Portuguese Football in English
Palmeiras 0-0 FC Porto
FC Porto’s Club World Cup began with a goalless draw with Brazilian giants Palmeiras in New Jersey on Sunday evening, with the Dragons indebted to stand-in goalkeeper Cláudio Ramos for an impressive display.
Ramos was drafted in late to replace injured captain Diogo Costa in Martin Anselmi’s side, as Porto met Abel Ferreira’s much-decorated Palmeiras, who have won multiple trophies under the former Sporting and Braga boss in recent years.
Vizela 2-2 AVS (aggregate: 2-5)
AVS have bucked the trend! For the first time since the promotion/relegation playoff was re-introduced in Portugal four years ago, the team in the top flight got the better of the second-division team.
AVS began the game huge favourites after winning the first leg 3-0 in Vila das Aves last week. But a big crowd in Vizela turned up hoping for an epic comeback, and they were given hope when Yannick Semedo fired in from what looked like an impossibly tight angle in the 14th minute.
Vizela had over 75 minutes to find two goals to level the tie.
The key moment came in the 38th minute when Babatude Akinsola – who had scored two goals in the first leg – took advantage of a crass mistake by Ntolla to equalise and restore the visitors’ three-goal buffer.
Gustavo Assunção removed the last remaining crumb of hope for Vizela by scoring in the 64th minute, and although the home side equalised on the night through an own goal by Heinz Mörschel, it was too little too late.
AVS will remain in the Primeira Liga in 2025/26, while Vizela miss out on bouncing straight back up after last season’s relegation.
PortuGOAL writers select their best XIs
It is that time of the year when the PortuGOAL.net writers who focus on domestic football in Portugal select their best eleven based on the season just finished.
As ever, some differing opinions make for a variety of teams. However, there is almost unanimous agreement about a solid core of half a dozen players who have shined brightest in this campaign, and who make it into at least four of the five teams selected: Álvaro Carreras, Morten Hjulmand, Rodrigo Mora, Vangelis Pavlidis, Francisco Trincão and Viktor Gyökeres.
Rui Silva (Sporting): Hardly put a foot wrong after joining the club in January, playing a big role in Sporting’s run to the title.
Francisco Chissumba (Braga): Promoted to the senior side in January and made the left-back position his own. The 19-year-old has a bright future.
Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting): Sporting’s most consistent centre-back this season.
Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica): The best central defender in Portugal this season and will be sorely missed by Benfica when he leaves.
Alberto Costa (Vitória): Came from nowhere to be first choice right-back at Vitória de Guimarães, making just 10 appearances before Juventus snapped him up for €13.8m in January.
Morten Hjulmand (Sporting): The best holding midfielder in Portugal by a big margin.
Ricardo Horta’s (Braga) goals and assists were one of the reasons Braga were in contention to finish third.
Francisco Trincão (Sporting): Scored nine Primeira Liga goals and contributed a Primeira Liga high 14 assists, no other player reaching double figures.
Rodrigo Mora (Porto): Came from nowhere to earn a starting spot at Porto, scoring seven goals in his final nine appearances to earn a place in Roberto Martinez’s Portugal squad at 18-years-old.
Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica): Took some time to get going but went on a tear from late January. The Greek striker ended the season on fire, registering nine goals and three assists in his final eight games.
Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting): The standout player in Portugal and got it done in all competitions, scoring 54 goals in 52 appearances for the Lions.
Cezary Miszta (Rio Ave): The young Pole enjoyed an outstanding debut season in Portugal despite (or perhaps because of!) playing for a poor Rio Ave team.
Gaizka Larrazabal (Casa Pia): The energetic Spanish right-back was excellent throughout and a big reason Casa Pia broke a club record for accumulating the most points ever in the top flight.
Ousmane Diomande (Sporting): The imposing centre-back stepped into the berth left by the seemingly irreplaceable Sebastián Coates to become the boss of Sporting’s defence.
Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica): Leading by example, the Argentine World Cup winner frequently stood out with his aggression and never-say-die attitude.
Álvaro Carreras (Benfica): Left-back had been a problem position for Benfica ever since the departure of Alejandro Grimaldo, but Carreras, like his Spanish predecessor, excelled in the attacking side of the game as well as defending solidly.
Morten Hjulmand (Sporting): Controlled aggression, positional intelligence, class. It is no coincidence Sporting have won the league twice since the brilliant Dane’s arrival at the club.
