FC Porto reach 103 wins against Benfica’s 93 in their historic rivalry | OneFootball

On January 14, at the Estádio do Dragão, a solitary goal by the Polish defender Bednarek in the 15th minute gave FC Porto their 103rd victory against 93 for the 'encarnados', who continue to score more goals (298-375). There have been 63 draws.

With this result, the 'blue and whites' ended a series of three games without a win – which included a draw (0-0) also at the Dragão, for the championship, and two heavy defeats against Benfica by 4-1 in the 2024/25 season.

The 'encarnados', who at the end of the 2022/23 season had 12 fewer victories, have already reduced that difference in 2023/24, winning two encounters to one, despite a heavy 0-5 defeat.

In 2023/24, Benfica won the Super Cup in Aveiro by 2-0, with goals from Ángel Di María and substitute Petar Musa, and also triumphed in the I Liga match by 1-0, again through Di María.

The 'dragons' responded emphatically by thrashing at home 5-0, with goals from Galeno in the 20th and 44th minutes, Wendell in the 55th, Pepê in the 75th, and substitute Danny Namaso in the 90th, in a match where the 'encarnados' were reduced to ten with the expulsion of captain Otamendi in the 61st.

Last season, under the command of Bruno Lage – later replaced by José Mourinho – Benfica won both championship games with an impressive aggregate of 8-2.

In the 11th round, Samu reduced in the 44th minute responding to Álvaro Carreras' first goal in the 30th, but in the second half, two more goals from Di María, in the 56th and 82nd (the second from a penalty), and an own goal by Nehuén Pérez in the 61st, determined the 'eagles' victory by 4-1.

After that 4-1 at home, Benfica also signed a historic 4-1 away, matching the 3-0 of 1974/75, in a game where the Greek Pavlidis shone by scoring three goals – right in the first minute, in the 43rd and 69th.

Even so, Samu reduced again in the 81st minute, but the 'encarnados' sealed the result in the 90+4 through captain and former FC Porto player Otamendi.

In the current season, already with Mourinho at the helm, Benfica secured a goalless draw at the Dragão in the eighth round, preventing FC Porto from Francesco Farioli from completing the first half of the I Liga without defeats.

Counting the 259 matches between the teams for I Liga, Taça de Portugal, Taça da Liga, Supertaça, and Campeonato de Portugal since 1931, the 'dragons' maintain the advantage and, in the third decade of the 21st century (since 2020/21), FC Porto also dominates with seven victories against five for the 'encarnados'.

The Porto team had already been superior in the second decade of the 21st century (15 victories against seven), reversing the previous history; since 1980/81 they have recorded 24 more victories (64 against 40), while Benfica ended the 70s with an advantage (53 against 39).

The 'eagles' have not dominated a decade since precisely the 70s, when they added five more victories (11 against six, in 23 games), repeating the patterns of the 40s (14-6, in 22) and 60s (12-7, in 28).

In the confrontation related only to the championship, FC Porto has an even greater advantage: 11 more victories (72 against 61), in a duel with 50 draws where Benfica leads in the number of goals (281-269).

The classic, whose first chapter dates back to June 28, 1931, with a 3-0 for Benfica at Campo do Arnado, has as its top scorer a Benfica player, the 'king' Eusébio, with 25 goals.

The 260th meeting between Benfica and FC Porto, referring to the 25th round of the I Liga 2025/26, will be played on Sunday, at 18:00, at the Estádio da Luz, in Lisbon.

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