Benfica top group and await round of 16 opponent

Benfica turned in what may have been their performance of the year in a 6-1 drubbing of Maccabi Haifa in their final Champions League group game and pushed aside PSG for top spot thanks to an away goal tiebreaker. Benfica and PSG finished the group stage tied in points, goals for, goals against, goals differential and played to a 1-1 draws in both encounters. The decider for top spot ended up down the tiebreak list and went Benfica's way as they scored 9 goals away from home while PSG scored 6.

Benfica are now a seeded club going into the November 7 draw and will face one of seven possible opponents in the round of 16 with only PSG not a possibility. Benfica's potential opponents for the knock out round are Liverpool, Inter Milan, Club Brugge, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt or AC Milan. The club will now get a well deserved long break from European competition until February of next year when the competition will resume.

Benfica ready to make another move for Frankfurt midfielder

Benfica were linked to Eintracht Frankfurt attacking midfielder Daichi Kamada during the summer months but nothing came to fruition. The failure to land Kamada has not soured the club who are ready to try and land the 26 year old Japanese midfielder again when the winter transfer window opens in January.

Kamada has continued his fine play this season, having scored twelve goals across all competitions in twenty games while providing three assists. Kamada has yet to sign an extension with Frankfurt and will be open to sign with any club for free in January. Benfica will not be alone in their chase of Kamada and should face some stiff competition to land the talented midfielders signature.

Schmidt's unbeaten run hits new high

Benfica manager Roger Schmidt continues his impressive unbeaten run in all competitions since taking over at the club during the summer. Schmidt's Benfica squad has gone twenty-one games without a loss and is unbeaten in all competitions which includes league play, the Taca de Portugal and the Champions League, both qualifiers and group play.

Schmidt has matched the unbeaten run of former manager Sven-Goran Ericsson which took place during the 1981/82 season. Schmidt's unbeaten run ties him for fifth on the clubs all time list and he is eleven games shy of surpassing legendary manager Bella Guttman's thirty-one game streak which he accomplished during the 1959/60 season.

 BENFICA ALL TIME UNBEATEN STREAKS

Bella Guttman  31 games (1959/60)

Jimmy Hagan 26 games (1971/72)

John Mortimore 26 games (1977/78)

Elek Schwartz 24 games (1964/65)

Sven-Goran Ericsson 21 games (1981/82) 

Roger Schmidt 21 games (2022/23)