Benfica ask Portuguese Football Federation and Liga for foreign referees

Benfica officials are furious with the officiating that they feel cost the club the game in their O Classico encounter against FC Porto over the weekend. Benfica feel the officiating crew of Artur Soares Dias made several errors during the game that lead to defeat and are asking the Portuguese Football Federation and Liga Portugal for foreign referees to officiate both clubs league games until the end of the season. Benfica also feel that VAR made an error on the penalty call against Ferro in the first half of the game that resulted in Porto taking a 2-1 lead. Benfica feel that five moments in particular during the game effected the result of the game:

1- At the 4 minute mark an aggressive play by Porto winger Marega against Taarabt which cost the player to lose teeth passed completely unscathed.

2- The club felt that the yellow card handed to Julian Weigl at the 30 minute mark should not have been given as the player failed to touch the Porto player who dove. Benfica also felt that the yellow cards given to almost all of the clubs midfielders in the first half which included Pizzi and Taarabt effected the clubs performance while only one Porto midfielder was carded in the half.

3- Benfica claim that the penalty awarded was unfair and images show that Tiquinho pushed Ferro away causing the player to fall forward with arms out causing the ball to be headed by the Porto striker into the players arm.

Benfica drop Classico with poor first half

Benfica drop points in the O Classico once again this season losing for the second time this campaign with both of those loses coming to rivals FC Porto. Benfica came into the game ready to take a commanding lead atop Portugal as a victory would have the Encarnados up by ten points on second place Porto but a poor first half would see their advantage actually shrink to four points and turn this season back into a race for the Portuguese title.

Bruno Lage decided to make one change to Week 19's winning squad with the reintroduction of Chiquinho into the starting eleven at the secondary striker position. The inclusion came at the expense of Franco Cervi, as Rafa would drop from playing alongside Carlos Vinicius into the Argentinian midfielders left spot. This poor decision by Lage would come back to haunt the club with all of Porto's goals created down the left side of the field with Jesus Corona and Marega pushing play.


The lack of defensive help from Cervi down the left side of the field for Grimaldo was exactly what was missing in their first half encounter and Lage seems to not have learned from this error which would not be the only tactic he would get wrong in this encounter. Benfica would come out flat to start the first half and FC Porto almost opened the scoring when a Luis Diaz cross would be sent just wide of the left post from a Pepe header just seven minutes into the game.

Benfica squad set for O Classico encounter

Benfica are set for their biggest game of the season as they get set to face FC Porto in "O Classico" at Porto's Estadio do Dragao. Benfica will look to open up a ten point lead over the second place northern club as the to combatants lock horns. Benfica will play FC Porto today at 8:30pm WEST and they will dress 18 players from the list below.

Keepers- Vlachodimos, Ivan Zlobin

Defenders- Tomas Tavares, Alex Grimaldo, Ruben Dias, Ferro, Andre Almeida,

Midfielders- Chiquinho, Pizzi, Taarabt, Franco Cervi, Rafa Silva, Julian Weigl, Florentino, Samaris

Forwards- Carlos Vinicius, Seferovic, Jota, Dyego Sousa