An incredible night of Champions League football ended in bitter disappointment for Benfica as Barcelona came from 4-2 down to win 5-4 at the Estádio da Luz.

Benfica looked in control at half time thanks to a Vangelis Pavlidis hat-trick, countered by a Lewandowski penalty, giving the Eagles a 3-1 lead. The Eagles’ sparkling performance in the opening 45 minutes was fuelled by an out-of-this-world display by left-back Andreas Carreras.

Barça came out strongly in the second half but Benfica held out until a crass mistake by Anatoliy Trubin allowed Raphinha to make it 3-2, but soon afterwards a Ronaldo Araújo own goal restored Benfica’s two-goal cushion.

Barcelona were again given hope when a Carreras foul committed against Yamal allowed Lewandowski to score his second penalty of the night and the Spaniards were celebrating wildly when Eric Garcia headed in the equaliser in the 86th minute, making it 4-4.

There was still time for more drama as substitute Ángel Di María missed when clean through. In the final seconds of stoppage time Barreiro went down in the box but amid loud shouts for a penalty Barça broke up field and Raphinha finished brilliantly to give the visitors a remarkable 5-4 victory, the furious protests from Benfica’s players and coaching staff ignored by the referee. 

José Ricardo Leite & Tom Kundert report on an epic night in the Portuguese capital. 

João Neves has been speaking about his rapid rise to stardom, from his debut with Benfica’s senior team to a big-money move to French giants Paris Saint-Germain while still a teenager.

In an interview with French outlet Onze Mondial, Neves admits the ascent was tough to comprehend at times, while acknowledging that his departure from Estádio da Luz was partly driven by the Eagles’ finances.

Following on from João Pereira, Vítor Bruno is the latest victim of Gil Vicente – the club that gets managers of the Três Grandes sacked. The iconic cockerel of Barcelos bested Futebol Clube do Porto by three goals to one in an incredibly entertaining spectacle for the neutral.

From red cards for Nico González and Samu Aghehowa, to a scenario dignified for the soap operas: Gonçalo Borges’ equalizer being ruled out by VAR, due to Otávio’s foul at the opposite end of the pitch, which resulted in a penalty. This intense encounter went from 2-2 to 3-1 in a blink of the eye.

Gil Vicente made it seven straight matches unbeaten, with Félix Correia at the forefront of all attacking efforts. The penalty dispatcher has scored in three consecutive matches, meriting his nomination as the PortuGOAL Figure of the Week. 

Portugal midfielder Vitinha has been speaking to the media ahead of Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League clash with Manchester City on Wednesday evening.

The former Porto man addressed a number of subjects, including his adaptation into PSG’s star-studded dressing room, as well as the progress of the current side under Luis Enrique.

José Mourinho’s Fenerbahçe experienced a positive weekend in the Turkish Super Lig, having given their outside chances of the title a boost by cutting the gap to leaders Galatasaray.

Fener won 4-0 away at Adana Demirspor on Sunday evening, which followed champions Galatasaray dropping points in a 1-1 draw with Hatayspor. As a result, Mourinho’s side reduced the deficit at the top to six points after 19 rounds of action.

Zinedine Zidane played his European debut in Portugal. That could be the perfect start for any football story. Only, for once, the French genius is not the main character in this tale. In fact, his debut on the continental arena – one he would dominate – pales in comparison with the other big story of that night of September 1991.

Fifteen months before Sport Comércio and Salgueiros played in the Portuguese second tier. Seven years prior they still hosted sides on a dirt pitch, having been the last club to ever play in a Portuguese first division stadium without a grass turf. They were as small as you could get, despite their brilliant history as a resistance club ever since the 1920s, and here they were, debuting in the UEFA Cup against all the odds.

Could it get any better than that? What about winning your first-ever European match how does that look like? For the Alma Salgueirista it was pure heaven. 

