S.L. Benfica in international football

Sport Lisboa e Benfica is a Portuguese professional football club based in Lisbon whose involvement in European competition dates back to the 1950s. As champions of Portugal, Benfica were supposed to participate in the inaugural edition of the European Cup in 1955, but they were not invited by the organizers. Two years later, they made their European debut against Sevilla in the European Cup, on 19 September 1957.

S.L. Benfica in international football
The 1961 and 1962 European Cup trophies on display at Museu Cosme Damião
ClubS.L. Benfica
First entry1957–58 European Cup
Latest entry2020–21 UEFA Europa League
Titles
Champions League2 (1961, 1962)

Benfica won their first European title in 1961, defeating Barcelona to win the European Cup, and successfully retained the title in the following year after defeating Real Madrid. After that, they appeared in five more finals (1963, 1965, 1968, 1988 and 1990) but failed to reconquer the title. These consecutive final losses have been attributed to a famous curse by Hungarian manager Béla Guttmann in 1962. Benfica have also played in three UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League finals (1983, 2013 and 2014), losing all three.

With two titles, Benfica are the second most decorated Portuguese team in UEFA competitions, and hold the Portuguese record for most appearances in finals of UEFA competitions, with ten appearances. Additionally, the 40 participations in the Champions League (formerly the European Cup) are only surpassed by Real Madrid and they occupy, as of 11 March 2020, the eighth place at the competition's all-time ranking.

Benfica's biggest European win was 10–0, which came against Stade Dudelange of Luxembourg for the 1965–66 European Cup, and their 18–0 aggregate win constitutes a European Cup record. Brazilian defender Luisão holds the club record for appearances in Europe, with 124 matches, while former Portuguese striker Eusébio is the club's leading European goalscorer, with 56 goals.

Background

The first continental competition organised by UEFA was the European Cup in 1955. Conceived by Gabriel Hanot, the editor of L'Équipe, as a competition for winners of the European national football leagues, it is considered the most prestigious European football competition.[1] That year, Benfica had won the Primeira Divisão, but the competition organizers selected Sporting CP to take part in the first edition.[2] Another club competition, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, was established in 1955 and contested in parallel with the European Cup. It eventually came under the auspices of UEFA in 1971, which rebranded it to UEFA Cup. Since the 2009–10 season, the competition has been known as the UEFA Europa League.[3]

In 1957, Benfica won the league title and assured their European debut in the 1957–58 European Cup. In the following years, UEFA created additional club competitions. The first, the Cup Winners' Cup, was inaugurated in 1960 for the winners of domestic cup competitions. Established in 1973, the UEFA Super Cup was originally a match played between the winners of the European Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup. Since 2000, it has been contested by the winners of the Champions League (formerly the European Cup) and the Europa League (formerly the UEFA Cup).[4]

The Intercontinental Cup was a competition for the winners of the European Cup (the later UEFA Champions League) and its South American equivalent, the Copa Libertadores. Established in 1960, the Intercontinental Cup was jointly organised by UEFA and the Confederación Sudamericana de Fútbol (CONMEBOL). It ran until 2004, when it was replaced by the FIFA Club World Cup, which includes the winners of all six continental confederations' premier club competitions.[5]

European champions and Guttmann's curse (1950–79)

Benfica's first European silverware came in 1950 when, managed by Ted Smith, they beat French side Bordeaux at the Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, Portugal, to win the Latin Cup.[6] Seven years later, the team reached their second and last Latin Cup final, but lost to Alfredo Di Stéfano's Real Madrid.[7] After an unsuccessful UEFA competition debut in the 1957–58 European Cup, where they lost to Sevilla in the initial round,[8] Benfica hired Hungarian manager Béla Guttmann, who led the team to their first European Cup final ever on 31 May 1961.[9] Having overcome Hearts, Újpest Dózsa, AGF Aarhus and Rapid Wien, Benfica faced Barcelona in the final, where goals from José Águas, Mário Coluna and an own goal from Antoni Ramallets helped the club lift its first European Cup.[10] In the following year, already with Eusébio in the lineup, Guttmann guided the team to back-to-back European Cup successes. After defeating Austria Wien, 1. FC Nürnberg and Tottenham Hotspur,[11][12] Benfica met Real Madrid in the final on 2 May 1962. A hat-trick from Ferenc Puskás put the Spanish champions ahead before half-time, but a double from Coluna and rising star Eusébio overturned the score to 5–3.[13][14]

Not in a hundred years from now will Benfica ever be European champions.

