Benfica made light work of surprise Portuguese Cup semi-finalists Tirsense with a 4-0 win at the Estádio da Luz on Wednesday night, to complete a 9-0 aggregate victory.

As in the first leg, Benfica boss Bruno Lage heavily rotated his team with António Silva and Florentino Luís the only players who started the weekend win at Vitória keeping their place in the starting XI.

Tirsense had done tremendously well to reach the last four – the first 4th-tier side to do so in the long history of the competition – and put up a good fight in Lisbon. With 74 minutes on the clock Benfica only led by Antonio Silva’s goal on the stroke of half time.

But the hosts made their superiority count in the closing stages. Albanian centre-back Adrian Bajrami scored his first goal for Benfica, with Andrea Belotti and Leandro Barreiro completing the rout.

The Eagles will meet Lisbon rivals Sporting in the final at Jamor on 25 May. 

Inter 0-3 Milan (1-4 on aggregate)

Sérgio Conceição’s Milan produced a stunning display to book their place in the Coppa Italia final, overcoming Serie A leaders and city rivals Inter at San Siro.

Milan have endured a dismal campaign in Italy, which reports suggest has already sealed Conceição’s fate, but the chance of a trophy to salvage some pride could yet bring a positive end to the season.

Manchester City 2-1 Aston Villa

Matheus Nunes was the hero with a last-gasp winner as Manchester City beat Aston Villa to strengthen their hopes of securing Champions League qualification in the Premier League.

Bernardo Silva also struck for City, scoring his first goal of 2025, as the outgoing champions moved back into 3rd place in the table, ahead of what is likely to be a close-fought battle for the top five positions.

A ninth win in 10 games for Sporting saw the Lions qualify for the Portuguese Cup final, the 2-1 victory against Rio Ave tonight completing a 4-1 aggregate triumph.

The match was played in Paços de Ferreira following substantial damage to Rio Ave’s stadium in Vila do Conde in the recent storms.

Gonçalo Inácio’s early header all but killed off Rio Ave’s faint hopes of turning around the tie, and Viktor Gyökeres made it 2-0 on the night in the 50th minute, following up on Geny Catamo’s shot that had been parried by Cezary Miszta.

André Luiz pulled a goal back for Rio Ave, finishing off a fine team move, but Sporting ran down the clock without undue alarm.

Sporting will certainly meet Benfica in the final, the Eagles holding a 5-0 first-leg lead against 4th-tier Tirsense ahead of the second leg tomorrow.

Therefore, everything is set up for an incredible finale to the season between the two historical Lisbon rivals. The Lions and Eagles will meet at the Estádio da Luz in the penultimate match of the Primeira Liga season, before bringing the curtain down on 2024/25 at Jamor, with the two games likely deciding who walks away with the major silverware in Portugal this year. 

Nuno Mendes has firmly established himself as one of the best left-backs in Europe this season, putting previous injury issues behind him to star for Paris Saint-Germain in their run to the Champions League semi-finals.

As PSG prepare to take on English giants Arsenal later this month, their manager Luis Enrique has been lavishing praise on former Sporting left-back Mendes, who has been a pivotal figure at both ends of the field for the Ligue 1 champions.

How can you become one of the best goalkeepers in the world at a height of just 173cm (5’7’’)? Nowadays, when we look at goalkeepers, it’s difficult not to be impressed with the height and size of many of the game’s top players in this position. In a sense, it was always a little bit like that.

That only makes Manuel Bento’s career as an elite footballer even more remarkable. He was smaller than many on-field players, yet few can claim to have been as successful, respected and beloved as the goalkeeper who spent more than a decade at a club where the only option was to win every week. Bento was a symbol of the last golden age of Benfica but also of a Portugal that was changing as a nation. 

Vasco Seabra is the man responsible for the stabilisation of Futebol Clube de Arouca. The latest PortuGOAL Figure of the Week stole a point from SL Benfica at the Estádio da Luz in commendable fashion. A well-worked goal in the latter stages of the occasion where many are prone to panic and bombard the penalty area with wayward, half-hearted deliveries, all while contending with the absence of eight players.

