Having seen the Portuguese league season end just one week ago today, Benfica are already in preparation for next year when they will kick off the season in the Super Cup against tomorrows winner of the Taca de Portugal, sometime in early August. Benfica have a direct route to the Champions League this year after winning the league title and should be able to get more friendlies into the schedule then in seasons past.
Antonio Silva made his first team debut with Benfica this season, one in which he cemented his role as a regular starter at the club and his performances did not go unnoticed as he landed himself a spot with Portugal at World Cup 2022. Tomas Araujo on the other hand spent the season on loan at Gil Vicente, were his fine performances went mostly under the radar as he applied his trade at a lower table club.
Silva and Araujo were a rock-solid pairing at the back throughout the youth tournament, making crucial tackles when needed. They also contributed to the attack scoring important goals in their run to the title. With Otamendi becoming a free agent, could Benfica turn to their Championship winning pair for next season.
Its a Made in Seixal story that I would enjoy witnessing during the 2023/24 season. Lets make it happen
Pavlidis' performances have caught the eye of several top European clubs, but Benfica seems to be leading the race for his signature. The Portuguese giants are looking to bolster their attacking options and believe that Pavlidis could be a valuable addition to their squad.
The 24 year-old striker has shown great potential and could thrive under the guidance of Benfica's experienced coaching staff. His pace, dribbling skills and finishing ability make him a dangerous player in front of goal. Alkmaar are said to have already turned down an offer of €10M for the Greek international.
Throughout the season, Benfica displayed exceptional teamwork and skill on the field. They consistently dominated their opponents and maintained a strong lead throughout the competition. Their success can be attributed to their talented players, effective coaching strategies, and unwavering determination to win.
This latest triumph is a testament to Benfica's legacy as a powerhouse in Portuguese football. The club has a rich history dating back to its founding in 1904 and has since become an iconic symbol of national pride. With this latest victory, Benfica has once again proven that they are a force to be reckoned with on both national and international stages.
Congratulations to the club, the players and their fans in capturing another historic title in the 2022/23 season.
Petrovic's move to Benfica would be a significant step up for him, as he would be joining one of the bigger clubs in Europe.
Petrovic's arrival at Benfica would be a significant boost to their squad as they look to acquire competition for current starting keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos. Petrovic possesses excellent reflexes and shot-stopping abilities that make him a formidable presence between the sticks.
Overall, Benfica's interest in Petrovic is a testament to his quality as a goalkeeper. If he does make the move to Portugal this summer, he could prove to be an essential asset for Benfica's success on both domestic and European fronts.
Benfica can also claim the title if Porto does anything other then win in their final game but their arch rivals have been in sizzling form winning their last ten games across all competitions.
Benfica will capture the title even if both clubs are tied in points thanks to an eleven goal differential that the club has the advantage of on their rivals.
Benfica saved face yesterday with an injury time goal in the Lisbon derby with an inspirational second half, coming back from two goals down to draw Sporting and eliminate their city rivals from any chance of appearing in the Champions League next season.
Beltran is signed until the end of 2025 with a €25M buy out clause but Benfica could use the same formula that is presented to River Plate when they acquired midfielder Enzo Fernandez last summer. This formula saw the Argentinian club earn substantial percentage on the future sale of the player.
River Plate may be eager to go this route once again after earning €35M from the sale of Enzo Fernandez to Chelsea by Benfica during the winter transfer window, which was on top of the €15M that the club received from the Lisbon side up to that date.
A similar deal could be in the works between the two sides after such a lucrative arrangement was completed less then a year ago.
Their recent performances have been impressive, winning crucial matches while their attacking prowess has been on full display after a short spell were it looked to have abandoned them, all the while their defense has remained solid and organized.
The upcoming match against Sporting at Alvalade on Sunday is a very simple one, a victory in this match will not only give them three points but also the championship on their arch rivals grounds. Benfica fans are hoping that they can add another title to their collection and there is no better joy then winning at the Alvalade in front of Sporting fans.
The Spanish defender has been an integral part of the team for the past few years and his departure will leave a big void in the squad but Benfica are said to already have Grimaldo's replacement lined up in AZ Alkmaar left back Milos Kerkez. The rumours out of Portugal are that Kerkez wants to join Benfica and the two clubs are planning a sit down to discuss terms.
The 19 year old Hungarian international joined Alkmaar in the winter of 2022 from Milan's U19 squad and it is said the Dutch club is seeking €10M-€15M to allow Kerkez to join Benfica in the summer.
The team has been in sensational form throughout the season with just a minor hiccup and has managed to maintain its lead at the top of the table. Benfica's success can also be attributed to their coach Roger Schmidt, who has instilled a winning mentality in his players.