Orkun Kökçü (Benfica): The Turkish midfielder, perhaps weighed down by his record transfer fee for a player coming to Portugal, finally shed the shackles from Christmas onwards with a series of fantastic performances throughout the second half of the season.
Rodrigo Mora (Porto): Porto’s rotten season has the silver lining of the incredible impact made by Mora, who at just 17 became the attacking centre-piece of the Dragons.
Francisco Trincão (Sporting): Superb season from the forward who made a habit of turning it on in crunch games for both his club and country.
Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica): Took a while to find his scoring touch but was unstoppable after Christmas. Only not talked about more because Gyökeres puts all forwards in the shade.
Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting): 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 matches are simply absurd numbers. By far the best player in Portugal these last two seasons and one of the all-time greats to have played in the country.
Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica): It’s difficult to look past Trubin as number one, offering consistency and serenity, which is everything you want from a goalkeeper.
Tomás Araujo (Benfica): The young defender quickly became one of the first names on Bruno Lage’s team sheet, due to consistent performances that’ll soon see his name associated with loftier heights like the Portuguese national team and Europe’s big sharks.
Eduardo Quaresma (Sporting): Once one of the most promising names in academy football, Quaresma’s career hasn’t quite taken him to the level anticipated, but this season did showcase plenty of his talent. Whether he was driving play from the back, burning through lines, or even providing crucial goals, the final third of the season was a fitting and hopefully defining moment for a young man who’s already had so many ups and downs.
Zeno Debast (Sporting): His freshman year in Portugal wasn’t without its early struggles, but those were overcome quite convincingly, firstly leading from the back before adapting brilliantly to his new midfield role. When things looked ropey for Sporting, Debast’s presence was pivotal.
Álvaro Carreras (Benfica): This season has been another big step up for Carreras and it’s no wonder the likes of Real Madrid and more have come knocking for his services. A real and constant threat down Benfica’s left makes him a standout.
Morten Hjulmand (Sporting): From the moment Ruben Amorim departed and the appointment of João Pereira misfired, Sporting’s season had real potential to spiral out of control. It didn’t and a big reason for this was due to the players innate belief in themselves to prove the doubters wrong, post-Amorim. As captain, alongside his habitual gritty performances, Morten Hjulmand was the face of that and he has well and truly earned his privilege to lift the title, this season.
Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Benfica): Joining in the summer from Galatasaray, Aktürkoğlu arrived with some frightening form and has been a part of so many of Benfica’s positives throughout the season. With 16 goals to his name, the Turkey international has been an easy hit.
Rodrigo Mora (Porto): Arguably the best thing to come out of Porto’s season has been the ascendancy of Rodrigo Mora – a micro-sized creative force who enabled the Dragons’ faithful to dream again throughout a turbulent season. At just 18 years of age, Mora registered 14 goal contributions, and in some style too! A gem in its truest sense.
Geovany Quenda (Sporting): From one wonderkid to another, Geovany Quenda burst onto the scene in pre-season and hasn’t looked back since. A mainstay in Sporting’s title-winning squad, with a move to Chelsea already in the pipeline, the winger’s impact cannot be understated.
Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica): With 29 goals to his name, eclipsed only by another certain Lisbon-based goal-getter, Pavlidis was arguably Benfica’s best and most reliable individual as they went toe-to-toe with Sporting for the league title.
Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting): There are little, if any superlatives left to level at Viktor Gyökeres. A staggering 54 goals in 52 games are simply absurd numbers from one of the most dominant players, not just this season, but possibly ever in Portuguese League history.
Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica), Eduardo Quaresma (Sporting), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting), Álvaro Carreras (Benfica), Zeno Debast (Sporting), Gustsavo Sá (Famalicão), Francisco Trincão (Sporting), Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting), Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica), Samu Aghehowa (Porto)
Anatoliy Trubin (Benfica), Tomás Araujo (Benfica), Ousmane Diomande (Sporting), Gonçalo Inácio (Sporting), Álvaro Carreras (Benfica), Morten Hjulmand (Sporting), Orkun Kökçü (Benfica), Rodrigo Mora (Porto), Francisco Trincão (Sporting), Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting), Vangelis Pavlidis (Benfica)
Related: Long Ball Futebol podcast - 2024/25 End-of-Season awards show
Related: Portuguese Primeira Liga team of the season 2023/24
He came, he saw, he conquered. It was fitting that Viktor Gyökeres’ final game for Sporting Clube de Portugal should result in yet more adulation for the Swede as his crucial goal proved the catalyst for another triumphant day for the Lions. Zach Lowy reports on the impact the former Coventry City centre-forward has had on Portuguese football in general and the Lisbon club in particular.