“I feel I am part of the solution, not part of the problem,” said FC Porto coach Vítor Bruno in the post-match press conference after last night’s 3-1 defeat at Gil Vicente, the Dragons’ third consecutive loss.

Porto’s president André Villas-Boas and the board evidently felt differently. The entire squad and coaching staff were summoned to the stadium at midnight where Bruno’s dismissal was communicated. 

Porto’s road woes continued in Barcelos where the Dragons suffered a 3-1 defeat against Gil Vicente. The hosts took the lead in the 11th minute when Kanya Fujimoto’s cross got past Otávio, Pablo’s shot deflecting off Diogo Costa and rolling into the net.

Tidjany Touré missed a great chance to double the Gilistas lead before half-time, Vítor Bruno making one change at the break when Galeno made way for Gonçalo Borges. It proved to be an inspired decision, three minutes after the restart the ball fell perfectly for the winger made no mistake.

Gil Vicente restored their lead in the 53rd minute, Rúben Fernandes heading Félix Correia’s corner to the back post where Josué Sá found the net. Porto’s chances were dented in the 85th minute when Nico González caught Zé Carlos on the ankle, referee Fábio Veríssimo reviewing the tackle and upgrading the second yellow to a straight red card.

There was plenty more drama in added time when Borges scored what appeared to be another equaliser. The VAR asked Veríssimo to review an incident at the other end of the pitch where Otávio had fouled Santi García, Veríssimo ruling out Borges goal and pointing to the spot where Correia converted with confidence.

Credit must go to Gil Vicente who made it seven games unbeaten, the run including a 0-0 draw against Sporting Clube de Portugal. 

Porto have now won just one of their last eight road games with pressure mounting on Vítor Bruno. The manager was dealt another blow after the final whistle when Samu Aghehowa was sent off. The similarities with the 1-1 draw at Famalicão will be part of the Dragons’ narrative, but the main issue is their frailty away from Estádio do Dragão.

Portuguese champions Sporting put in their strongest performance since the Ruben Amorim era with a 3-0 victory at Rio Ave tonight, the home side only averting a thrashing thanks to the outstanding display of Polish goalkeeper Cezary Miszta.

An early Aderllan Santos own goal and a penalty converted by Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand gave the Lions a comfortable two-goal cushion midway through the first half.

With star man Viktor Gyökeres on the bench nursing an injury, his deputy Conrad Harder had chances galore to increase the lead but a mixture of poor finishing and Miszta heroics frustrated the young Dane.

Gyökeres came on for the final 10 minutes and showed his fellow Scandinavian how it’s done with a typically clinical goal to seal a 3-0 win that takes Sporting back to the top of the table. 

Tomorrow FC Porto travel to Gil Vicente in the first match of the segunda volta (second lap) of what is proving a trying season for the Dragons, their new president André Villas-Boas and their new coach Vítor Bruno. It is a far cry from where the club were a quarter of a century ago, as Porto chased their SIXTH Portuguese championship title in a row.

However, Porto would be stunned by a Gil Vicente side in rude health. Football historian Miguel Lourenço Pereira takes us on another trip down memory line to the day the “Bi-Tri” died...

Nobody in Portuguese football had ever won five league titles in a row. No one did afterwards. In May of 1999 FC Porto touched the sky winning at the José Alvalade stadium to end the myth that winning five couldn’t be done.

Of course, at that time the only other side ever able to claim four league titles in a row – the so-called Tetra – had been the famed Sporting of the Cinco Violinos back in the early 1950s, so winning league title number five at the Lions’ home ground was special. Even more so because the first league title of that historic sequence, back in 1995, had been precisely won at that same ground. 

The feel-good factor continues for Benfica. After last weekend’s Taça da Liga triumph, the Eagles saw off Famalicão with ease tonight at the Estádio da Luz, running out 4-0 winners against the northerners who are now nine matches without a victory.