However, they cannot afford to be complacent as their closest rivals Porto are hot on their heels. The final two games will be crucial for Benfica as they look to seal the deal and lift yet another league trophy. The fans will be hoping for a strong finish from their team and an exciting end to what has been an enthralling season.
The clubs passionate and loyal fans have been eagerly awaiting all season for this moment, of capturing the Portuguese crown once again and the players are as equally determined to bring home the trophy and make their mark in Benfica's illustrious history.
However, signing Valdes would not come without its challenges as Benfica are not the only club monitoring the player as a host of Spanish sides are also said to be interested in acquiring his services. Despite these obstacles, Benfica will continue to evaluate him as a potential asset to their team.
Valdes has appeared in 55 games across all competitions with America since joining the club, scoring 18 goals while setting up an additional 15.
The win puts Benfica seven points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand over closest rivals FC Porto, with three games remaining for them on the season. Benfica now need just two victories to clinch their 38th league title and further cement their status as one of Portugal's greatest football clubs.
Benfica's final three games are away at Portimonense and Sporting while hosting Santa Clara in the final game of the regular season.
Benfica are hoping to find a younger keeper on the market with some experience who will challenge and support Vlachodimos next season as the club do not want to see a repeat of Vlachodimos appearing in 50 of 51 contests to date as has been the case this season. Benfica of course will see what funds are left over from their summer shopping as the club has more important positions to fill before looking at a backup keeper.
Benfica look set to turn once again to South America nation Argentina in the pursuit of a midfielder, this time the club is said to be interested in Boca Juniors 21 year old Ezequiel Fernandez Carballo.
Benfica's plan is to closely monitor the player's situation as he has yet to break into a regular role this season at Boca after spending last year on loan with Tigre. Fernandez can play both defensive and central midfield and would add depth to a squad currently a thin in the middle of the field.
Fernandez is signed with Boca until the end of 2025 and his price is said to be currently in the €5M range. Benfica have a history of acquiring talent from the South America continent and hope Fernandez is not an exception to this rule.
Benfica will next host Braga at home, in a crucial must win game and will still need to take on Sporting away in the second last game of the season. The ideal scenario would see Benfica win both games but one win out of the two encounters is a must for the Lisbon side as they have the more difficult remaining schedule then their closest rivals FC Porto.
League joint leading scorers Goncalo Ramos and Joao Mario have both continue to struggle and Benfica will need both players to be on their best form for the final round of league games if they are to count on capturing the title this season.
Afonso has recently just made his debut with River Plate this season after spending the past three coming up through the clubs ranks. River Plate are expecting to earn a big pay from any move on Afonso, who has a €25M buy out clause and is signed until the end of 2026.
A move to Benfica for Branthwaite would mark a significant step forward in the players career as the Portuguese club is known for its success in developing young players and providing them with opportunities to play at the highest level.
Benfica look to continue their tradition of uncovering young talent that will help them achieve success not only now but into the future.
Branthwaite has appeared in 31 games across all competitions for PSV this season, scoring four goals while setting up one.
Benfica is set to focus on winning the league title this season after being eliminated earlier this week in the Champions League quarter-final stage. The most successful club in Portugal has won numerous domestic and international titles over the years. However, they last won the league title during the 2018/19 season.
Benfica's manager, Roger Schmidt, knows that club will need to get out of a funk that has seen the club go win less in their past four contests across all competitions and have seen their ten point league lead drop to four points with six games left in domestic play.
To achieve their goal, Benfica will need to go through the likes of Braga and Sporting in these final contests, with both clubs hoping to trip up the Lisbon side.
Benfica's final six games
Home (3), Estoril, Braga, Santa Clara
Away (3), Gil Vicente, Portimonense, Sporting
.jpg "Benfica eliminated from Champions League")
The club's fans are disappointed and heartbroken after coming into the stage optimistic and in one of the best season forms in all of Europe.
That all changed on Good Friday with a loss to FC Porto and the club are now in a four game winless run that has seen their lead atop Portugal evaporate to just four points from a comfortable ten.
The club's coach, Roger Schmidt, expressed his disappointment at the team's failure to move on but also praised his players for their efforts. He said that they had given their all but unfortunately it was not enough to progress to the next round.
Benfica will look to snap out of their funk this weekend as they host Estoril with only the league left to play for, the fans would expect no less.
The team is failing to perform up to their usual standards and fans are beginning to wonder if it is time to panic at Benfica. However, it is important to remember that every team goes through ups and downs, ours seems to be happening at the most inopportune time.