One week on and Seabra’s Arouca clinched three points against relegation candidates Estrela da Amadora, all but guaranteeing their presence in Portugal’s top-flight next season. Kevin Fernandes reports. 

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha is widely regarded as one of the finest players in his position across Europe these days, having made himself the heartbeat of Luis Enrique’s side.

Indeed, ahead of recent coverage of PSG’s victory over Aston Villa in the Champions League, even William, Prince of Wales joined those praising Vitinha’s progress in Paris. Yet such an ascent looked unlikely a few years ago, following an unsuccessful spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers during his first venture abroad.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s role with Portugal in the lead-up to next summer’s World Cup is likely to be the subject of much debate over the next year.

Currently the first-choice striker for Roberto Martínez, Ronaldo has been clear in his aim to represent his country in the United States, by which time he will be 41 years old.

Fulham 1-2 Chelsea

Chelsea took the spoils in their west London derby trip to Fulham on Sunday, with Pedro Neto the hero with a clinical finish deep into stoppage time at Craven Cottage.

The victory means Chelsea remain in the thick of the fight for a Champions League spot for next season alongside Manchester City, Aston Villa and Nuno Espírito Santo’s Nottingham Forest.

Manchester United 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

When Vítor Pereira took charge of Wolverhampton Wanderers in December, his new club were 13 points behind Manchester United in the Premier League.

After securing a double over Ruben Amorim’s United at Old Trafford on Sunday, the teams ended the afternoon level on points, drawing attention to the outstanding job Pereira has done during his short time at Molineux.

Benfica responded to Sporting’s win yesterday by beating Vitória 3-0 in Guimarães to make it level pegging on points again at the top of the table between the two great Lisbon rivals with four matches left of the 2024/25 Primeira Liga season.

Vitória had only lost one game at their Dom Afonso Henriques stadium home all season and were unbeaten in the league in their last 10 matches under new coach Luís Freire. While the scoreline flatters Benfica in a well-disputed match, Bruno Lage’s men ran out deserved winners thanks to the clinical football they played where it matters most – in both areas.  

Vangelis Pavlidis continued his superb form by bagging a brace and Álvaro Carreras also got on the scoresheet, but Benfica were indebted to goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin who made two world-class saves at crucial moments in the game. 

Sporting took a step forward in their quest to retain the Portuguese title with a convincing 3-1 victory over Moreirense at Alvalade tonight.

The usual suspect Viktor Gyökeres was the star of the show, netting a hat-trick to bring his season tally to 34 goals in 29 Primeira Liga games, which is more than double his closest challengers in the scoring charts Samu Aghehowa and Vangelis Pavlidis.

A vibrant start by the Lions was rewarded when the Swede poked home from close range in the 12th minute and the striker soon doubled Sporting’s lead with a powerful angled shot from inside the box.

Gyökeres completed his hat-trick early in the second half with a thunderous free kick and only wasteful finishing by Geny Catamo and Francisco Trincão prevented it from getting embarrassing for the visitors.

Moreirense pulled a goal back when Cédric Teguia headed in an outstanding cross from Godfried Frimpong and the visitors improved in the final half hour, but the result was never in doubt.

Sporting go three points clear of title rivals Benfica, putting pressure on the Eagles ahead of their tricky trip to Guimarães to face Vitória tomorrow. 

As if more evidence was needed of Rodrigo Mora’s star quality, the 17-year-old Porto star scored two more superb individual goals to propel the Dragons to a 2-1 victory over Famalicão this afternoon.

Pedro Bondo pulled one back for the visitors to make it a nervous ending for the home team but Porto held on despite a late red card for Gonçalo Borges to leapfrog Braga into third place in the standings. 

Mora has now scored five goals in his last five games and two weeks before his 18th birthday he has definitively become Porto’s most prized asset.

