Estoril-Benfica: a record with 73 years

Benfica visits Estoril-Praia at 8:30 pm on Saturday, in a match from round 31 of the Liga NOS. It will be the 26th encounter held at Amoreira for the competition, where the record is largely favorable to the Reds.

The emotions are running high in the National Championship and Benfica remains in the title race, with the objective of achieving the unprecedented Fifth League Title in a row. “It must be clear that it is not over yet… we will fight until the end” – Rui Vitória remembered, at the end of the "clássico", that the reds still have four finals to play and 12 points at stake.

The first is already on Saturday (8:30 pm), away at Estoril-Praia… The team from Luz makes a short trip to the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota to play the 26th match between Reds and “canaries” for the Liga NOS.

If, on the one hand, the home factor is on the Canaries’ side, Benfica has in its favor a head to head record with more than 73 years. The record is largely positive, with 19 victories for the Reds, 5 draws, and only 1 loss, in 1946/47 season (6-3). In all, since January 28, 1945 – when it took place the first match between the two emblems at Estoril’s home ground –, the players of Benfica scored 56 goals, having only conceded 18. Seven of those 56 were scored in the biggest rout registered, in 1950/51, in a red and white triumph by 0-7.

Estoril won in the last round of the Liga NOS, in the trip to Portimão, by 0-1, heating up the relegation battle. A result that allowed Estoril, with 26 points, to climb up to 17th place, the first position in the relegation zone. Benfica is the team with the best point return away from home. In the 15 away matches, the team achieved 10 victories, registered four draws and suffered one defeat. With these results, the team racked up 34 points, one more than FC Porto and four more than Sporting, in the same number of matches.

At the Amoreira, it is expected a sold-out stadium! The Red Wave that has been following the team all over the country continues to believe it wins possible to win the National Title.The tickets are on sale in the usual places.

Text: Filipa Fernandes Garcia

Pics: Archive / SL Benfica