The Primeira Liga championship has been won by either Porto or Benfica for the last 16 years, and bookmakers are anticipating another two-horse race at the top of the Primeira Liga this season with the fierce rivals slogging it out for glory.
Sporting lost a slew of key players in the summer. Rui Patricio, Gelson Martins, William Carvalho, Fábio Coentrão and Cristiano Piccini all left the club, while coach Jorge Jesus headed out for Saudi Arabia in the wake of the infamous Alcochete attack when 50 fans broke into the training ground and assaulted players and staff.
The oddsmakers expect Sporting to struggle this season as a result, and although the Lions have started with two wins, the tepid performances have done little to suggest anything other than a straight fight between Porto and Benfica.
If you analyse a review of the best sports betting sites and find the best odds on the market, you will find Porto as the 2.0 favourites to win the league, followed closely by Benfica at 2.20. Then you go all the way down to Sporting at 7.50 and Braga at 28.0, illustrating just what a duopoly Porto and Benfica are expected to enjoy this season.
Porto defend title
Porto pipped Benfica by seven points last time around, but they have since sold a few key players. Diogo Dalot went to Man Utd in a €22 million deal, while Ricardo Pereira went to Leicester for an even bigger fee. Miguel Layun also left, weakening Porto’s right-hand side. Many will see it as good business from Porto, who have raised €65 million in total from player sales this summer, but it remains to be seen whether Éder Militão, João Pedro and veteran Maxi Pereira can plug the gap. Chancel Mbemba has been their biggest signing so far, but he flattered to deceive for Newcastle in the Premiership.
Benfica have spent only around half as much as Porto in the transfer market, but Nicolás Castillo looks a shrewd signing. Promising youngster João Carvalho departed to Nottingham Forest, but Gedson Fernandes and João Félix are two more Seixal Academy graduates who are expected to integrate into the first team, and – like Porto – Benfica have thus far kept hold of the bulk of their key players.
Both teams have made 100% starts to the season (like Sporting), although it needed a dramatic stoppage time penalty for Porto to see off Belenenses yesterday. Benfica are off to a flying start to the campaign after beating Fenerbaçhe in Champions League qualifiers, and the two teams look pretty evenly matched right now.
Attacking options
Benfica have good options going forwards once the talismanic Jonas returns from injury. The club felt confident enough in his abilities and those of Facundo Ferreyra to allow Raúl Jiménez to move to Wolves on loan. Eduardo Salvio, Franco Cervi and Pizzi will all chip in with goals, Ljubomir Fejsa anchors the midfield expertly, and young centre-back Rúben Dias looks solid as a rock, and with Gedson and Félix in the mix there is a nice blend of youth and experience in the Benfica squad.
Yet Porto will also feel confident in their abilities. Vincent Aboubakar is no slouch in front of goal, and Yacine Brahimi might just be the best player in Portugal these days. Hector Herrera has gone from strength to strength under motivational coach extraordinaire Sérgio Conceição, and when Danilo Pereira returns from injury Porto will have arguably the best holding midfielder in the Liga NOS.
There really is little to choose between these two Portuguese heavyweights. Benfica won the league four years in a row before Porto usurped them last season, and the turning point was Porto’s 1-0 win at Estádio da Luz in April. Once again it could well come down to who emerges victorious in the big games, and it will be fascinating to see how this season pans out.
By Juan Andrade
