February 11, 2024
The top division of football in Portugal is the Primeira Liga, which is also known as Liga Portugal, or for sponsorship reasons Liga Portugal Betclic.
In the 89 seasons history of the Liga Portugal, it has only been won twice by a side other than the Big Three of Benfica ( 38 titles ), Porto ( 30 ) or Sporting Club ( 18 ), with Belenenses breaking the stranglehold in 1945/46 and Boavista in 2000/21.
Benfica are the current champions but the previous two campaigns were won Porto and Sporting respectively.
The Liga Portugal has 18 sides who play each other home and away for a 34 game season. The top 6 qualify for one of the places in European competitions, assuming the Cup Winner comes from one of the top 6, and the bottom two are relegated. Third from bottom plays-off against the third placed side in Liga 2 to stay in the division.
Vitoria de Guimares background
Vitoria SC are popularly known as Vitoria de Guimares and are located in the northern town of Guimares in the district of Braga, which is often referred to as the birthplace of Portugal. Its population is a shade over 150,000.
Founded in 1922 they have finished third on four occasions, and won the Portuguese Cup in 2013. They have remained in the top division in Portugal for 79 consecutive seasons.
Vitoria are part owned by V Sports, owners of Aston Villa.
Home is the 30,029 capacity Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, named after the first King of Portugal, which was renovated for Euro 2004 where it hosted two matches, both involving Italy. It also was the venue for England’s two matches in the 2019 UEFA Nations’ Cup, where they lost 1-3 to The Netherlands after extra-time, but beat Switzerland on penalties in the third-place play-off after a 0-0 draw.
Vitoria regularly play in Europe, having qualified 22 times, and played in the Champions League Third Round Qualifier in 2008/09, but were eliminated by FC Basel. They have reached the UEFA/Europa League group stages four times but have never progressed to the knock-out rounds.
A 6th place finish in the league last season saw Vitoria qualify for the Europa Conference League, but they were eliminated by Slovenian side Celje in the Second Qualifying Round on penalties. After winning 4-3 in Slovenia, a 0-1 home reverse led to extra time, then penalties, which they lost 2-4.
Vitoria started the day in 5th place in the league table, with a 12-3-5 record, but an impressive 8-0-2 at home, with the losses coming against Porto ( 1-2 ) and perhaps surprisingly to Portimonense ( 1-2 ). One of the home wins was against Sporting ( 3-2 ), one of only defeats suffered by Sporting this season.
Vitoria’s top scorers were Brazilian striker Andre Silva with 8, and ex-Nottingham Forest midfielder Tiago Silva with 6.
In addition to Andre Silva, Vitoria’s overseas players starting tonight were Brazilian goal-keeper Charles, Croatian defender Toni Borevkovic, and ex-Fiorentina and Olympiakos Angolan midfielder Bruno Gaspar ( 4 caps )
Ex-Swansea City, Nottingham Forest, Norwich and Reading forward Nelson Oliveira ( 17 caps ) was on the bench, whilst centre-back Tomas Ribeiro had a spell with Swiss side Grasshoppers, and midfielder Ricardo Mangas had played for Bordeaux. The superbly named Andre Andre ( 4 caps ) was also on the bench.
In their last match, at home to Gil Vicente in the Taca de Portugal, Vitoria were victorious 3-1 which was revenge for a 0-1 away loss in the league two weeks earlier. They are now through to the semi-finals, where they will play either Santa Clara or Porto. In their last league match, they won 1-0 at Vizela.
Vitoria’s average home attendance so far this season was 16,679.
I have once seen Vitoria play, when in 1999/20 I saw them lose 0-2 at Belenenses. I don’t remember too match about the game, but the ticket stub shows it cost 2,500 escudos ( roughly £10.50 ) and the Belenenses goals were scored by Brazilian defender Filgueira and Spanish striker Jesus Seba, who along with Roberto Martinez was one of the Three Amigos signed by Wigan Athletic in 1995.
Benfica Background
Sport Lisboa e Benfica need little introduction. One of the big three in Portugal, with 38 league titles, 26 Tacas de Portugal and twice winners of the European Cup ( 1960/61 & 1961/62 ), they are perennial participants in European football. Since 1960 they have failed to qualify for Europe on only two occasions, and have played in the last 13 UEFA Champions League competitions.