Benfica has a strong history of success and talented players
on their current roster. We have to remember that the club would in a worse case scenario have a four point lead on Porto after this week and still control their own destiny, furthermore the club has a second leg remaining against Inter to make a statement.
While it may be tempting to panic at Benfica's current situation, it is important for everyone involved with the club to remain level-headed and focused on improvement. The fans will need to do the same while getting behind the club and being the twelfth man the club so desperately needs at the moment.
That includes putting your cell phones away at match time.
.jpg "Benfica seem to be running on fumes")
Benfica has been a dominant force in
their domestic league and Europe this season, however the past few games, cracks seem to be starting to show as the club has struggled and have fans wondering if they may just be running out of gas at the most inopportune time.
Benfica have dropped two games in a row at home, suffering a defeat in O Classico against FC Porto that saw the Dragons reduce the clubs lead to seven points atop Portugal. That was followed four days later, with their first loss in the Champions League to Inter Milan at the quarter-final stage and will see the club have to travel to Italy down two goals as they look to keep their European dream alive.
Benfica are struggling to create chances and score goals, which is reflected in their recent results, their lone win since the International break was a struggle to a 1-0 victory over Rio Ave.
The lack of depth in the squad is also a major concern and has seen manager Roger Schmidt face his first criticism from the club faithful as his lack of in game management and the usage of his bench has been almost non-existent.
Benfica is facing their first difficult phase of the season and need to regain their confidence to get back on track before what has been a marvelous campaign turns into dramatic collapse.
.jpg "Benfica run of poor form proves costly in Inter loss")
The two clubs played a scoreless first half before Inter struck twice in the second half, with the second marker coming of a harsh penalty call that saw the ball deflect off Joao Mario's head onto his out of position arm inside the box.
Benfica's struggles to break down a stingy Inter defense was no more apparent then down the right side of the field where Gilberto, playing in place of an injured Alexander Bah and Joao Mario failed to click time and time again before the introduction of David Neres changed that.
With just one win in their
last three competitive games, which include two straight losses at home, Benfica must find a way to turn things around quickly if they hope
to progress further in Europe's elite competition.
The pressure will be on Benfica manager Roger Schmidt who will need to find his best XI for a must win second leg at the San Siro next week and shake off his apparent lack of confidence with his bench options when things are not working to plan.
This defeat has left many Benfica fans, myself included, disappointed and frustrated, but it is important for the team to move past this loss and focus on their upcoming Champions League quarter-final match against Inter Milan coming up mid-week at the Luz.
The club will need to analyze their mistakes from the FC Porto match and work on improving their performance in upcoming future games.
It will be crucial for Benfica to maintain a positive attitude and not let this loss affect their morale as one thing is certain from the outcome of this encounter and it is that manager Roger Schmidt does not have confidence in his current bench making only two substitutions with the club looking to equalize last night, the return of injured Goncalo Guedes and Julian Draxler can not come soon enough.
Schmidt has been working tirelessly with his team to ensure they are fully prepared for this important fixture. He knows that FC Porto is a formidable opponent, but he is confident that his team has what it takes to secure the win. A victory by Benfica would also place Schmidt in rare company as it would be a season sweep of the Dragons which has only happened twice in the last forty-six years.
Benfica currently sit ten points ahead of second place FC Porto with eight league games to go as they look to capture there first league title since the 2018/19 season.
The extension of Schmidt's contract is a clear indication that the club
management is satisfied with his work and believes that he can lead the
team to further success. It also shows that Benfica is committed to
building a long-term project under Schmidt's guidance. Schmidt's contract will go into the summer of 2026 and include an undisclosed buy out clause that should increase from the current €9M mark.
The Italian sides are said to be impressed with his performances and believe that he would add quality to their respective squads. Rafa joined Benfica from Braga in the summer of 2016 and has since become a key player for the Lisbon-based club. The winger's current contract with Benfica runs until the summer of 2024, but it remains to be seen if he will stay at the club beyond this season.
Overall, it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga unfolds over the coming months as Italian clubs continue their pursuit of Rafa Silva.
Players who will be representing their countries:
Portugal - Goncalo Ramos, Joao Mario, Antonio Silva
Portugal U21 - Samuel Soares
Argentina - Nicolas Otamendi
Croatia - Petar Musa
Norway - Fredrik Aursnes
Greece - Odysseas Vlachodimos
Denmark - Alexander Bah
Norway U19 - Andreas Schjelderup
Lafont's name has also been mentioned as a potential future member of France's national side after having already appeared for all of his nations youth squads. Lafont has appeared in 144 games for Nantes across all competitions and posted 35 clean sheets in that time. Lafont also spent a season in Italy as a member of Fiorentina during the 2018/19 season.