Tomorrow evening Vitória host Benfica in the Portuguese Primeira Liga. It is a fixture that always brings back poignant memories of a heartbreaking night in 2004.

It wasn’t the first time it happened but it was the first time everyone saw it live. The moment that scarred an entire generation of football supporters, regardless of what club colours they lived and died for.

The innocent smile before the tragic end. Miklos Fehér was never going to be a massive star, but he was a well-loved player who had cut his teeth in Portuguese football when he was still a teenager.

His tragic death, near the end of the football match that pitched Benfica against Vitória in Guimarães, united a nation in grief and became one of Portugal’s most painful collective memories. 

Portugal will head into their 2026 World Cup qualifiers as the favourites to finish top of the group and secure automatic progression to the tournament.

After being drawn in Group F alongside Hungary, Republic of Ireland and Armenia, Portugal are bidding to secure a seventh consecutive appearance at the World Cup.

While the runners-up in the group will have the chance to qualify via the play-off route, Portugal will be eager to avoid navigating their way through that process.

With that in mind, read on as we look at their upcoming qualification fixtures and potential World Cup squad, before assessing Cristiano Ronaldo’s hotly disputed role. 

Manchester United 5-4 Lyon (AET, 7-6 on aggregate)

Manchester United and Olympique Lyonnais played out an all-time classic European encounter on Thursday night, with Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils prevailing against Paulo Fonseca’s side at Old Trafford.

United led 2-0, then went 4-2 down in extra time, before a sensational late rally saw them take the spoils with three goals in the space of around seven minutes, with both Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes on-target for United, who set up a last-4 meeting with Athletic Club.

With five matches remaining of the 2024/25 Primeira Liga, it would take a brave person to predict who will come out victors in a titanic battle between Lisbon rivals Sporting and Benfica, which has entailed twists and turns aplenty. 

The two sides are level on points at the summit of the table. PortuGOAL looks at all the indicators that may influence the outcome. 

The stakes will be high when Boavista travel south to take on Farense at the Estádio de São Luís this week. The Friday afternoon kickoff pits the two teams at the bottom of the Primeira Liga table against each other in an all-important six-pointer that will seriously affect the relegation battle. Both clubs know that anything less than three points will leave them hanging by a thread, possibly ending their chances of survival (at least for Boavista). 

Farense are currently in 17th in the standings, two points below the relegation playoff position. Meanwhile, Boavista, who have managed just three points from their previous five matches, are rooted at the bottom of the table, trailing Farense by three points. There is, however, some hope for both these clubs with AVS, Estrela Amadora and Gil Vicente all struggling to secure points over the last couple of months. With just five games remaining in the campaign, this fixture is sure to produce some nail-biting moments for both sets of supporters, and some thrilling action for the neutrals.

Portuguese goalkeeper João Virgínia enjoyed significant success as a youth player, notably helping the Seleção win the UEFA U19 European Championship in 2018. The Algarve-born shot-stopper has yet to enjoy similar success at senior level, but at just 25 years of age he still has time on his side.

Zach Lowy interviewed Virgínia for RG, during which the Everton goalkeeper made it clear his ambition is undimmed, stating his goal and his dream is to play for the full Portugal team one day. 

In their 13 Liga Portugal fixtures contested in 2025, Sporting Clube de Braga have only surrendered points in three. In that time they have beaten Benfica at the Estádio da Luz and FC Porto at the picturesque Pedreira and held Sporting at Alvalade.

The return of loanee Uroš Račić has helped balance Braga’s midfield. The towering box-to-box brute provides that equilibrium between attacking threat and defensive solidity. Braga have kept clean sheets in five of the nine matches Račić has featured in (resulting in Braga matching the second-best defence in the league for the entire campaign), while his four goal contributions in his last three appearances have had direct impact on final results, cementing Braga in third place, ahead of Porto.

After a lacklustre loan stint at West Bromwich Albion during the latter stages of 2024, Uroš Račić has resurrected his career and becomes the latest PortuGOAL Figure of the Week. Kevin Fernandes reports. 