Benfica started the game in second place, although a win would take them back to the top, two points ahead of Sporting. They possessed a formidable 16-3-1 record and had won their last 7 league matches. The only defeat had come in the first match of the season, 2-3 at Boavista where they conceded two goals in added on time at the end of the match, but since then they had only dropped points at home to Casa Pia ( 1-1 ), at Moreirense ( 0-0 ) and at home to Farense ( 1-1 ). Against the other Big Three sides they had won at home to Porto ( 1-0 ) and Sporting ( 2-1 ) but were still to play away against both.
Benfica’s form in their Champions League group was not so good though, finishing third and needing a last round 3-1 win at RB Salzburg in order to continue down in the Europa League, where they will face Toulouse. They had lost their opening 4 matches, RB Salzburg ( H 0-2 ), Inter Milan ( A 0-1 ), Real Sociedad ( H 0-1, A 1-3 ) before keeping their hopes alive with a thrilling 3-3 at home to Inter, although they had led 3-0 thanks to a Joao Maria first half hat-trick before being pegged back.
Rafa Silva ( 25 caps ) had scored 13 goals in all competitions ( 8 in the league ) whilst ex-Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and Juventus Argentinian winger Angel Di Maria ( 136 caps ) has scored 11 times ( 7 in the league )
The Benfica starting XI tonight featured 10 internationals, only Brazilian left-back Morato had not represented his country, but only 4 were Portuguese.
Ex-Shakhtar Donetsk keeper Anatoliy Trubin had 10 caps for Ukraine, ex-Slavia Prague right-back had 9 caps for Denmark and ex-Manchester City centre-back Nicolas Otamendi had 135 Argentinian caps. Ex-Feyenoord midfielder Orkun Kocu had played 24 times for Turkey whilst Norwegian Fredrik Aursnes, also ex-Feyenoord, had 17 caps.
The Portuguese internationals were defender Antonio Silva ( 7 caps ), midfielder Joao Neves ( 3 caps), ex-Inter Milan and West Ham midfielder Joao Mario ( 56 caps ) and Rafa Silva.
The only time I have seen Benfica player was in the 2014 Emirates Cup when they lost a pre-season friendly to Arsenal 1-5. The Arsenal goal-scorers were Yaya Sonogo with four and Joel Campbell. Sonogo went on to have a nomadic career playing for Ajax, Crystal Palace, Charlton, Toulouse, Huddersfield and was last sighted at Armenian side Uruatu, but reportedly left them in January. Campbell ( 135 caps for Costa Rica ) is still playing after spells at Lorient, Betis, Olympiakos, Villareal and Mexican side Leon, but is now back home with Alajuelense. He scored in Costa Rica’s 3-1 victory over Uruguay in the 2014 World Cup.
I have seen one match at Benfica’s Estadio da Luz, which has a capacity of just over 62,000, watching England beat Croatia 4-2 in Euro 2004 with Wayne Rooney twice on the score sheet.
Matchday Information
The distance between Guimares and Lisbon is approximately 365km, which should normally take three and a half hours by road.
The temperature at the 20.30 local kick-off time was 13 degrees but it was raining the proverbial cats and dogs and the thundery showers were expected to continue throughout the whole match. So much for the stereotype of Liga Portugal matches being played in heat sapping conditions !
Tickets for the match were sold-out according to the Vitoria website but some empty seats were visible, perhaps with the bad weather keeping some ticket holders from attending ?
The match was streamed live on Bet365.com, who made Benfica 8/13 favourites, with Vitoria at 9/2 and the draw at 3/1.
When the two sides met in Lisbon back in early September, Benfica ran out comfortable 4-0 winners, although Guimares had a player sent-off after only 18 minutes.
Both sides were in the usual kits, white shirts and black shorts for Vitoria and all red for Benfica.
Match Report
At the kick-off puddles were already visible in parts of the pitch so it probably wasn’t the day for playing it around at the back.
The home side started strongly and with less than one minute gone, Jota Silva received a ball on the right-hand side and cut back onto his left foot to send a low 20 yard effort arrowing to the bottom corner, but keeper Trubin made a splendid diving save to push the ball around the post for a corner.
Vitoria won three consecutive corners, but Benfica defended them well. The referee didn’t seem to initially be making much allowance for the pitch conditions, and Jota Silva was shown a yellow card in the 8th minute after sliding into Otamendi.
Benfica looked to be struggling to adapt to the difficult pitch conditions and their first foray into the Vitoria area saw Joao Mario’s left wing cross easily caught by keeper Charles in the 14th minute.
Vitoria were looking lively and after Gaspar made a good run through the middle beating two defenders, his ball out to the left was held up in some water to stay in play and Mangas’ cross into the 6 yard area saw some unconvincing defending from Otamendi, and the ball could have gone anywhere.
