Benfica lose at the Dragão, but Palhinha insists: more conviction | OneFootball

A day after Benfica’s 3-1 defeat to Porto in the first Clássico of the 2026/27 Betclic League, João Palhinha took to social media to send a message of support to the Eagles’ fans. This Monday, the Portuguese defensive midfielder posted an Instagram story in which he assured that the team remains confident about the future despite the negative result at the Estádio do Dragão: “Today, with even more conviction and belief in what we will achieve together!” Palhinha wrote in the caption of the post.

The Portugal international started in the Clássico and played the full 90 minutes in a match in which Benfica ended up losing 3-1, bringing an end to a run of five consecutive league wins. Palhinha’s return to Portuguese football also allowed him to return to the national team. The midfielder was called up by Jorge Jesus in the 72-year-old coach’s first squad announcement, after having missed the World Cup.

Alongside Palhinha, Benfica also saw Samuel Soares and Tomás Araújo called up to the national team. The list also includes names such as João Cancelo, Rúben Dias, Nuno Tavares, João Neves, Bernardo Silva, João Félix, Gonçalo Ramos and Fábio Silva.

He explained that the choices for the squad were based exclusively on the players’ sporting form and performances, ruling out the possibility of decisions being influenced by the fans’ reaction.

“What matters to me is the players’ current form and quality. I cannot respond to the fans’ reaction,” said the national team coach. While waiting for the international break, Palhinha thus offered Benfica fans one assurance: despite the setback at the Dragão, confidence in the path laid out remains intact.

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