Benfica at serious risk of missing out on the Youth League in 2026/27 | OneFootball

Benfica's dream in the Youth League came to an end this Friday, April 17, after a 3-1 defeat to Club Brugge in the competition's semi-finals, in an outcome that left the under-19 side out of the final and with no chance of repeating their 2021/22 triumph.

The Eagles did enter the final stage of the competition aiming to reach the fourth final in their history, but they were ultimately caught out by an efficient Belgian side that made better use of its chances, resulting in the Portuguese team's elimination.

In addition to the elimination, the situation becomes even more worrying because Benfica may be at risk of failing to secure a place in the next edition of the Youth League, something that depends directly on the performances of the senior and under-19 teams in domestic competitions.

If the first team fail to qualify directly through the Champions League, and also depending on the final standings in the under-19 championship, the Eagles could end up relying on a combination of results to secure a place in the European youth competition in 2026/27.

With five rounds left in the championship qualification stage, Porto are top with 23 points, seven ahead of Benfica and Rio Ave. The next round, on May 6, features Benfica vs Rio Ave in Seixal, which could prove decisive in clarifying the standings.

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