Benfica starter says sorry to team-mates for Clássico blunder v Porto | OneFootball

Clément Lenglet apologized to his teammates for his sending-off in the Clássico of the seventh round of the league, against Porto. The French defender spoke to the squad right after the 3-1 defeat at the Estádio do Dragão and acknowledged responsibility for the incident that saw him leave the match still in the first half.

In the conversation with his teammates, the centre-back admitted that the sending-off resulted from an unnecessary and thoughtless act, with an impact on the team’s ambitions in the match. The player ultimately received support from the rest of the squad and from the coaching staff led by Marco Silva.

The French international received his first yellow card in the 25th minute, following a foul on Victor Froholdt near Benfica’s penalty area. Ten minutes later, Miguel Nogueira cautioned him again, this time with a red card for two bookings, after Lenglet struck André Silva with his left hand on the back of the neck.

This was the defender’s first sending-off since arriving at Luz in the last summer transfer window, on loan from Atlético de Madrid. The deal provides for the defender to remain at Benfica on a permanent basis and with no transfer fee. The last red card of the Frenchman’s career had come on 5 October 2025, also for two yellow cards and still before half-time, in a draw against Celta de Vigo.

The sending-off will also have consequences for the next league fixture: Lenglet will miss the match between Benfica and Vitória de Guimarães, scheduled for 11 October at 6:00 pm at the Estádio da Luz. Alessandro Circati should therefore get another opportunity in the starting eleven and form a partnership with Tomás Araújo.

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