Estoril Praia have enjoyed a positive season and the innovative club from the Lisbon coast are making waves off the pitch too.

Beyond football, think Estoril and most people think glamour, thanks to the town’s famous casino and the motor-racing circuit, which in the not-too-distant past used to regularly stage Formula One races.

On Saturday Estoril will give a nod to its legacy and at the same time pay tribute to one of the best ever Formula One drivers by wearing a specially designed kit in homage to the late, great Ayrton Senna. 

Fierce three-way title race year after year

While the Portuguese Primeira Liga as a whole may lack the strength in depth of Europe’s most high-profile leagues, when it comes to fighting to be crowned national champions, it provides a level of unpredictability and excitement that other major championships around the continent cannot match.

In the midst of another thrilling title race, where Benfica are vying to prevent city rivals Sporting from becoming the first team to retain the title in eight years, Zach Lowy delves into why competition is so tough at the top in Portugal. 

Teenage prodigy Rodrigo Mora has strengthened his relationship with Portugal’s and one of the world’s most powerful and well-connected agents Jorge Mendes.

Mendes’ company Gestifute has been looking after Mora in recent months, and on Monday Polaris Sports, Gestifute’s partner company that manages the image rights of professional footballers, announced that Mora had been added to its stable. 

Pedro Caixinha is the first Portuguese managerial casualty of Brasileirão 2025, receiving his marching orders at Santos after just three rounds of action.

Caixinha departs Peixe after a weekend defeat to Fluminense left them in the relegation zone with one point from three matches. Meanwhile, Leonardo Jardim is enduring a tough start to life at Cruzeiro, as is Renato Paiva with reigning champions Botafogo.

This weekend was a strong one for Portuguese Abroad goalscorers, with as many as 21 different scorers across the world, including some of the Seleção’s biggest names.

Cristiano Ronaldo inevitably leads the way with a double in Saudi Arabia, including a stunning volley. Rafael Leão is back on the goal trail with AC Milan, while Raphaël Guerreiro scored in Der Klassiker in Germany, Paulinho netted a hat-trick in Mexico and Fábio Silva continues to have arguably the best season of his career in Spain with Las Palmas.

Benfica 2-2 Arouca  

The supporters voiced their frustration at the final whistle but SL Benfica have only themselves to blame after dropping two critical points at the Estádio da Luz against FC Arouca. The home side gave up the lead twice in the second half, with goals from Jason and Weverson giving Arouca a rare and well deserved point at a stadium where they have historically struggled.

The result sees Benfica equal Sporting on 69 points at the top of the table, but lose their outright lead after the weekend results. 

Braga made it eight straight wins at the Quarry following a comfortable 4-1 victory against AVS.

Afonso Patrão assisted Ricardo Horta early on and the Warriors were leading 3-0 in the 36th minute, Ismaël Gharbi providing two assists for Uros Racic.

Rafael Rodrigues gave AVS a faint hope in added time when he steered Zé Luís' header past Lukas Hornicek.

The visitors never threatened to reduce the deficit however, Amine El Ouazzani getting on the end of Diego Rodrigues’ cross in added time to send Carlos Carvalhal’s side back into third spot.

Rodrigo Mora scored a sensational goal to send Porto to a 1-0 victory against Casa Pia at Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior.

The goal came in the 5th minute, the 17-year-old producing a pirouette that left José Fonte prone on the pitch before piercing the far corner.

The Dragons were unable to extend their lead before the break, the second half a snooze fest that saw Casa Pia unable to seriously test Diogo Costa.

André Villas-Boas will be delighted to see his standout star continue to shine, the teenager taking some focus off the 4-1 defeat to Benfica at Estádio do Dragão.

A goal early in the second half by Geny Catamo proved the decisive moment as Sporting won a hard-fought match against Santa Clara this afternoon.

The three points see Sporting rise back to the top of the table, for 24 hours at least, and the Lions were further boosted by the return to action of Pedro Gonçalves after a long injury absence.