Over the past few seasons, Sporting Clube de Portugal supporters have grown accustomed to seeing their best players walk out the door for lucrative transfer fees. After ending a 19-year title drought in 2021, Sporting sold star left-back Nuno Mendes to Paris Saint-Germain for a fee of €45 million. The following summer would see them part with midfield duo Matheus Nunes and João Palhinha, who joined Premier League sides Wolves and Fuham for a combined €72.3 million, whilst Manuel Ugarte and Pedro Porro headed to PSG and Tottenham for a combined €100 million.
Sporting have already cleared space in the wage bill and earned themselves some lucrative profits after selling homegrown duo Dário Essugo and Geovany Quenda to Chelsea for €74 million, whilst Marcus Edwards has also joined Burnley for €10 million after winning promotion to the Premier League with the Clarets. Other players like Francisco Trincão, Gonçalo Inácio and Ousmane Diomande could find themselves headed for the exit door, but there’s absolutely zero doubt that Sporting will be losing one player in particular this summer: Viktor Gyökeres.
On 13 July 2023, Sporting acquired Gyökeres for a club-record transfer fee of €20 million (plus €4 million in add-ons), whilst Championship side Coventry City reserved 10-15% of a future transfer. The Swedish striker penned a five-year deal with a release clause of €100 million. Gyökeres took Portuguese football by storm with 43 goals and 15 assists in 50 appearances, leading Sporting back to the apex of domestic football with an unbelievable 29 goals in 33 league fixtures. In addition to being the Primeira Liga’s top scorer, he was also named as the Best Player of the Liga Portugal season. After watching Porto and Benfica lay claim to Portugal’s top prize, Sporting were back on top.
Somehow, someway, Sporting managed to keep hold of Gyökeres for the 2024/25 season, which saw him score 10 goals in his first six league matches and lead the charge for Sporting’s unbeaten start to the campaign. The Lions looked set to become the first Portuguese team since Benfica 2016/17 to successfully defend their crown after a scintillating start to the campaign, but Ruben Amorim’s departure to Manchester United in November threw those plans into disarray, with his replacement João Pereira struggling to convince before being sacked and replaced by Rui Borges. There were plenty of bumps in the road, like three straight draws in February, or a 1-1 draw to Braga in April which saw Benfica take temporary ownership of first place. However, Sporting would end up winning five of their last six and drawing 1-1 at Benfica, allowing them to edge the Eagles to the league title on the final day.
Gyökeres had five shots (three on target) in Sunday’s Portuguese Cup final. Photo: Arlindo Homem ©
After becoming the first Sporting team in 71 years to win back-to-back league titles, Borges’ men had a new mission before them: to become the first Sporting team in 23 years to complete the league and Taça de Portugal double. Keen to secure revenge against their crosstown rivals, Benfica came out raring to go and put Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva under intense pressure during the first half, and they would get their just rewards in the 47th minute as Orkun Kökçü fired a long-range missile past Silva into the bottom left corner. They looked to have doubled their lead shortly after, only for Bruma’s goal to be ruled out due to a foul from Álvaro Carreras in the build-up. Desperate for a response, Borges introduced Hidemasa Morita for Zeno Debast at the hour-mark as well as Quenda and Conrad Harder for Geny Catamo and Pedro Gonçalves in the 75th minute, before later bringing on Matheus Reis and Iván Fresneda.
Merely 50 seconds remained of the 10 minutes of added time when Gyökeres latched onto a through ball, dodged the attempted tackle of António Silva and raced into the box before being brought down by Renato Sanches, following that up with a coolly converted penalty into the bottom right corner. And then, similar to Luis Suárez in the 2015 UEFA Champions League Final, he proceeded to hurdle over the advertising boards and celebrate with the Sporting fans who had made the trek to the Jamor National Stadium. It was almost as if to say: “I may be leaving Portugal, but not for another half-hour.”
In the 97th minute, Benfica cleared a corner kick which made its way towards Trincão. Rather than take a couple of touches to weigh up his options, Trincão utilized his wand of a left foot to deliver a magical cross towards Harder, who rose above the rest and headed home into the back of the net. They sealed the deal in injury time as Gyökeres attracted the attention of a number of Benfica players before finding Harder, who teed up Trincão, who hoodwinked António Silva and tucked it into the back of the net.
