The Roger Schmidt bandwagon rolls on. After 5/5 wins in preseason, Benfica followed up their 4-1 win over Midtjylland in the Champions League in midweek with a 4-0 drubbing of Arouca in the inaugural match of the 2022/23 Primeira Liga season.

First-half goals from Gilberto, Rafa Silva and Enzo Fernández, along with a red card for Arouca’s Mateus Quaresma meant the match was over by half time at 3-0. Rafa added a late fourth to send another big crowd at the Estádio da Luz home happy. 

FC Porto have bought André Franco from Estoril for €4 million. The 24-year-old midfielder has signed a five-year contract at the Estádio do Dragão.

It is Porto’s third signing of the close season, after the purchases of David Carmo and Gabriel Veron. 

Vitória de Guimarães suffered a 3-1 defeat against Hajduk Split in the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round first leg. Miguel Maga scored a sensational goal to put the Portuguese club into the lead in the 61st minute before Emir Sahiti equalised six minutes later.

Os Conquistadores were the architects of their own demise from then on, Maga’s failed clearance pounced on by Dario Melnjak in the 75th minute, Dani Silva then presenting Filip Krovinović with a chance that he fired into the top corner with minutes remaining.

The wait is almost over. The Primeira Liga kicks off on Friday night at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon, as Benfica host Arouca in the inaugural match of the 2022/23 Bwin Liga season.

Ten months from now, in what will be a highly unusual World Cup interrupted season, who will be crowned champions of Portugal?

With the Covid-19 pandemic finally well and truly behind us in terms of the disruption it caused to players, teams and spectators, Benfica, Porto and Sporting supporters all have plenty of reasons for optimism ahead of the new campaign.