• Benfica
• Moreirense
• Sporting,
• Belenenses
• Luis Diaz
• Ricardo Horta
• Pedro Goncalves
• FC Vizela
• Maritmo
• Lucas Verissimo

Sporting have begun the defence of their Primeira Liga title with a 3-0 win at home to Vizela, opening up their 2021/22 campaign in style against the newly-promoted northern outfit.

A couple of goals from last season’s star man Pedro Gonçalves and a Paulinho tap-in gave the Lions the start required in front of their limited home support, passing the baton onto their other title rivals cheerfully. It is way too soon to say Sporting are on course to retain their crown, but it is an encouraging start and will feel like an early win at best payout casino online. 

Lisbon neighbours Benfica brushed away the pressure when racing to a 2-0 lead away to Moreirense, prior to a Rafael Martins consolation goal and a Diogo Gonçalves second-half red card that would complicate matters for Jorge Jesus en route to a 2-1 victory.

Sporting de Braga didn’t miss in their travels to Madeira either, resolving matters in the second half of their game against Marítimo with a goal each from Raúl Silva and Ricardo Horta. FC Porto also weren’t to be left behind in their first outing of the season, coasting by Belenenses with goals from Toni Martinez and Luis Diaz on Matchday One.

Spartak Moscow 0-2 Benfica

Benfica took a big step towards securing a playoff berth in this year’s Champions League with a comfortable away victory against Spartak Moscow in the first leg of the 3rd qualifying round of the competition.

Second-half goals by Rafa Silva and Gilberto without reply mean the Eagles will be defending a two-goal advantage in next week’s return leg in Lisbon. It was a fully deserved win, and with better finishing the tie could have been wrapped up at the halfway stage. 

A strange quirk of modern football is that major European teams often find themselves playing the most important match of the season in their very first competitive outing, with their squad yet to be fully defined.

Such is the case for Benfica, who take on Spartak Moscow in the first leg of the 3rd qualifying round for the Champions League in the Russian capital on Wednesday. Last season Benfica crashed out of the most prestigious and most lucrative club football competition in the world at this stage, losing to Greek outfit PAOK. The Lisbon side never truly recovered, experiencing a disastrous 2020/21.

One year on, with Benfica in a state of flux at boardroom level, a degree of stability is badly needed, and progress to the group stage of Champions League will make that more probable. PortuGOAL previews Spartak Moscow v Benfica. 

Sporting 2-1 Braga

Portuguese champions Sporting started 2021/22 as they finished the previous campaign: with that winning feeling. Braga began the Supertaça season curtain-raiser strongly and took the lead through Fransérgio, but Jovane Cabral equalised soon afterwards.

A magnificent finish by Pedro Gonçalves shortly before half time proved the winning goal as Sporting lifted the first piece of silverware of the new season.