Nine hours for Benfica: Bruno Lage makes history with season start | OneFootball

Benfica reached nine hours of play without conceding a goal in the match against Tondela, a milestone that propels Bruno Lage and the rest of the team into the Club's history: never before had the team achieved such a positive defensive record at the start of a season.

After the 3-0 victory against Tondela, Benfica reached six complete matches without conceding goals in 2025/26. The record began in the Cândido de Oliveira Super Cup (1-0) and continued in the third qualifying round of the Champions League, against Nice (0-2 and 2-0).

After securing the Champions League play-off, they followed up with a victory against Estrela da Amadora in their debut in the Liga Portugal Betclic (1-0). The draw in Istanbul (0-0) continued the streak, which extended even further after the convincing triumph against Tondela (3-0).

So, it's six games, five victories, and zero goals conceded so far in 2025/26. The last time they went this long without conceding was in 2020/21, with the best record dating back to 1985/86, when they didn't concede for 11 games. However, Benfica has never started a season this well in its 121-year history.

Trubin and Bruno Lage are perhaps the key figures in this achievement, but there are other names to highlight: the consistency offered by Richard Ríos and Enzo Barrenechea (who made nine recoveries against Tondela) has been one of the important factors. Otamendi is another important name in the equation: against Tondela, he made three interceptions, 13 clearances, blocked a shot, and won all aerial duels contested.

Check out this great defensive moment from the team:

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