Luxembourger Leandro Barreiro had a match to remember. The midfielder had never scored for Benfica before tonight but he netted a hat-trick of opportunist goals. Orkun Kökçü put the icing on the cake with the fourth. Andreas Schjelderup also continued his fine form with two assists.

The three points see Benfica draw level with Sporting at the top of the table ahead of the Lions’ trip to Vila do Conde to play Rio Ave tomorrow. 

Sporting CP will travel to Vila do Conde to take on Rio Ave FC this weekend as they look to preserve their slender lead at the top of the table. With FC Porto and SL Benfica within striking distance, Saturday’s encounter takes on added significance for a Lions side that has managed just five points from their last three Primeira Liga matches, and recently lost the Taça da Liga final in agonising fashion.

Rio Ave will be bullish coming into the Jornada 18 clash after securing four points from the previous two league matches. Former seleção star Petit, who took charge of the club in November, has built a well organised side that remains in contention for a European position at the halfway stage of the season.

Whether you’re talking about population, land size, or footballing impact, Brazil is a global colossus. It’s the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh-largest by population, boasting more than 210 million people, and it’s also the only country to have won five World Cups.

One of the most common Brazilian names is Gabriel. According to a study from the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, Gabriel was the second-most common name given to Brazilian boys in the first decade of the 21st century. There were 577,365 Gabriels born between 2000 and 2009 in Brazil, second only to João (787,738).

There are quite a few Gabriels who have made an impact on the footballing scene in recent years. In fact, from Arsenal’s starting XI in their recent FA Cup match vs. Manchester United, there were three Brazilians named Gabriel – Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Magalhães and Gabriel Martinelli. And over in Portugal, there are two Gabriels who are quickly making a name for themselves at the top level of the game. 

Felgueiras creeping into the picture

Round 16 of the Segunda Liga started in 2024, was interspersed with Round 17, and only ended in 2025.

However, the réveillon brought us a lot of surprises in the battles for promotion and relegation. 

Before getting into the Figure of the Week, it’s only right to make an exception and throw out two honourable (club) mentions: O Elvas C.A.D. and FC Tirsense.

These are two Campeonato de Portugal (4th division) clubs, one of whom is destined for the semi-finals of the Taça de Portugal and to make history given that they have been drawn against each other in the quarter-finals. Never before has a club from the fourth tier reached the last four of the Portuguese Cup. The Magic of the Cup.

Now, good things come to (some of) those who wait. FC Porto squandered an opportunity to lead the Liga Portugal at the halfway stage of the season as two first-half goals gave Nacional a thoroughly deserved victory on a sunny afternoon in Madeira, resuming the game from the 15-minute mark after it had been abandoned on 3 January due to typical Choupana late-afternoon fog.

Zé Vitor was vital in securing the result at both ends of the pitch. As one of most consistent performers for the newly promoted side from “the Pearl of the Atlantic”, the centre-back is the PortuGoal Figure of the Week. 

Nottingham Forest 1-1 Liverpool

Nuno Espírito Santo’s Nottingham Forest remain a tough proposition for the major teams in the Premier League, after holding leaders Liverpool to a draw at the City Ground on Tuesday night.

Forest came into the match off the back of seven straight wins in all competitions, and Chris Wood’s 8th-minute opener set Nuno’s side on a potential road to another victory. However, Portugal forward Diogo Jota emerged from the bench to head in Liverpool’s equaliser and the teams shared the spoils.

Como 1-2 AC Milan

Sérgio Conceição has his first win in Serie A, after AC Milan once again came from behind to beat Como on Tuesday evening in Italy.

Rafael Leão scored the winning goal as the Rossoneri overturned an early second-half deficit, securing victory from a losing position for the third time in four matches under Portuguese boss Conceição.

Benfica advanced to the Taça de Portugal quarter-finals after beating Farense 3-1 at Estádio de São Lúis.

