Benfica helps Portugal top UEFA, with a Champions spot at stake | OneFootball

Benfica once again gave Portugal an important boost in the European standings. The Eagles’ 2-0 win over Milan at San Siro, combined with Torreense’s 2-1 victory against Lillestrom, allowed Portugal to climb to first place in UEFA’s annual ranking.

Before Wednesday’s European fixtures, Portugal was in third place, behind Azerbaijan and Norway. With those two wins, Portuguese football moved up to 5.500 points, taking the lead in the standings and putting itself in one of the two positions that guarantee an additional Champions League spot next season.

Benfica and Torreense each contributed 0.4 points to the ranking. Sporting had already picked up a Champions League win against Galatasaray, while Porto suffered a home defeat to Manchester City. Braga have yet to play in the Conference League. Portugal therefore heads into the international break at the top, knowing the battle for the extra Champions League place is still far from decided. The next round of European fixtures will only take place after the international break.

Right behind comes England, with 5.277 points, despite having nine clubs in European competitions. Brighton have not yet taken to the field in the Conference League, but the other eight English teams won their respective matches: five in the Champions League and three in the Europa League.

. The battle therefore promises to remain tight in the coming rounds, with every Portuguese win potentially carrying major weight in the race for an extra place in Europe’s top competition.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.