Béla Guttmann in 1962.[15]

After consecutive European Cup wins, Guttmann approached the club's board of directors asking for a pay rise. As his demand was turned down, he left the club and professed his famous curse.[16] Benfica replaced him with Fernando Riera, and while the Chilean manager led the team to a third-straight European Cup final, he failed to emulate Guttmann's success. On 25 May 1963, against Milan, Benfica's chances were slim after a harsh tackle from Gino Pivatelli on Coluna severely debilitated him.[17] In a time when substitutions did not exist, Benfica played the rest of the match crippled, and two second-half goals from José Altafini sent the trophy to Italy.[18][19][20] After a poor performance in the 1963–64 European Cup, Benfica returned to the final in the following season. Led by Romanian manager Elek Schwartz, Benfica eliminated Real Madrid 5–1 in the quarter-finals on their way to meet the holders Inter Milan in the final, which was played at Inter's home ground, San Siro, in a muddy and waterlogged pitch.[21] A mistake from Alberto da Costa Pereira, allowing a shot from Jair to pass between his legs, cost Benfica their second attempt at a European Cup treble.[22]

The following season, Benfica defeated Stade Dudelange 18–0 on aggregate, establishing a European record for biggest win on aggregate.[23] However, at a later stage of the competition, they conceded a record home defeat to Manchester United and were eliminated.[24] After one year competing in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup,[25] Benfica returned to the European Cup and reached their fifth final in 1968. After eliminating Juventus 3–0 in the semi-finals, Benfica faced Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on 29 May 1968. Bobby Charlton opened the score, but Jaime Graça equalised on the 79th minute. Near the end of regular time, Eusébio squandered a one-on-one chance against Alex Stepney and the match went to extra time, where three goals in eight minutes gave the English side their first European title.[26] The following season, Benfica were stopped in the quarter-finals by Ajax after a replay in Paris. As in the previous season's final, Benfica conceded three goals during extra time and were eliminated.[27][28] In 1969–70, Benfica fell in the second round against Scottish team and eventual finalists Celtic in a coin toss decision.[29]

After a mildly successful period in the 1960s, where they stood among the top contenders, Southern European teams started to lose influence in the European stage during the 1970s, as Dutch and German teams appeared stronger. In the 1971–72 European Cup, Benfica lost in the semi-finals to a Johan Cruyff-led Ajax on their way to a second consecutive win.[30][31] Benfica reached the quarter-finals of the 1974–75 European Cup Winners' Cup before being eliminated by another Dutch team, PSV Eindhoven.[32] Over the course of the late 1970s, as historic players like Eusébio and Simões retired, Benfica could not maintain the same performance of the previous decade, and only secured two European Cup quarter-final presences. In 1975–76, they lost 5–1 to the holders Bayern Munich,[33] and in 1977–78 they were knocked out by the defending champions Liverpool with a 6–2 aggregate score.[34]

Competitive record

Note: Benfica score is always listed first.

Chasing the dream (1980–95)

In the beginning of the 1980s, Benfica's domestic dominance had dwindled, leaving the team to play in second-level competitions, namely the Cup Winners' Cup and the UEFA Cup. In 1980–81, the team reached the Cup Winners' Cup semi-finals but lost to Carl Zeiss Jena from East Germany.[35] This performance was bested two seasons later, as Benfica reached the 1983 UEFA Cup Final after overcoming a quarter-final bout against a Roma side featuring Falcão and Bruno Conti. In the two-legged final, Benfica faced Belgium's Anderlecht. In the first leg, on 4 May 1983, Benfica lost in Brussels with a sole goal from Kenneth Brylle. In the second leg, fourteen days later, Benfica manager Sven-Göran Eriksson chose not to start Zoran Filipović and João Alves, both undisputed starters, and the team drew 1–1 and lost another European final.[36][37] Benfica returned to the European Cup in the following two seasons, but defeats against Liverpool in both participations showed that the team was not yet ready to compete with Europe's best teams.[38]

Mercedes-Benz Arena (former Neckarstadion) and Ernst-Happel-Stadion (former Praterstadion)