Ángel Di María went close in the opening 60 seconds but it was the hosts who went ahead in the 7th minute, Mehdi Merghem’s cross headed home by Tomané.

The Eagles drew level in the 56th minute when the in-form Andreas Schjelderup fired past Ricardo Velho. Two minutes later they took the lead, Álvaro Carreras’ deep cross finding Arthur Cabral who found the net.

The result was put beyond doubt in the 62nd minute after some patient build up play. Cabral’s close range shot was saved by Velho before Alexander Bah pounced and placed the ball under the goalkeeper.

Benfica will host the winner of the final Round of 16 clash which sees Braga hosting Campeonato de Portugal club Lusitano Évora.

Vitória SC take drastic action after shock Cup exit

Daniel Sousa will not look back on 2024/25 season with fond memories. The 40-year-old coach has been sacked after just three games by Vitória Sport Clube following the Guimarães team’s shock exit from the Portuguese Cup at the weekend at the hands of 4th-tier Elvas.

This after Sousa lasted just four games before being shown the door at the start of the season at Minho neighbours Braga. 

The Primeira Liga is known for giving to international football the best there is to find. Not only is the academy work out of this world, but the scouting is also among the best in the game.

We all know about the gems that there are in the Big Three, but what about outside of Benfica, Porto and Sporting?

Here are 10 players outside of the Big Three that might have a target on their back as far as transfers are concerned this winter window, with a suggested ideal move for each one of them. 

The 3rd round of the FA Cup is one of the most eagerly anticipated weeks in the English football calendar. The world’s oldest club competition, which began with clubs from the 9th tier competing in qualifying last summer, welcomes the Premier League sides every January as the final 32 are decided.

The round proved fruitful for Portuguese goals, with five Luso stars hitting the net for Premier League clubs upon their introduction to the Cup. Bruno Fernandes struck for Manchester United in their incredible triumph over Arsenal, while João Félix bagged a brace for Chelsea, Diogo Jota helped Liverpool progress and Rodrigo Gomes and Beto also scored as all five Portuguese found themselves on the winning side.

FC Porto missed the chance to go top of the table at the halfway stage of the season as two first-half goals gave Nacional a thoroughly deserved victory on a sunny afternoon in Madeira.  

Out of both domestic cups early and stuttering in Europe, Porto could have given their fans a huge fillip by finishing the Primeira Volta top of the standings. To do so, they had to win their game in hand on “the Pearl of the Atlantic” that had been interrupted due to fog two weeks ago.

Resuming the game from the 15-minute mark when it had been abandoned on 3 January, the home team, as in the initial match, took the game to Porto from the off. Just a couple of minutes had been played and Dudu Teodoro headed the islanders into the lead from a well worked attack, with Porto’s defence offering passive resistance.

The inoffensive visitors were out-of-sorts for the rest of the first half and Nacional doubled their lead shortly before half time when Zé Vitor took advantage of more shocking marking to head in a corner.

Porto improved in the second half but the damage had been done as Nacional dropped deeper and focused on protecting their lead and earning a vital three points that sees them move out of the relegation zone and jump four places up the table to 14th. 

Benfica beat Sporting Clube de Portugal in a penalty shootout to win the 2024/2025 Taça da Liga at Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa in Leiria.

The Eagles opened the scoring in the 29th minute, Ángel Di María assisting Andreas Schjelderup who danced past Eduardo Quaresma and found the bottom corner.

Sporting equalised on the stroke of half-time after Florentino Luís fouled Maxi Araújo in the box. Viktor Gyökeres converted the penalty despite Anatoliy Trubin getting a big piece of the ball.

The second half failed to live up to the excitement on show in the opening 45 minutes. the contest going straight to a penalty shootout after 90 minutes.

The first 13 penalty takers converted their spot kicks with confidence before Francisco Trincão stepped up, his low effort saved by Trubin which handed the Eagles the title and bragging rights.

