl, Немања Матић, ; born 1 August 1988) is a Serbian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Italian Serie A club Roma. Starting his career as an attacking midfielder, Matić shifted to a d ...
.
*27: On the fifth day of the Champions League, at the
Constant Vanden Stock Stadium
The Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (french: Stade Constant Vanden Stock, nl, Constant Vanden Stockstadion), also known as the Lotto Park for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in the municipality of Anderlecht in Brussels, Belgium. It is ...
, Benfica beat Anderlecht by 3–2 with goals from Nemanja Matić and Rodrigo, and own goal from Chancel Mbemba. It was the club's first win against Anderlecht on Belgian soil.
December
*1: Benfica beat
Rio Ave
Rio Ave Futebol Clube, commonly known as Rio Ave (), is a Portuguese professional football club based in Vila do Conde, that competes in the Primeira Liga. The club is named after the Ave River, which flows through the town and into the Atlanti ...
in
Vila do Conde
Vila do Conde (, ; "the Count's Town") is a municipality in the Norte Region of Portugal. The population in 2011 was 79,533, in an area of 149.03 km². The urbanized area of Vila do Conde, which includes the parishes of Vila do Conde, Azurar ...
with a goal from Rodrigo and a double from Lima.
*7: In the first game of the twelve matchday, at home, Benfica draw 2–2 with Arouca with a goal from Rodrigo.
David Simão
David Martins Simão (born 15 May 1990) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Primeira Liga club F.C. Arouca.
Club career
Born in Versailles, France, Simão played most of his youth career at S.L. Benfica, hav ...
, a youth graduate from Benfica, scored the visiting team's only goal. Jesus received criticism for his options, mostly by using Bruno Cortês in the match.
*10: In the final matchday of the Champions League group stage, Benfica beat Paris Saint-Germain 2–1. Lima and
Nicolás Gaitán
Osvaldo Fabián Nicolás "Nico" Gaitán (; born 23 February 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Portuguese Primeira Liga club Paços de Ferreira.
A product of Boca Juniors, he joined Benfica in ...
scored the goals. It meant the third time in four years, Benfica fails to progress to the knockout round of the Champions League.
*15: At the Estádio do Algarve, Benfica beat
Olhanense
Sporting Clube Olhanense () is a Portuguese sports club from Olhão, Algarve.
Its football team was founded on 27 April 1912 and currently plays in the Campeonato de Portugal, the fourth tier of Portuguese football. It holds home matches at the ...
with goals from Lima, Nemanja Matić and Miralem Sulejmani. Goalkeeper
Jan Oblak
Jan Oblak (born 7 January 1993) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and captains the Slovenia national team. He is frequently ranked as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.
Ob ...
made his debut for Benfica following an injury to regular starter
Artur
Artur is a cognate to the common male given name Arthur, meaning "bear-like," which is believed to possibly be descended from the Roman surname Artorius or the Celtic bear-goddess Artio or more probably from the Celtic word ''artos'' ("bear"). O ...
.
*20: Benfica beat
Vitória de Setúbal
Vitoria or Vitória may refer to :
People
* Francisco de Vitoria (c. 1483–1546), a Spanish Renaissance theologian
* Alberto Vitoria (1956–2010), Spanish footballer
* Rui Vitória (born 1970), Portuguese retired footballer
* Steven Vitória ...
at the
Estádio do Bonfim
Estádio do Bonfim (Bonfim Stadium) is a multi-purpose stadium in Setúbal, Portugal. It is currently used primarily for football matches for Vitória F.C. The stadium was built in 1962 and was able to hold 18,694 spectators. Currently, holds 15, ...
, with goals from Rodrigo and Lima.
*31: In the first day of the
League Cup
In several sports, most prominently association football, a league cup or secondary cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament t ...
, Benfica beat Nacional after an own goal from
Mexer
Edson André Sitoe (born 8 September 1988), known as Mexer, is a Mozambican professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for TFF First League club Bandırmaspor and the Mozambique national team.
Brought to Europe by Sporting CP in 2010 ...
.
January
*4: In the fifth round of the Portuguese Cup, Benfica defeat Gil Vicente with a double from Rodrigo and Lima, plus another from Lazar Marković.
*5:
Eusébio
Eusébio da Silva Ferreira (; 25 January 1942 – 5 January 2014), nicknamed the "Black Panther", the "Black Pearl" or "O Rei" ("The King"), was a Portuguese footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the greatest players of ...
, former Benfica player, dies aged 71.
*12: Benfica beat
Porto
Porto or Oporto () is the second-largest city in Portugal, the capital of the Porto District, and one of the Iberian Peninsula's major urban areas. Porto city proper, which is the entire municipality of Porto, is small compared to its metropo ...