After four seasons, Benfica proved ready to challenge for the European Cup in 1987–88. After eliminating teams like Anderlecht and Steaua București, they reached their sixth final in the competition, where they met PSV in a match played at Stuttgart's Neckarstadion on 25 May 1988.[39] Following a goalless draw at the end of extra time, the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out. The Dutch side – fielding five Netherlands national team players that would go on to conquer the UEFA Euro 1988 a month later – converted all of their penalty kicks, whereas António Veloso allowed goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen to defend his penalty kick, and secured Benfica's fourth consecutive European Cup final loss.[40] Benfica did not wait long to make another appearance in the European Cup's showpiece match, as two years later – and with Swedish manager Eriksson again in charge – a team including Brazil's starting centre-backs Ricardo Gomes and Aldair, together with midfielders Valdo and Jonas Thern, eliminated Marseille with a controversial handled goal from Vata to reach their seventh European Cup final.[41] Before the final, Eusébio visited Béla Guttmann's grave, asking for forgiveness in hope of ending the curse.[42] On 23 May 1990, Benfica faced title-holders Milan at Vienna's Praterstadion and were unable to prevent Frank Rijkaard to score the winning goal and give the Italian side its fourth and second consecutive European Cup title.[43]

In the early 1990s, Benfica took part in the last edition of the European Cup before being reformulated and converted into the UEFA Champions League. They reached the tournament's group stage after a successful performance at Highbury against Arsenal, with Isaías and Vasili Kulkov scoring in extra time.[44] In the group stage, Benfica ended in third place, behind Barcelona and Sparta Prague.[45] In 1992–93, Benfica reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, beating eventual winners Juventus at home (their only loss in the competition), but losing 3–1 in Turin.[46] The following season, Benfica returned to the Cup Winners' Cup and reached the semi-finals after a 5–5 aggregate draw against Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals was decided on away goals. In Lisbon, Benfica beat Parma 2–1 for the first leg of the semi-finals, with Vítor Paneira even missing a penalty. However, in the return leg, centre-back Carlos Mozer was sent off on the 20th minute and the team resisted for 55 minutes before Roberto Sensini scored the only goal of the match, which put the Italians through.[47] In their debut in the Champions League in 1994–95, Benfica won their group but succumbed to Milan in the knockout phase.[48]

Competitive record

Note: Benfica score is always listed first.

Loss of European tradition (1995–2009)

In the late 1990s, the club's European performances did not match Benfica's historic record, with only a quarter-final presence in the 1996–97 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup as a highlight.[49] The team's performances were subpar, with their lowest peak coming in the form of a 7–0 loss against Celta Vigo, which still remains as Benfica's heaviest European defeat.[50]

After missing two seasons of European football for the first time since 1960,[51] Benfica returned to UEFA competition in 2003–04. They entered that season's Champions League in the third qualifying round, but defeats against Lazio demoted them to the UEFA Cup. There, the team reached the fourth round, where they were eliminated by Inter Milan with a 4–3 away loss.[52] After another season without playing in the Champions League, Benfica returned to UEFA's main competition in 2005–06, where they achieved their best performance in eleven years. Benfica knocked Manchester United out of the competition in the group stage and eliminated the title holders Liverpool in the subsequent round, grabbing the club's first-ever win at Liverpool. In the quarter-finals, Benfica were eliminated by Barcelona after losing 2–0 at Camp Nou.[53][54] The next two seasons were fairly similar: in 2006–07 and 2007–08, Benfica finished third in the group stage and were demoted to the UEFA Cup, failing to go further than the quarter-finals.[55]

Competitive record

Note: Benfica score is always listed first.

2009–present

In 2009–10, Benfica had a noteworthy run in the newly created UEFA Europa League, progressing all the way from the play-off round to the quarter-finals. Their campaign featured a 5–0 thrashing of English side Everton in the group stage and an aggregate 3–2 defeat of Marseille in the round of 16[56] The following season, Benfica returned to the Champions League but, as in 2006–07 and 2007–08, they were demoted to the Europa League. This time, however, the team overcame the quarter-final stage to reach their first European semi-final in 17 years. In the first European match ever between Portuguese teams, Benfica were surprised by Braga and missed the chance to qualify to the final.[57] Benfica improved their European performance in the 2011–12 Champions League, progressing all the way to the quarter-finals.[58] In the group stage, Benfica topped their group – knocking Manchester United out of European competitions once again – and defeated Zenit Saint Petersbourg in the last 16 before losing 3–1 on aggregate to Chelsea.[59]

Benfica faced Chelsea in the 2013 UEFA Europa League Final, played at the Amsterdam Arena.