With 17 minutes on the clock, an appalling attempted back pass from Morato from close to the half-way line went down the touchline. Jota Silva reached the ball as it stopped in some water and a defender ran past it, but the attempted cross into the area with his left foot was sliced and headed back towards the half-way line !
Two minutes later Benfica won a free-kick 35 yards away from the Guimares goal, and Di Maria’s delightful delivery needed a timely defensive header from Andre Silva back helping out his defence to concede a corner to prevent Antonio Silva having a free header from 6 yards.
Vitoria were able to launch a counter attack with Gaspar finding Jota Silva, whose incisive ball behind the left-back enabled Borevkovic to be free on the right. His low cross stopped in the 6 yard box, and after a scramble and a block, Benfica were able to clear their lines.
After 23 minutes Benfica won another free-kick in a promising position but this time it was taken by Kokcu whose effort appeared to be heading into the top corner, until keeper Charles made a good save to push the ball away for a corner. Another corner was conceded by the Vitoria defence, but the second delivery was met beyond the far post by Neves, who could only head even further wide of the post.
Benfica were starting to get into the game, and when Di Maria popped up in a dangerous position after a solo run, a fine sliding tackle from Borevkovic not only averted the dangerous but won a goal-kick for his team.
At the other end, a cross from Gaspar was only partially cleared, and when the ball fell to Handel, his curling attempted was pawed away by Trubin at the expense of a corner. When the ball was played into the near post, Oliveira Fernandes managed to get a head to it, but it stopped in the 6 yard area. Trubin made a brave block to deny Borevkovic from three yards but when Kokcu challenged for the loose ball he only succeeded in bringing down Ribeiro, and the referee pointed to the spot for the penalty, and showed a yellow card to Kokcu. After VAR confirmed the penalty decision, Tiago Silva stepped up to blast the spot-kick into the keeper’s top right hand corner, giving Trubin no chance. 1-0 to Vitoria after 37 minutes.
Vitoria’s Gaspar soon after received a yellow card for chopping down Joao Mario, shortly after which Di Maria went on a mazy run from close to the touchline to the by-line but Fernandez produced a great tackle to disposes the veteran Argentinian winger and concede a corner.
Vitoria managed to clear the set-piece but only as far as Antonio Silva mid-way inside the Guimares half, and the centre-back played a clever pass to find Di Maria in space on the right. A first- time low cross with the outside of his left-foot found Rafa Silva running in at the back post for a side-footed finish into the opposite corner for a well worked equaliser from a moment of quality from Di Maria. A first glance it looked like Rafa Silva was off-side, but VAR reviewed and the goal stood. 1-1 after 40 minutes.
The yellow cards were starting to flow, with Antonio Silva added to the list by fouling Andre Silva. The free-kick from the left reached Ribeiro 8 yards out but his header somehow stuck between the keeper’s legs, who then gratefully gathered. A yard either side of the keeper and it was a certain goal.
Vitoria continued to end the half strongly, as a 30 yarder from Andre Silva curled just wide of the post as the keeper watched on motionless.
Benfica probably felt a little fortunate to go into the break on level terms, and German coach Roger Schmidt made two changes, with ex-Basel and Fiorentina Brazilian striker Arthur Cabral and midfielder Florentino coming on to replace Joao Mario and Kokcu.
Cabral almost made an instant impact, falling over Borevkovic after the Croat had slid to intercept a low cross and was laying on the floor, but the referee correctly deemed there to be no foul. However, from the subsequent corner from Di Maria, keeper Charles did well to punch the ball off the head of Cabral for another corner. Di Maria’s next delivery was under the crossbar and again Charles did well to punch away, and shortly after Bah forced another corner off Mangas.
Benfica had started the second period well but Charles again produced a good punch under his bar to clear a corner from Di Maria.
As the rain continued to fall and conditions worsened, play at time became farcical with players slipping over, or running past ball which had stopped in the puddle, or balls not reaching their intended targets. As a consequence, both teams started to play much more directly, trying to get the ball forward quicker than they had been before.
The game’s comedy moment came shortly after. Bah had got away with stealing 10 yards at a throw-in, but when the ball went out of playa again he next attempted to blatantly steal another 15 yards, but this time the referee was having none of it, penalising as a foul throw and awarding the throw to Vitoria.
