A more Portuguese Benfica in Europe

It has been 12 years– December 6, 2006 – since Benfica fielded seven Portuguese players in the starting XI in a Champions League group stage match!

In the home match against AEK (1-0), the team under Rui Vitória started the match with seven Portuguese players in the starting lineup – André Almeida, Rúben Dias, Alfa Semedo, Pizzi, Gedson, Rafa and João Félix –, four of which nurtured at Caixa Futebol Campus: Rúben Dias, Alfa Semedo (he played 90 minutes in the competition for the first time), Gedson and João Félix (a debut as a starter in the most important European club competition).

Before Wednesday evening, the last time in which Benfica had stepped onto the pitch with seven Portuguese players in a Champions League group stage match was on December 6, 2006. 12 years ago, at Old Trafford, Fernando Santos launched Quim, Nélson, Ricardo Rocha, Petit, Nuno Assis, Nuno Gomes and Simão Sabrosa among the starters, in a match that the eagles lost by 3-1 against Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United.

In that Champions League campaign, in 2006/07, the current National team coach would repeat the used of those seven Portuguese players in the home match against Copenhagen (3-1) and against Celtic (3-0), maintaining seven Portuguese player in the starting lineup in the trip to Denmark (0-0), but swapping Nélson for Paulo Jorge.

Eight Portuguese players in the Championship in 2007

Taking this analysis to the championship, to find similarities we have to go back to 2007, when Jose Antonio Camacho - in the match that marked the start of his second spell at the red emblem - fielded eight Portuguese players in the starting XI.

On August 25, 2007, Quim, Nélson, Miguel Vítor, Fábio Coentrão, Petit, Rui Costa, Nuno Assis and Nuno Gomes stepped onto the pitch of Estádio da Luz, in a match that would end with a scoreless draw against Vitória de Guimarães.

In the current season, in the Liga NOS, Rui Vitória has already fielded sic players in the starting lineup, namely in the home match against Moreirense (1-3): André Almeida, Rúben Dias, Pizzi, Gedson, Rafa and João Félix were the chosen players.

Text: Filipa Fernandes Garcia

Pics: Isabel Cutileiro and João Paulo Trindade / SL Benfica