It was far from Gyökeres’ best performance, but it was good enough to get the job done. Similar to Herculez Gomez, Gyökeres has the predatory instincts to constantly lurk in the shadows and make his way towards the box at just the right moment. It’s these poaching instincts that have seen him finish as the top scorer in Europe’s major leagues with 39 Liga Portugal goals, well ahead of the likes of Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane. All things considered, Gyökeres closed out the campaign with an astonishing 54 goals and 13 assists in 52 appearances.
Gyökeres and Benfica centre-back António Silva have had intense battles over the past two seasons. Sunday was no different. Photo: Arlindo Homem ©
However, goals only go so far as to define Gyökeres’ inevitability. Even when he wasn’t scoring, he was still making his presence known against Portugal’s second-best side, winning four fouls, coming out on top in six out of 10 ground duels, and registering three key passes. He racked up five shots (three on target) and completed 19 out of 26 passes. It was the fifth time in his last seven matches that Gyökeres scored, and it’s yet another reason of why, this summer, Gyökeres will shatter Bruno Fernandes’ club-record transfer fee and make the move to one of the biggest clubs in Europe.
He has delivered numbers that rival the likes of Radamel Falcao and Mario Járdel, staking his claim as one of the greatest strikers in the history of Portuguese football and backing it up with a sufficient amount of trophies. Whilst his contract expires in 2028, it’s only a matter of time before Gyökeres walks out of the Estádio José Alvalade and leaves for more lucrative pastures. Indeed, it’s a reality that Portuguese football fans have grown accustomed to.
But for those of you who are using Gyökeres’ impending departure as a reason to feel nihilistic about the current status of Liga Portugal, it would behoove you to remember the iconic quote from the 1994 film ‘The Shawshank Redemption’ and take solace in the fact that Gyökeres left two unforgettable seasons in Iberia’s lesser-known league.
“Some birds aren't meant to be caged. Their feathers are just too bright. And when they fly away, the part of you that knows it was a sin to lock them up does rejoice.”
Related: Sporting beat Benfica in extra time to lift Portuguese Cup and complete the double
Benfica 1-3 Sporting (a.e.t.)
With one minute of the ten minutes of stoppage time remaining in the Portuguese Cup final it seemed certain Benfica would get a measure of revenge over Sporting, their city neighbours who had narrowly beaten them to the title last week. Orkun Kökçü’s superb long-range goal at the start of the second half had Benfica leading with only seconds left.
But Francisco Trincão and Viktor Gyökeres had not given up. The two combined with the Swede hurtling into the box and being tripped by Renato Sanches. Penalty! Gyökeres picked himself up and there was only ever going to be one outcome. 1-1 and into extra time we went.
For the first time, Sporting got on top of their opponents, late substitutes Geovany Quenda and Conrad Harder injecting new energy into the Lions’ attack.
And it was the young Dane who put Sporting into the lead, powerfully heading in a delicious Trincão cross. The two combined again for the clinching third goal, this time Harder setting up Trincão, who produced a classy finish to send the green half of the stadium into dreamland.
Tom Kundert reports from Jamor.
Benfica coach Bruno Lage pulled off a couple of surprises, selecting Samuel Dahl and Bruma in the starting XI, while Ángel Di María was left on bench, where he was joined by injury doubt Aursnes. For Sporting Ousmane Diomande failed to recover from injury, the big centre-back not even on the bench. Jeremiah St. Juste replaced him.
Sporting started well, keeping hold of possession for long periods, but when Pedro Gonçalves lost the ball in a dangerous area Orkun Kökçü tried his luck from the edge of the box but Rui Silva had it covered.
Play switched to the other end of the pitch where Geny Catamo sped past Carreras with a strong run, António Silva cutting out his low cross in the nick of time with Gyökeres lurking with intent for a tap-in.
Sporting were losing the ball carelessly and the play was largely restricted to their defensive half of the pitch. Benfica’s ascendancy was almost rewarded in the 11th minute. Bruma’s shot was charged down by Gonçalo Inácio’s arm, the referee pointing to the penalty spot, only for the decision to be reversed as VAR had spotted an offside in the buildup.
Benfica continued to push forward. In the 20th minute another poor loss of possession by Debast allowed Pavlidis a clear sight at goal, goalkeeper Rui Silva saving his Sporting teammate’s skin with a superb save to push the Greek striker’s firm shot onto the post.