In both 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons, Benfica's run in the Champions League was not so successful, but the club managed to reach two Europa League finals, the first of them being 23 years after their last appearance in a European final. Benfica lost the two finals, on 17 May 2013 against Champions League holders Chelsea, with a 2–1 injury-time header from Branislav Ivanović,[60] and on 15 May 2014 to Sevilla, through a penalty shoot-out after a goalless draw, which Benfica lost 4–2.[61] This extended the club's run of European final losses to eight.[62]

In the late 2010s, Benfica reached, for the first time, the knock-out stage of Champions League two times in a row: they qualified for the quarter-finals for their 18th time in 2015–16, where they lost 3–2 on aggregate to Bayern Munich,[63][64] and were eliminated by Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16 in 2016–17.[65] In the following seasons, Benfica failed to advance to the later stages of UEFA's prime tournament, setting the worst ever performance by a Portuguese team in 2017–18 with 6 losses and a negative goal difference of 13[66][67] and, by losing 5–0 to Basel, they equalled their biggest loss in the competition, which had happened in 1963–64 against Borussia Dortmund.[68]

Competitive record

Last updated: 9 February 2021
Note: Benfica score is always listed first.

Records

Eusébio is the Benfica player with the highest goal tally in international competitions, with 56 scored.
As of 10 December 2020

Benfica was the first Portuguese side to reach the final of the European Cup, the first to win it and the only one to this day to win the trophy in consecutive years.[70] In the 1960s, they reached the final five times, more than any other team, surpassing Real Madrid and Milan, who only reached three each.[71] Their ten European finals are also a domestic record,[72] and with 40 participations in the Champions League (formerly the European Cup), only Real Madrid has played more seasons in the competition.[73]

  • Most appearances in European competition: Luisão, 127[50]
  • Most goals in European competition: Eusébio, 56[50]
  • First European match: Sevilla 3–1 Benfica in the European Cup, on 19 September 1957[74]
  • Biggest win: Benfica 10–0 Stade Dudelange in the European Cup, on 5 October 1965[50]
  • First goal in European competition: Francisco Palmeiro, in the 40th minute against Sevilla, on 19 September 1957[75]
  • Biggest defeat: Celta Vigo 7–0 Benfica in the UEFA Cup, on 25 November 1999[50]
  • Highest European home attendance: 110,000, against Marseille in the European Cup, on 18 April 1990[76]

By competition

S.L. Benfica record in European football by competition[77]
Competition Pld W D L GF GA GD Win%[lower-alpha 5]
UEFA Champions League / European Cup 259 114 59 86 417 301 +116 044.02
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 42 21 12 9 67 34 +33 050.00
UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup 133 67 31 35 220 150 +70 050.38
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup 4 2 1 1 7 5 +2 050.00
Intercontinental Cup 5 1 0 4 6 15 −9 020.00
Total 443 205 103 135 717 505 +212 046.28

By country

Finals

Year Competition Opposing team Score Venue
1961 European Cup Barcelona 3–2 Wankdorf Stadium, Bern
1962 European Cup Real Madrid 5–3[13] Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam
1963 European Cup Milan 1–2[18] Wembley Stadium, London
1965 European Cup Inter Milan 0–1 San Siro, Milan
1968 European Cup Manchester United 1–4 (a.e.t.) Wembley Stadium, London
1983 UEFA Cup Anderlecht 1–2 Two-legged
1988 European Cup PSV Eindhoven 0–0 (a.e.t.) (5–6 p) Neckarstadion, Stuttgart
1990 European Cup Milan 0–1 Praterstadion, Vienna
2013 UEFA Europa League Chelsea 1–2 Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam
2014 UEFA Europa League Sevilla 0–0 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p) Juventus Stadium, Turin

