Benfica can be crowned champions this weekend, but it doesn’t just depend on you. To make the title a reality, Roger Schmidt’s team must beat Portimonense on Saturday and hope that Casa Pia beat FC Porto in Dragão on Sunday. The punctual difference is four points, and in addition to the title, the Luz club is chasing a record – achieving the best score ever in the I Liga.
In his debut year at Luz, Roger Schmidt could go down in Benfica history as the top scoring coach in the league. Currently, with 31 games already played, the Eagles have 80 points. And to beat Rui Vitória’s record of 88 in 2015/16 (29 games won, four drawn and four lost), they need to win the remaining three games, that is, add nine points. The first this Saturday, in the Algarve, against Portimonense. This will be followed by a trip to Alvalade to compete with Sporting and finally the reception in Santa Clara.
Since the 1995/96 season, in which wins are worth three points, Benfica have only broken the 80-point mark five times. In addition to holding the record, Rui Vitória achieved it in 2016-17 (82 points) and 2017-18 (81 points). Bruno Lage, in the 2018-19 season, reached 87. But the first was Jorge Jesus, in 2014-15 (85 pts.)
The I Liga point record belongs to FC Porto, who last season, already under the leadership of Sérgio Conceição, achieved a total of 91 out of a possible 102, that is, achieved a success rate of 89.21%.
One thing seems certain. Roger Schmidt will almost certainly beat his personal best for points, a record set last season when he coached PSV Eindhoven, from the Netherlands, finishing the league with 81.
If the I Liga accounts are not closed this weekend, the championship could be decided in Alvalade, with Benfica needing only a win against the perennial rival. If it happened, it would be the fifth time the Reds would play against Sporting, after 1935-36, 1974-75 (in Alvalade), 1983-1984 and 1986-87.
UEFA fine and punishment
Benfica was fined €35,000 by UEFA yesterday and banned from selling tickets to its fans in the next game outside Luz that counts for European competitions. It concerns the involvement of supporters in incidents before, during and after the match in Milan against Inter in the first leg of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Benfica fans threw flares in the area where Inter fans were, an action that left several people injured, including an eight-year-old child. Before the match, 19 red fans had been arrested after clashes with police, in which five officers were injured.
“The sanction in question is the result of the incidents verified during the Inter Milan-Benfica match on April 19. Sport Lisboa e Benfica will evaluate the possibility of appealing against this decision, communicated today. [ontem] by UEFA,” informed Luz’s club who, remember, sent a letter to the Italian club apologizing at the time.
Source: DN
