Benfica Champions League opponents and schedule

Benfica have learned their opponents for this seasons Champions League group stage and the schedule which is much more compact this season then usual thanks to World Cup 2022 kicking off in November. Benfica are joined in Group H by French Champions PSG, Italian side Juventus and Israeli club Maccabi Haifa, in what some are calling this seasons Group of Death.

UEFA have yet to release the full schedule only providing the days of when the fixtures will take place but Benfica will find out their opponent for the week in due course.

UPDATED WITH FIXTURES

Matchday 1: September 6 vs Maccabi Haifa

Matchday 2: September 14 at Juventus

Matchday 3: October 5 vs PSG

Matchday 4: October 11 at PSG

Matchday 5: October 25 vs Juventus

Matchday 6: November 2 at Maccabi Haifa

Round of 16 draw will take place on November 7, 2022

Benfica into Champions League group stage

Benfica cruised into the Champions League group stage after a 5-0 two leg aggregate win over Dynamo Kiev and will add €38M into their coffer from qualifying into football's most lucrative club competition. Benfica were required to take the long route and get past two rounds of qualifying to earn a place among Europe's elite 32 team tournament in the hopes of exceeding last season's quarter-final performance.

Benfica join fellow Portuguese clubs FC Porto and Sporting in the group stage, the eighth time that three clubs from Portugal will be among the 32 remaining UEFA clubs. This seasons group stage will award €2.8M per victory and €930K per draw, clubs moving onto the round of 16 will bag an additional €9.6M. Benfica had many players step up in their four qualifying games but none more so then striker Goncalo Ramos who chipped in four goals while setting up an additional two.

Benfica continue alternate winger search

Benfica are making sure to keep all their options open with the transfer window set to close in less then two weeks and one of the positions they are desperate to shore up is the wing. Benfica thought that an agreement for Braga winger Ricardo Horta was complete but bickering about the disbursement of proceeds between Horta's right holders Braga and Malaga have stalled and could potentially derail the whole negotiation.

Which has Benfica already looking for alternatives to Horta and the club have recently been linked with Velez Sarsfield's 22 year old winger Luca Orellano who is left footed and can play on either wing. Orellano's contract with Sarsfield has a buy out clause of €8M and his acquisition would be a much cheaper option then the Horta deal which is said to be for €16M + players. The next few days should be interesting for the club as they look to strengthen the squad for the first half of the season.