Semi-finals won

Year Competition Opposing team Score Other semi-finalists
1961 European Cup Rapid Wien 4–1 Barcelona
Hamburg
1962 European Cup Tottenham Hotspur 4–3[12] Real Madrid
Standard Liège
1963 European Cup Feyenoord 3–1 Milan
Dundee
1965 European Cup Győri Vasas ETO 5–0 Inter Milan
Liverpool
1968 European Cup Juventus 3–0 Manchester United
Real Madrid
1983 UEFA Cup Universitatea Craiova 1–1 (a) Anderlecht
Bohemians ČKD Prague
1988 European Cup Steaua București 2–0 PSV Eindhoven
Real Madrid
1990 European Cup Marseille 2–2 (a) Milan
Bayern Munich
2013 UEFA Europa League Fenerbahçe 3–2 Chelsea
Basel
2014 UEFA Europa League Juventus 2–1 Valencia
Sevilla

Semi-finals lost

Year Competition Opposing team Score Other semi-finalists
1972 European Cup Ajax 0–1 Inter Milan
Celtic
1981 Cup Winners' Cup Carl Zeiss Jena 1–2 Dinamo Tbilisi
Feyenoord
1994 Cup Winners' Cup Parma 2–2 (a) Arsenal
Paris Saint-Germain
2011 UEFA Europa League Braga 2–2 (a) Porto
Villarreal

Notes

  1. English teams were banned due to the Heysel Stadium Disaster.
  2. Partizani were disqualified due to the behaviour of their players and officials, having four players sent off in their first leg match. Benfica qualified on a walkover.
  3. The match was played as a one-legged tie in Thessaloniki due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  4. The match was moved to Stadio Olimpico, Rome (Italy), due to restrictions imposed by Portugal on travelers from the United Kingdom out of concern of the COVID-19 variant B.1.1.7.[69]
  5. Win% is rounded to two decimal places.
  6. Win% is rounded to two decimal places.