With Carreras increasingly influential, the chances kept coming for Benfica, Bruma’s effort deflected over the bar by a last-ditch Inácio interception and Pavlidis heading wide.
The Greek striker had another headed opportunity just before the break, with Gyökeres at last appearing straight afterwards but unable to seriously test Samuel Soares. The half-time whistle went with the game goalless.
The Benfica fans may feel they deserved more after having the clear upper hand during the opening 45 minutes, but they did not have to wait long after the break to start celebrating. The lively Kökçü got hold of the ball 25 yards out and smashed an unstoppable low shot into the corner of the net.
Benfica fans celebrate taking the lead. Photo: Arlindo Homem ©
The red half of the stadium erupted, and they were bouncing even more soon afterwards as Bruma was played through and made no mistake. 2-0 Benfica! But no. VAR intervened again, ruling that Carreras had fouled Trincão earlier in the move and the goal was ruled out.
Morita came on for the out-of-sorts Debast but Sporting continued to struggle to create any openings, a speculative Gyökeres shot on the turn apart.
With 15 minutes remaining Rui Borges made a double change, Conrad Harder and Geovany Quenda coming on for Geny Catamo and Pedro Gonçalves, while by this time Benfica had made four changes, Renato Sanches, Andreas Schjelderup, Fredrik Aursnes and Andrea Belotti all joining the action.
On 81 minutes Benfica had a chance to kill the game, but Belotti’s shot from close range was kept out by Rui Silva.
With the clock ticking down Trincão was played in by Harder but the forward got no power behind his shot and Samuel Soares saved easily.
Sporting were given hope when the referee signalled 10 minutes of stoppage time, but that hope had all but evaporated when the ball fell to Trincão deep in his own half. The Portugal international somehow summoned the energy to progress with the ball up the wing and slip a pass to Gyökeres. The Swede bore down on goal and was clipped by Sanches for an obvious penalty.
The nerveless Number 9 duly smashed home the spot kick, sending the final into extra time.
Although well controlled by Benfica’s defence, Viktor Gyökeres proved decisive by earning and scoring a last-gasp penalty for Sporting. Photo: Arlindo Homem ©
It has been a promising first season at Sporting for Conrad Harder, but the 20-year-old Danish striker has had to be patient with one of the best strikers in Europe severely limiting his chances.
But Harder would prove the difference-maker as Sporting at last began to get on top. Gyökeres was denied by a good save from Soares, but it was only a stay of execution for Benfica. A spell of heavy Sporting pressure saw the ball come out to Trincão who immediately swung over a sumptuous left-foot cross where Harder rose highest to thump a header into the net.
Bruno Lage threw on Ángel Di María but it was now Benfica who were looking short of ideas and inspiration. The Argentine tried his luck from distance twice, his first effort from a free kick grasped by Rui Silva and his second flying high over the bar.
The game was made safe for Sporting in the 120th minute. With Benfica pushing everyone up, Sporting broke, Gyökeres and Harder working the ball neatly to Trincão who skipped past António Silva and slid the ball into the net to spark the second huge party for Sporting fans in little over a week.
The 2024/25 season ended in absolute triumph for Rui Borges and his coaching team, who were appointed mid-season. Photo: Arlindo Homem ©
Benfica: Samuel Soares, Tomás Araújo (Fredrik Aursnes, 77’), Nicolás Otamendi, António Silva, Samuel Dahl (Ángel Di María, 103’), Álvaro Carreras, Florentino Luís, Orkun Kökçü (Renato Sanches, 69’), Vangelis Pavlidis (Andrea Belotti, 77’), Bruma (Leandro Barreiro, 90’), Kerem Aktürkoglu (Andreas Schjelderup, 69’)
Sporting: Rui Silva, Eduardo Quaresma (Iván Fresneda, 83’), Jeremiah St. Juste (Matheus Reis, 83’), Gonçalo Inácio, Zeno Debast (Hidemasa Morita, 58’), Maxi Araújo (David Moreira, 115’), Morten Hjulmand, Geny Catamo (Geovany Quenda, 75’), Francisco Trincão, Viktor Gyökeres, Pedro Gonçalves (Conrad Harder, 75’)
Goals:
[1-0] Orkun Kökçüm 47’
[1-1] Viktor Gyökeres (pen), 90 + 10’
[1-2] Conrad Harder, 99’
[1-3] Francisco Trincão, 120’
