Will Benfica delay two league games for the Europa League? Eagles' plan | OneFootball

Benfica do not intend to postpone any of the matches in the first two rounds of the Liga Portugal Betclic, even though the regulations allow that possibility for teams involved in the qualifying rounds of European competitions.

The club’s intention is to stick to the schedule, allowing only adjustments to match dates. The priority for the structure led by Rui Costa is to manage the calendar as evenly as possible, taking European commitments into account.

The 2026/27 season calendar provides that Benfica and Sporting de Braga may postpone one match from the first three rounds of Liga Portugal due to their participation in the qualifying rounds of UEFA competitions. However, the Eagles have chosen not to make use of that option. Even so, the dates of the matches could still change, moving from Saturday to Sunday or Monday depending on the European schedule, according to 'Correio da Manhã'.

If they get past St. Gallen, Benfica will find out whether they will play the first leg of the next round at home or away. If the European match on 6 August is played at the Estádio da Luz, the home game against Académico de Viseu, corresponding to the opening round of the league, should be played on 9 August. If the European fixture is away from home, the Liga Portugal clash should be moved to 10 August.

Despite ruling out postponing the first two rounds, Benfica are still considering that possibility for the third round of the championship against Moreirense, a match currently scheduled for 23 August. That scenario would allow for a more balanced distribution of the competitive workload before the first international break. The date of the second round could still be changed after the Europa League or Conference League play-off draw, scheduled for 3 August, if Benfica remain in the competition or are dropped into UEFA’s secondary tournament.

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