FC Porto and SL Benfica’s duels epitomise the last seventy years of Primeira Liga history. At the end of the 1950s, the Eagles rose higher than ever, eventually surpassing local rivals Sporting into Portuguese royalty, then during the 1990s it was time for the Dragons to do the same to them. Seven decades when either one was seen as the strongest side in the land fuelled by an intense rivalry that has often crossed the border from being just a football match into something more.
Porto were up until recently a devilish opponent for the Encarnados but there was a time when they rarely even put up a fight. That is why, in the North, the sunny afternoon that saw an often-forgotten striker put four past Eusébio’s all-conquering Benfica is still remembered fondly.
Few forwards who strolled around the pitches of Portuguese football have been so elegant, so clinical, so unique. Fernando Gomes was one of a kind. One of the first wonderkids of FC Porto, the club he supported from which he departed to later come back only to leave in disarray, Gomes was also the second Portuguese striker awarded the coveted Golden Boot trophy, a testament to his goal prowess.
“No one goalkeeper is like the next. We all have different techniques and we all play the game differently.” – 
On Sunday evening Rio Ave host Benfica in one of the standout Liga Portugal fixtures of the weekend. The modest northern team have established themselves as a staple in the top flight over recent decades, although a podium finish and silverware still eludes them.
Tomorrow Benfica will attempt to overturn a 1-0 deficit in their Champions League last-16 tie against Barcelona. It is a tall order, but the Portuguese team have overcome the odds against the Catalan giants in the past.