Ahead of trip to Estoril, Benfica starter set for historic record | OneFootball

Nicolás Otamendi is preparing to reach a historic milestone in Portuguese football. If Benfica manage to get at least a point this Saturday against Estoril, at Amoreira, the Eagles’ captain will become the only player in Portugal to finish three league campaigns without a single defeat.

The experienced Argentine centre-back had already achieved that feat with Porto in the 2010/11 and 2012/13 seasons. Now, at 38, he could repeat the achievement in a Benfica shirt, in a season in which José Mourinho’s side goes into the final matchday still unbeaten in the league.

To date, only four teams have managed to complete a Portuguese league season without defeat: Benfica in 1972/73 and 1977/78, and Porto in 2010/11 and 2012/13. A total of 78 different players took part in those historic campaigns, but only a few managed the feat on more than one occasion.

With another unbeaten league title, Otamendi would move ahead of historic Benfica names in Portuguese football, such as Bento, Humberto Coelho, Shéu and Toni, all of whom finished two league campaigns without defeat. The Argentine would stand alone at the top of that list, further cementing the status he has built throughout his career.

The match against Estoril could also carry added symbolism for the Argentine international. With his contract at Benfica coming to an end, Otamendi is getting closer and closer to leaving the Luz, closing a historic chapter with a record never before achieved in Portugal.

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