Benfica know draw rules, one thing certain for league opener | OneFootball

Benfica already knows part of the scenario for the 2026/27 Liga Portugal draw, scheduled for 7:00 pm this Thursday at the Liga Portugal Arena. Even before the matchups are known, the Eagles already have one certainty.

The Eagles will play Matchday 1 at the Estádio da Luz, due to the conditions set by the competition’s organizers. This situation stems from Sporting having requested to play the opening round away from home, due to the unavailability of the José Alvalade Stadium because of renovation work. In addition, the safety rule that prevents Benfica and Sporting from both playing at home in the same round remains in place, which automatically confirms the Eagles’ home debut.

The draw will also bring other important restrictions for Benfica. As the Club will be playing in the Europa League qualifying rounds, it cannot face Braga, teams from the islands, or any of the clubs that make up the top five best averages from the last three seasons in the first four matchdays. Even so, there is still the possibility of facing Vitória de Guimarães in that opening period.

Another restriction is related to the European schedule. On Matchdays 6, 9, 10, 14, 19, 22, 23, 26, 29 and 32, Benfica will not be able to face Portuguese clubs involved in the Champions League, namely Porto and Sporting, as the League seeks to balance the schedule of the teams representing Portugal in European competitions.

With all these rules already defined, all that remains now is to find out the opponent that will mark Benfica’s debut in the new edition of the Liga Portugal. The draw takes place this Thursday and will set a schedule that promises to be shaped from the very first matchdays by the demands of national and international competitions.

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