References

  1. "Football's premier club competition". UEFA. Retrieved 25 December 2011.
  2. "50 years of European Cup" (PDF). UEFA. October 2004. pp. 6–7. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  3. "Uefa Cup given new name in revamp". BBC Sport. 26 September 2008. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  4. "Club competition winners do battle". UEFA. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  5. "Competition format". UEFA. 13 July 2005. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  6. Tovar 2012, p. 220.
  7. Tovar 2012, p. 261.
  8. "1957/58: Di Stéfano shines for Madrid". UEFA. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  9. Tovar 2012, p. 287.
  10. "1960/61: Eagles soar to end Madrid monopoly". UEFA. 31 March 1961. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  11. Tovar 2012, p. 294.
  12. Spurs V Benfica (1962). British Pathé. 13 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2019 via YouTube.
  13. Real Madrid V Benfica - European Cup Final In Amsterdam (1962). British Pathé. 13 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2019 via YouTube.
  14. "1961/62: Eusébio strikes gold for Benfica". UEFA. 2 May 1962. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  15. "Béla Guttmann and the curse of Benfica". World Soccer. 18 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  16. "Benfica 'curse': What is the Curse of Bela Guttman and where does it rank among sports greatest superstitions?". The Independent. 15 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  17. "Trapattoni inocente no "caso Coluna"" [Trapattoni innocent in the "Coluna case"] (in Portuguese). Record. 17 March 2005. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  18. 1963 European Cup Final - Milan V Benfica (1963). British Pathé. 13 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2019 via YouTube.
  19. "Final: Lesão de Coluna hipoteca "tri" do Benfica, em 1963" [Coluna's injury compromises Benfica's 'treble']. Futebol365.com (in Portuguese). 10 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2015.
  20. "1962/63: Altafini strikes for Milan". UEFA. 22 May 1963. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  21. Tovar 2012, p. 316.
  22. "1964/65: Jair the difference for Inter". UEFA. 27 May 1965. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  23. Stokkermans, Karel. "Champions' Cup Records". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF). Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  24. Tovar 2012, p. 323.
  25. Tovar 2012, p. 334.
  26. "1967/68: Charlton leads United charge". UEFA. 29 May 1968. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  27. Tovar 2012, p. 343.
  28. "1968/69: Prati rises to the occasion". UEFA. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  29. "1969/70: Feyenoord establish new order". UEFA. 6 May 1970. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  30. Tovar 2012, p. 365.
  31. "1971/72: Cruyff double keeps Ajax in command". UEFA. 31 May 1972. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  32. Tovar 2012, p. 384.
  33. "1975/76: Roth completes Bayern hat-trick". UEFA. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  34. "1977/78: Dalglish keeps Reds on top". UEFA. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  35. Tovar 2012, p. 425.
  36. Tovar 2012, p. 440.
  37. "1982/83: Anderlecht shine in Stadium of Light". UEFA. 1 June 1983. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  38. "1983/84: Kennedy spot on for Liverpool". UEFA. 30 May 1984. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  39. Tovar 2012, p. 476.
  40. "1987/88: PSV prosper from Oranje boom". UEFA. 25 May 1988. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  41. Tovar 2012, p. 492.
  42. https://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/04/sport/football/benfica-bela-guttmann-curse/index.html
  43. "1989/90: Rijkaard seals Milan triumph". UEFA. 23 May 1990. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  44. Jones, Stuart (7 November 1991). "Arsenal outclassed in extra time". The Times. London. p. 40.
  45. "1991/92: Koeman ends Barcelona's wait". UEFA. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  46. "1992/93: Juventus claim record third success". UEFA. 1 June 1993. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  47. Tovar 2012, p. 524.
  48. "1994/95: Kluivert strikes late for Ajax". UEFA. 24 May 1995. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  49. Tovar 2012, p. 548.
  50. "S.L. Benfica". UEFA. Retrieved 12 June 2015.
  51. Tovar 2012, pp. 581, 588.
  52. "2003/04: Defence is key for Valencia". UEFA. 1 June 2004. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  53. Tovar 2012, p. 619.
  54. "2005/06: Ronaldinho delivers for Barça". UEFA. 17 May 2006. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  55. Tovar 2012, pp. 627, 635.
  56. Tovar 2012, p. 651.
  57. "Custódio heads Braga into maiden European final". UEFA. 5 May 2011. Archived from the original on 20 March 2018. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  58. Tovar 2012, p. 669.
  59. "2011/12: Drogba ends Chelsea's long wait". UEFA. 21 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  60. "2012/13: Ivanović heads Chelsea to glory". UEFA. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  61. "2013/14: Sevilla leave Benfica dreams in tatters". UEFA. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  62. Hookham, Richard (15 May 2014). "Benfica fail again in Europe – Is club still jinxed by the Bela Guttman curse?". Metro. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  63. "Benfica garantiu 18ª presença nos quartos de final" [Benfica assured their 18th presence in the quarter-finals]. Maisfutebol (in Portuguese). 9 March 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
  64. "Bayern edge past Benfica and into semi-finals". UEFA. 13 April 2016. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
  65. "Aubameyang inspires Dortmund comeback against Benfica". UEFA. 8 March 2017. Archived from the original on 4 February 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  66. "Match summary of Benfica 0–2 Basel". UEFA.com. 5 December 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  67. "Benfica entra para a história como a pior equipa portuguesa de sempre na Champions" [Benfica make history as the worst Portuguese team in the Champions League]. SAPO Desporto (in Portuguese). 5 December 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  68. https://www.dn.pt/desporto/benfica/dos-7-0---de-vigo-para-basileia-como-reagir-a-humilhacao-8806534.html
  69. "UEFA Europa League venue changes". UEFA. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
  70. Pereira 2011, p. 68.
  71. Jamie Rainbow (3 August 2013). "A potted history of Benfica". World Soccer. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  72. "Águias reforçam sétimo lugar do "ranking" de finais europeias" [Eagles strengthen seventh place in European finals "ranking"]. Record (in Portuguese). 1 May 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
  73. "2015/16 UEFA Champions League statistics handbook - All-Time records – All-time records 1955–2015" (PDF). UEFA. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 27 January 2016.
  74. "History at UEFA.com". UEFA. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  75. Pereira, Luís Miguel (May 2014). Bíblia do Benfica [Benfica bible] (in Portuguese) (1st ed.). Portugal: Prime Books. p. 1381. ISBN 978-989-655-215-2.
  76. Pereira 2011, p. 63.
  77. "Benfica Competitions History". playmakerstats.com. Playmaker Stats. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  78. "Sport Lisboa e Benfica International history". Thefinalball.com. Retrieved 4 August 2016.

Bibliography

  • Tovar, Rui Miguel (2012). Almanaque do Benfica [Benfica Almanac] (in Portuguese). Revised by Luís Milheiro (1st ed.). Alfragide, Portugal: Lua de Papel. ISBN 978-989-23-2087-8.
  • Pereira, Luís Miguel (December 2011). O Livro de Recordes do Benfica [Benfica records book] (in Portuguese) (1st ed.). Portugal: Prime Books. ISBN 978-989-655-109-4.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.