Benfica adds one more victory than Sporting in the history of the derbies played in the Leonese stronghold of the Portuguese Football First League, after the 2-0 win last season.
In a match for matchday 30 of the 2021/22 championship, played on April 17, 2022, the Uruguayan Darwin Núñez, at 14 minutes, and the substitute Gil Dias, at 90+2, sealed the victory for those then led by Nelson Really.
With this triumph, Benfica now has 34 in the Sporting stronghold, against 33 for the leões, and also took the lead in terms of goals, with 127, against 125.
The ‘incarnated’ had already turned the Alvalade derby around after 2019/20, but Sporting came from behind in 2020/21, in a 1-0 win, thanks to a goal from Matheus Nunes, in the 90th minute +2, in an empty stadium, due to covid-19.
Before this triumph, Benfica had gone eight games in a row without losing, including four victories, the first by 3-1, in 2012/13, thanks to an own goal by Rojo and a ‘double’ by Cardozo, in response to a goal from Van Wolfswinkel.
After two 1-1 draws, redeemed with goals from Markovic (65 minutes), in 2013/14, and Jardel (90+4), in 2014/15, the ‘incarnated’ won again in 2015/16, with Mitroglou scoring a decisive goal for the title.
Two more draws followed, one in 2016/17, sealed with a direct free kick from Lindelöf, and zero in 2017/18, and two clearer victories, 4-2 in 2018/19, with goals from Seferovic, João Félix, Rúben Dias and Pizzi, and 2-0 in 2019/20, with Rafa’s ‘encore’ (80 and 90+9 minutes).
As for Sporting, they need to go back on April 9, 2012, to matchday 26 of the 2011/12 I Liga, to find the last home win for the championship with the public: a Van Wolfswinkel penalty, in the 18th minute, sealed the final 1-0.
With total dominance for the last 10 years, Benfica now ‘runs’ at Sporting’s home, and before 2019/20, this had not happened since 1949/50.
In addition to Benfica’s advantage, the only one in history among the ‘greats’, all dominated by the hosts, the Alvalade derby also has two games that have entered the legend, Sporting’s 7-1 in 1986/87 and the 3-6 for Benfica in 1993/94.
Manuel Fernandes was the ‘hero’ of the match on December 14, 1986, scoring a ‘poker’ (four goals), while João Vieira Pinto shone on the rainy night of May 14, 1994, with a hat-trick ‘ (three ) In the first part.
The 1-0 triumph of the ‘incarnated’ in 1999/2000, and the 1-1 draw in 2001/02, which postponed the 17th and 18th titles of the ‘lions’, also went down in history. Now, they will also have the possibility of postponing the 38th of the ‘incarnated’.
Source: TSF