With 55 minutes gone Otamendi failed to cut-out a long-ball intended for Jota Silva, who then skipped past Morato. However, Otamendi then did well to recover and disposes the Vitoria attacker for a corner. After the corner was headed away, the ball was played back in from the left by Mangas and Jota Silva engineered a good header into the corner of the net from around 10 yards. However, he had retreated from an off-side position when the ball was crossed and the effort was chalked off and the scores remained level.
The home side were getting on top again, and when Jota Silva succeeded in getting to the by-line his pull-back was inadvertently returned to him by Bah. This time Jota Silva attempted to play across the goalmouth but Trubin stuck out a leg and blocked the low cross to deny Mangas a tap in at the far post.
Vitoria were soon though rewarded by a fine goal. Gaspar’s ball on the right reached Jota Silva who played immediately across goal. Andre Silva managed to get ahead of Antonio Silva to steer the ball with the outside of his left foot into the far corner for a lovely finish. 2-1 to Vitoria after 61 minutes.
The home side’s euphoria was quickly dampened three minutes later when Borevkovic was shown a red card after diving in studs up at Florentino to send the Benfica substitute flying through the air. An unnecessary challenge was rightly punished, forcing Vitoria to sacrifice Andre Silva to bring on a defender, and to switch to a 5-3-1 formation.
Perhaps in a sign of Benfica’s desperation, Cabral then sent a hugely optimistic 40 yard effort hopelessly wide, then Di Maria’s cross found Rafa Silva unmarked 6 yards out but his header was met by a diving save. However, the flag was raised for off-side.
At the other end, a header forward enabled Jota Silva to get past Antonio Silva and head for goal, but under pressure from Otamendi, his shot from the edge of the Benfica area was kept out by Trubin’s outstretched leg.
Benfica were now though dominating possession and it became mostly a case of whether or not Vitoria could hold on to their lead. Di Maria sent another cross under the crossbar but Charles was again up to the task. Bah’s cross was then punched away by Charles, and when Tiago Silva attempted to make a break towards the half-way line, he was up-ended by Florentino, who saw yellow from the referee.
A nice Benfica move saw a long cross-field pass from the left find Di Maria on the right. A give and go with Cabral put Di Maria in space but his shot to the near post was well saved. DI Maria though had been a yard off-side when he received the return pass.
Vitoria were not yet finished as an attacking force, and Trubin had to come off his line to gather ahead of Jota Silva, and then some good play from Jota Silva won a corner off Otamendi. The Vitoria forward then went down with what appeared to be cramp and was promptly substituted.
Florentino brought down Mangas, and was perhaps a tad fortunate not to receive a second yellow card to level the playing numbers. A cute move from the Vitoria free-kick found Mangas in space inside the left-hand side of the penalty area but his shot from a tight angle went into the side netting.
With a minute of normal time remaining, Di Maria’s corner was headed away, but when the ball was played back to the Argentine, his pin-point left footed cross from the right was met by Cabral who leapt the highest to power home a header from 6 yards for the equaliser. 2-2 after 89 minutes.
Six added minutes were to be played, and Benfica surged forward in search of the winner. Another Di Maria cross found Cabral, but his back-flicked header from 16 yards was going well wide before Charles gathered. Di Maria then slipped a pass into the 6 yard area, but Charles was quick to dive on it to thwart any danger.
Vitoria managed to hang on to claim a 2-2 draw, and if Borevkovic hadn’t needlessly got himself sent off they probably would have taken all three points. At the final whistle, Otamendi managed to be shown a yellow card, presumably for something said to the referee.
Despite failing to win, Benfica moved back to the top of the table. Despite having an inferior goal difference to Sporting, in Portugal sides level on points are initially separated on their head-to-head record, and Benfica beat Sporting 2-1 earlier in the season. Vitoria remained in 5th but level on points with Braga. As Vitoria and Braga drew their match, Braga took 4th place on goals scored and they had the same goal difference.
Despite the bad weather and the flooded pitch, or perhaps because of it, this was a very enjoyable game to watch. At times in the second half it felt more like an old fashioned FA Cup-tie rather than sophisticated and technical continental football !!
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YxoMvF42T94
Vitoria de Guimares : Charles – Borevkovic, Fernandez, Ribeiro – Gaspar, Tiago Silva, Handel, Santos ( Ze Carlos ), Mangas – Andre Silva ( Manu ), Jota Silva ( Oliveira )
SL Benfica : Trubin – Bah, Antonio Silva, Otamendi, Morato ( Marcos Leonardo ) – Di Maria, Neves ( David Neres ), Joao Mario ( Cabral ), Kokcu ( Florentino ), Aursnes ( Carreras ) – Rafa Silva
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