Vitória de Guimarães earned a 2-2 draw against Real Betis in an entertaining UEFA Conference League clash at Estadio Benito Villamarín.

Both teams had chances in the first half before the game came alive after the break, Cédric Bakambu putting Real Betis ahead in the 49th minute when he converted from close range.

Guimarães equalised two minutes later when João Mendes Saraiva sent a sweet strike past Fran Vieites. Bakambu hit the post before Betis regained the lead in the 75th minute, Isco finding the bottom corner.

The home crowd had their celebrations extinguished in the 82nd minute when Luís Freire’s side equalised once again, Nélson Oliveira getting past Natan and beating Vieites.

It was a well earned point in Sevilla and Vitória will fancy their chances in Guimarães next week with a quarter-final spot up for grabs.

Benfica 0-1 Barcelona

Benfica have only themselves to blame after missing a glorious opportunity to take a lead back to Spain for the second leg. The Eagles huffed and puffed but were unable to break down a resilient 10-man Barcelona team. Bruno Lage's side missed countless clear cut chances. Barcelona, who played 70 minutes with 10 men, were uninspiring on the night, but an excellent piece of individual play from Raphinha was enough to give the Catalan side a vital 1-0 lead heading into the second leg of this European Champions League tie.  

Benfica finished with more than twice as many total shots as their opponents but were unable to get on the scoresheet. Barcelona are known for their flowing and attacking style of play, but this was a masterclass in game management. An efficient and hard working display that achieved their ultimate goal. The visitors were well organised and their back four did well to frustrate Benfica's front three. Veteran keeper Wojciech Szczesny pulled off some quality saves late in the game to ensure the visitor were able to escape with an advantage. 

Sahir Bhojwani reports from the Estádio da Luz.

FC Barcelona will travel to Lisbon this week to face SL Benfica in a repeat of the 1961 European Cup final. On that occasion, it was Benfica who emerged victorious to start a golden era in the club’s history. The Lisbon side would go on to replicate the feat in 1962 (defeating Real Madrid) and would then appear in the European Cup finals in 1963, 1965 and 1968.

Gone are the days of Eusébio, Coluna and António Simões, and Benfica will have their hands full on Wednesday when they take on a talented Barcelona squad that comes into the game as heavy favorites. Barcelona have won five Champions League titles over their storied history, and are considered one of the most complete teams on the continent this season. 

Barcelona and Benfica are both in tremendous form coming into the clash. Barcelona have not lost a match in 2025, while Benfica have not been defeated in eight consecutive games. With the first leg set to take place at the Estádio da Luz, the Benfiquistas will be confident about securing a favorable result, but the question remains whether Bruno Lage’s side can overcome the Spanish giants over two legs. 

Sporting 3-1 Estoril

Sporting CP and Estoril Praia played out a thrilling 3-1 match at the Estádio José Alvalade on Monday night with both teams playing an open and attacking style of football. Ian Cathro’s side battled bravely in a hostile environment, but two goals from Swedish international Viktor Gyökeres were enough to see Sporting secure a vital victory against an in-form Estoril side. 

Estoril will feel unfortunate to walk away without a point, considering they managed to remain in the game until the final minutes, but a strong first half from the home side turned out to be the difference. 

The victory sees Sporting move three points clear of Benfica at the top of the Primera Liga standings. Rui Borges’s side have the better head-to-head record against their Lisbon rivals, giving them a significant advantage in the title race with just 10 games left.