Benfica bounced back from their Primeira Liga defeat to Braga on Saturday by beating the Warriors 3-0 in the Taça da Liga semi-finals.

The Eagles controlled the game from the opening minutes, deservedly taking the lead in the 27th minute when Ángel Di María played a 1-2 with Tomás Araújo and beat Matheus.

Less than a minute later Álvaro Carreras got past a halfhearted Vitor Carvalho and drilled the ball into the net.

The contest was basically settled in the 37th minute when Vangelis Pavlidis broke clear, his pinpoint cross converted by Di María.

Roger Fernandes had Braga’s best chance shortly after half-time, their faint hopes well and truly extinguished in the 78th minute when Jónatas Noro was sent off five minutes after coming off the bench.

Benfica will remain in Leiria where they will face Sporting Clube de Portugal in the final on Saturday.

Portugal’s second tier is almost at the halfway stage, and the latest round of matches brought us changes in the table, denting the Primeira Liga aspirations of some teams and boosting others.

Defeat for previous leaders Tondela coupled with Penafiel’s good form sees the latter consolidate their position at the summit, while one of the pre-season favourites for promotion, Marítimo, continue their miserable campaign with another loss at Vizela on the back of their shock defeat at rock-bottom Oliveirense. 

In a remarkable game in Paços de Ferreira, experienced campaigner Antunes was reduced to tears in the wake of insults from his own fans, but ended the game a hero in a brilliant comeback win against Académico de Viseu. 

In the latest Long Ball Futebol podcast, hosts Barney and Albert are back to catch up on all the news from the Festive period and to discuss the action from Jornada 17 of the Primeira Liga season.

Rui Borges is the new Sporting manager as João Pereira's ill-fated reign comes to an end, the new Lions’ coach overseeing a remarkable 4-4 draw at his former club Vitória in Guimarães, while the day after Braga beat Benfica at the Estádio da Luz.  

Meanwhile the January transfer window opens, and we discuss potential moves as well as how the table is shaping up at the halfway stage of the season. 

Sporting 1-0 FC Porto

In a tight game of few chances it was a familiar face who decided the Portuguese League Cup semi-final in Leiria tonight.

Porto were the better team for the majority of the first half but did not trouble Sporting goalkeeper Franco Israel.

The Lisbon outfit came out strongly after the break and were rewarded when Viktor Gyökeres struck in the 56th minute and the Lions held on to book their place in Saturday’s final. José Ricardo Leite reports. 

Sporting CP recruited the wrong João Pereira in their desperate attempt to replace Ruben Amorim. Casa Pia have been catapulted to 7th place under the leadership of the 32-year-old revelation, and the Lisbon minnows are on track for the best season in the club’s history.

After reaching the summit of Portuguese domestic football, João Pereira began the season with three initial losses. However, in his last fifteen encounters only Sporting and FC Porto have been able to overcome Casa Pia.

At 32 years of age, João Pereira is the youngest head coach in Liga Portugal since former manager and current Porto president André Vilas-Boas took over Académica de Coimbra in 2009.

With an outside chance of qualifying for European football, while confirming the presence of Casa Pia as an ever-growing staple of the division, João Pereira is this week’s PortuGOAL Figure of the Week. 

Inter 2-3 AC Milan

Sergio Conceição has already claimed his first trophy as manager of AC Milan, after another comeback win saw them beat city rivals Inter to lift the Italian Super Cup.

The Rossoneri were 2-0 down early in the second half but Conceição’s side, helped by the introduction of Rafael Leão, staged a superb comeback which was clinched by Tammy Abraham’s injury-time winner.

Liverpool 2-2 Manchester United

Rúben Amorim gave an intriguing interview after his Manchester United side defied expectations by earning a well-deserved draw against Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield.

Many had anticipated 14th-place United would struggle away against their in-form rivals on Sunday afternoon, but United produced arguably their best all-round performance under Amorim, who refused to offer up much praise to his inconsistent side after the match.