Five games, five wins, 19 goals scored and two conceded. Sporting continued their perfect defence of the Primeira Liga title with a 3-0 victory in Arouca tonight.

Francisco Trincão was the star of show with a goal and an assist, with Pote and Viktor Gyökeres (penalty) also hitting the net. New signing Maxi Araújo made his debut late on in what turned out to be a comfortable night for the Lions. 

Renato Sanches is injured again. It is a line that has been written dozens of times since the teenage Benfica star culminated an explosive debut season in senior football with a high-profile transfer to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2016.

Having played a significant role in Benfica winning the Primeira Liga and Portugal winning the European Championship, Sanches left Portugal for the Bundesliga as the most sought-after young footballer on the planet and seemingly with the world at his feet. 

Bruno Lage has been appointed head coach of Benfica, signing a two-year contract at the Estádio da Luz.

The 48-year-old returns to the club he led to the championship in 2018/19, replacing Roger Schmidt who was sacked following the 1-1 draw against Moreirense last week. Tom Kundert reports from the Portuguese capital. 

The 2024-25 UEFA Champions League draw presents a formidable challenge for Portuguese teams Benfica and Sporting CP.

Both clubs are set to face some of Europe’s top sides, requiring them to navigate a particularly demanding league phase to have any hope of advancing to the knockout stages.

Both sides may be outsiders at the major betting sites to win the Champions League, but we take a closer look at the challenges Benfica and Sporting will face over the eight matchdays.