2–0 with goals from Rodrigo and Ezequiel Garay. In a nearly sold out stadium, all Benfica players wore a black ribbon and all names on the back of the players' shirts were of Eusébio. Benfica returned to the first position on the table, after losing it to Porto in their previous league match. It was also the first time since 2009 that Benfica defeated Porto in a league match.
*15: Benfica sells Nemanja Matić to
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
.
*16: On the second matchday of the League Cup, Benfica beat
Leixões
The Port of Leixões ( pt, Porto de Leixões, ) is one of Portugal's major seaports, located 4 km north of the mouth of the Douro River, in Matosinhos municipality, near the city of Porto. Leixões Sport Club
The Port of Leixões ( pt, ...
2–0, with goals from Filip Đuričić and Ivan Cavaleiro, both scoring their first goals of the season.
*19: Benfica defeat Marítimo, with a double from Rodrigo.
*25: On third day of the League Cup, Benfica beat Gil Vicente with a goal from Miralem Sulejmani. Benfica will face Porto in the semi-finals.
*31: Benfica sells Rodrigo and
André Gomes
André Filipe Tavares Gomes (; born 30 July 1993) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Ligue 1 club Lille, on loan from club Everton.
He played three years at Benfica, where he won the domestic tre ...
to an investment firm. Both remain at Benfica until the end of the season.
February
*1: Benfica draw with Gil Vicente, at the
Estádio Cidade de Barcelos
The Estádio Cidade de Barcelos is a multi-use stadium in Barcelos, Portugal. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the home of Primeira Liga side Gil Vicente.
The stadium is able to hold 12,504 people and was built in 2004. I ...
, with a goal from Lima; Óscar Cardozo misses a penalty.
*5: In the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup, Benfica beat
Penafiel
Penafiel ( or () is a municipality and former bishopric (now a Latin Catholic titular see) in the northern Portuguese district of Porto. Capital of the Tâmega Subregion, the population was 72,265 in 2011, in an area of .
History
The region ...
with a goal from Miralem Sulejmani.
*11: On matchday 18, Benfica beat Sporting CP 2–0, with goals from Nicolás Gaitán and then an individual effort by Enzo Pérez. The match was scheduled to be played on February 9, but was postponed after the
Estádio da Luz
The Estádio da Luz (), officially named Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is used mostly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, it ...
faced technical difficulties.
*16: On the 19th matchday, Benfica beat Paços de Ferreira at the
Estádio da Mata Real
Estádio Capital do Móvel is a multi-use stadium in Paços de Ferreira, Portugal. It is used primarily for football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the wor ...
, with goals from Ezequiel Garay and Lazar Marković.
*20: In the Round of 32 of the Europa League, Benfica defeat PAOK in Greece, with a goal from Lima.
*24: In matchday 20, Benfica beat Vitória de Guimarães, with a sole goal from Lazar Marković.
*25: Mário Coluna passes away at age 78.
*27: Benfica beat PAOK 3–0, with goals from Nicolás Gaitán, Lima and Lazar Marković, ensuring progression to the Round of 16.
March
*2: In matchday 21, Benfica beat Belenenses with a sole goal from Nicolás Gaitán.
*9: On the 22nd matchday, Benfica faces Estoril, winning 2–0 with goals from Luisão and Rodrigo.
*13: In the Round of 16 of the Europa League, Benfica beat
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, commonly referred to as Tottenham () or Spurs, is a professional association football, football club based in Tottenham, London, England. It competes in the Premier League, the top flight of English footba ...
at
White Hart Lane
White Hart Lane was a football stadium in Tottenham, North London and the home of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from 1899 to 2017. Its capacity varied over the years; when changed to all-seater it had a capacity of 36,284 before demolition. ...
, with a goal from Rodrigo and a double from Luisão.
*17: On matchday 23, Benfica beat Nacional at the Estádio da Madeira 4–2, with goals from Lima and Rodrigo, plus a double from Ezequiel Garay.
*20: In the second leg of the Round of 16, Benfica eliminate Tottenham Hotspur after a 2–2 draw. Goals were scored by Ezequiel Garay and Lima.
*23: On matchday 24, Benfica beat Académica with a double from Lima and another from Enzo Pérez.
*26: In the first leg of the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup, Benfica lose to Porto at the Estádio do Dragão, with an early header from
Jackson Martínez
Jackson Arley Martínez Valencia (; born 3 October 1986) is a Colombian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
He started his career with Independiente Medellin in 2004 and becoming the league's top scorer in 2009, before be ...
.