The winner of the Benfica/Inter Milan clash will then move on to face the winner of the Napoli/AC Milan encounter in the semi-final round set to take place in May before then making their way to the Finals in Istanbul on June 10 which is fittingly Portugal Day. Benfica's path sees them avoid, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Manchester City until the finals of the competition.
If Benfica are unable to reach an agreement with Grimaldo the club could follow the example of their league rivals and look to acquire a player for a discounted price from inside their respective league. There are a pair of league players who could compete with Ristic for a spot in the starting XI next season and Benfica manager Roger Schmidt may just be able to work some magic a la Joao Mario with one of the two players below.
Leonardo Lelo - Casa Pia - 22 years old
Lelo has had a fantastic season for Casa Pia and has caught the attention of Portuguese clubs, he has appeared in 17 league games, scoring one goal while setting up three. Lelo came up through Olhanense's youth system and has recently received a call up to Portugal's Under 21 squad. Lelo is a complete left back who can take set pieces and has excellent crosses into the box.
Ricardo Mangas - Boavista - 24 years old
Mangas is a former Seixal academy product, so the club has some familiarity with the player, he has appeared in 19 league games this season, scoring two goals. Mangas spent last season on loan with French club Bordeaux where he was regular starter but was returned back to Boavista at seasons end after the French sides relegation. Mangas has a good first touch and speed that allows him to be dangerous in the attacking zone.
.jpeg "Goncalo Guedes out of action with injury")
The 26 year old who is currently on loan at Benfica from Wolverhampton, joined the club during the winter transfer window and had appeared in eight games across all competitions, scoring twice while providing one assist. The club did not announce how much time Guedes will miss after the surgery but the average time of recovery can range from three weeks to three months.
.jpg "Benfica through to quarters after Brugge win")
Benfica opened the scoring just two minutes into the game when Joao Mario beat Brugge keeper Mignolet but the goal would be called back on an offside in the build up to the play. Benfica would then come close on two other occasions before Rafa Silva would neatly skip away from challenges to open the scoring at the thirty-eight minute mark. Goncalo Ramos would then double the lead in first half injury time, after a brilliant Joao Mario reverse pass to the youngster who would beat three Brugge defenders for the score.
Benfica continued their dominance of play in the second half and put the game to rest when Ramos would score his second goal just twelve minutes into the half, converting a Grimaldo cross into the low left side of the net. Joao Mario made it four from the penalty spot after Brugge defender Sylla needlessly brought down Gilberto in the box and then David Neres would get in on the act to make the score 5-0 with some assistance from VAR after the goal was initially ruled offside. Brugge would end their scoreless run in the two leg encounter as Meijer found the back of the net with three minutes left in the game to break the clean sheet but it was too little too late.
Benfica have now earned roughly €70M from this seasons edition of the Champions League a club record to date and will await to find out their opponents in the quarter-finals as the competition moves along.
Gilberto joined Benfica in the summer of 2020 from Fluminense for €3M and has appeared in 97 games across all competitions since his arrival, scoring eight goals while setting up an additional eight. Gilberto lost his place in the starting eleven this season and is currently Benfica's back up right back after the arrival of Alexander Bah this summer.
This is great news for Benfica fans who reside all over the globe in large communities and do not always have the means to travel to Portugal to catch their favourite club live in action. The Taca da Liga competition can turn to Boston, USA; San Jose, USA; Toronto, Canada; Paris, France and Geneva, Switzerland which all have large Portuguese communities to host the competition.
Benfica have won this competition seven times since its inception in 2007, which is the most titles won by any team with their last title coming during the 2015/16 season. Benfica would of course have to finish in the top four to be a part of this potential event but it finally shows that the league is thinking outside the box.
Benfica's weekend was not all roses as midfielder Chiquinho looks to have suffered a muscle injury to his left thigh which will see him miss some time, while manager Roger Schmidt was given a straight red card by the match official after throwing back a water bottle into the home stands and will miss Friday's home game against Famalicao.
The Hungarian international has taken over as the regular starter with the Dutch side this season having appeared in 35 games across all competitions, while scoring three goals and adding six helpers. Kerkez joined Alkmaar from AC Milan in the winter of 2022 for a mere €2M but the deal included a right of first refusal option for the the Italian club who are able to match any offer Alkmaar receive for the left back.
Benfica's squad holds a host of Portuguese players and outside of the trio who had discussions with Martinez, Benfica also have Goncalo Guedes and Rafa Silva who have worn the Portugal jersey at one point or another and potential future squad member in Florentino Luis.