*30: On matchday 25, Benfica beat Braga at the
Estádio Municipal de Braga
The Municipal Stadium of Braga ( pt, Estádio Municipal de Braga) is an all-seater football stadium located in Braga, Portugal, and the current home of Sporting Clube de Braga. It has a capacity of 30,286 spectators, making it the seventh large ...
with a goal from Lima.
April
*3: In the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Europa League, Benfica beat AZ at
AFAS Stadion
AFAS Stadion is a stadium in Alkmaar, Netherlands. It is used for football matches and is the home stadium of AZ Alkmaar. The stadium is able to hold 19.478 people and bears the name of a Dutch software company. Due to UEFA's sponsorship regulatio ...
with a goal from
Eduardo Salvio
Eduardo Antonio Salvio (born 13 July 1990) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a winger for Liga MX club UNAM.
Salvio started his career with Lanús in 2008. After moving to Europe in 2010, he won two UEFA Europa League, with ...
.
*7: On matchday 26, Benfica beat Rio Ave 4–0, with goals from Rodrigo, Nicolás Gaitán and a double from Óscar Cardozo, both from the penalty kick.
*10: In the second leg of the quarter-finals of the Europa League, Benfica beat AZ Alkmaar 2–0, with a double from Rodrigo, progressing to face
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
in the semi-finals.
*13: On matchday day 27, Benfica beat Arouca with goals from Rodrigo and Nicolás Gaitán, only needing three points to win the championship with three matches left on the season.
*17: In the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals, Benfica beat Porto 3–1 in a high-profile, high-pressure match, eliminating them and reaching the second consecutive Portuguese Cup final. Goals were scored by Eduardo Salvio, Enzo Pérez and with an individual effort, André Gomes scored the decisive goal.
*21: On matchday 28, Benfica beat Olhanense with a double from Lima, winning their record 33rd title, with two games to spare.
*24: In the first leg of the Europa League semi-finals, Benfica beat Juventus by 2–1 with goals from Ezequiel Garay and Lima, taking a precious advantage for the second leg.
*27: In the semi-finals of the League Cup, Benfica eliminate Porto, this time away at the Estádio do Dragão, on penalty kicks after a null at the end of regular time.
May
*1: In the second leg of the semi-finals of the Europa League, Benfica draw to Juventus at
Juventus Stadium
Juventus Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Stadium since July 2017, sometimes simply known in Italy as the Stadium ( it, Lo Stadium), is an all-seater football stadium in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and the home o ...
, eliminating the Italian club from the Europa League. Benfica will play their second consecutive European final, albeit without Enzo Pérez, Lazar Marković and Eduardo Salvio.
*4: On matchday 29, an already-crowned Champion and with some key players resting for the upcoming Europa League finals, Benfica faced Vitória de Setúbal and draw 1–1, with a goal from André Gomes.
*7: At the League Cup final in
Leiria
Leiria (; cel-x-proto, ɸlāryo) is a city and municipality in the Central Region of Portugal. It is the 2nd largest city in that same region, with a municipality population of 128,640 (as of 2021) in an area of . It is the seat of its own distr ...
, Benfica beat Rio Ave 2–0, with goals from Rodrigo and Luisão, thus conquering their fifth
Taça da Liga
The Taça da Liga (), known outside Portugal as Portuguese League Cup, is an annual football club competition organised by the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional (LPFP) for teams competing in the Primeira Liga and LigaPro, the top two tier ...
.
*10: In the final matchday of the championship, a resting Benfica lose to Porto at the Estádio do Dragão 2–1, with a goal from Enzo Pérez. Benfica end the campaign 13 points ahead of rivals Porto.
*15: In the Europa League final against
Sevilla
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Gua ...
, Benfica lose on the penalty kicks after Óscar Cardozo and Rodrigo each have their shots defended. It is the club's third loss in the Europa League finals.
*18: In the Portuguese Cup final, Benfica defeat Rio Ave with a sole goal from Nicolás Gaitán, conquering their 25th Cup and establishing a record treble, winning both domestic cups and the Primeira Liga championship.
UEFA coefficient
In European football, the UEFA coefficients are statistics based in weighted arithmetic means used for ranking and seeding teams in club and international competitions. Introduced in 1979 for men's football tournaments, and after applied in wome ...
, they were seeded in Pot 1 for the draw, which took place in
Monaco
Monaco (; ), officially the Principality of Monaco (french: Principauté de Monaco; Ligurian: ; oc, Principat de Mónegue), is a sovereign city-state and microstate on the French Riviera a few kilometres west of the Italian region of Lig ...
Estádio da Luz
The Estádio da Luz (), officially named Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Lisbon, Portugal. It is used mostly for association football matches, hosting the home games of Portuguese club S.L. Benfica, it ...