UEFA European Football Forum

So here we go for another season.

Benfica starts as the reigning champion, they just won SuperCup against big rivals FC Porto and seem superior than anyone else. They sold Gonçalo Ramos to PSG (65M+15 depending on key goals) which means they won't need to sell any other player. World champion Angel Di Maria returned to the club where he debuted in European football, and Benfica got also other good players like Arthur (from Fiorentina to replace Ramos) and Kokçu (Feyenoord). They seem strong.

Porto looks 2nd on the ranking. The lost Uribe but for sure more players will leave the club: they must sell, they gave to. 3 signs so far: Navarro (Gil Vicente), Nico Gonzalez (Barcelona) and incoming Alan Varela (Boca Juniors). In supercup they managed to dominate Benfica in first half but lost the match by 2-0. They simply don't have bench, which is something common from previous seasons especially the last one.

Sporting. Finally the bought a proper striker, Gyokeres (Coventry) by record fee of 20M. Hjulmand from Lecce is about to sign. The question is how the team will react without Ugarte (sold to PSG). With ELGS, Sporting seems stronger and closer to the top than previous season

SC Braga is fighting for a 3rd CLGS appearance. They invested buying important players that were on loan (Niakite, Victor Gomez and Bruma), got Marin and Carvalho from Gil, José Fonte from Lille and Ronny Lopes from Sevilla. Plus they kept main players with exception of Iuri Medeiros (a player with lots of assistances and quite some goals). But if they fail to reach CLGS probably they will have to sell.
The weakness: the manager. Never got lot support among fans but the results mainly against smaller teams kept in place, despite disastrous results against bigger teams or double european elimination (ELGS and ECLPO). The poor image of the team in Cup final was a great set back. Braga started Primeira Liga with home defeat against Famalicão. If he fails CLGS he will be under fire.

Arouca will they avoid European curse (small teams qualifying for Europe being relegated next season. Happened to Arouca before). So far they lost the manager (Goiás, Brazil) but kept the main players. With a budget smaller than Famalicao and much smaller than Guimarães they managed to beat them.

Famalicao started past season bad but after getting their previous coach back they finished strong (including a cup SF). Their transfer market was almost non existing and they have one of their best players on the side forcing to leave. For now they went to Braga to beat the home team.

Gil Vicente always has interesting teams and always plays good ofensive football. Another year losing key players (to Porto and Braga) but they got a good coach Vítor Campelos from Chaves (way better than Braga or Vitória coaches). Might get another good position.

Boavista. Were the team who scored more goals after the big 4. After losing Musa to Benfica in previous season, striker Youshupa left for Qatar and they aren't allowed to sign new players by FIFA due to failing to pay a transfer fee. This will probably have consequences on the classification.

Vitória Guimarães qualified for Conference League Q2 and was eliminated in first attempt. They have been decreasing their budget but is still twice the 6th biggest budget (18M vs 9M) and they are still underperforming. They have made an interesting transfermarket (they always make good signs) but the outcome is always under expectations. The manager best feature is being an yesman.

The biggest contenders to face relegation are two of the three promoted teams: Farense and Estrela da Amadora, and always struggling Portimonense.
Moreirense was promoted in the year after relegation and is expected to finish mid table.
Estoril that finish right above relegation might repeat the battle.
Chaves, Vizela, Rio Ave and Casa Pia should be mid table.

Odds
Benfica 11/10
Porto 11/8
Sporting 7/1
Braga 28/1
Arouca 500/1
Famalicao, Boavista 750/1
Casa Pia, Rio Ave 1000/1
Estoril, Vizela, Chaves 1500/1
Guimarães, Moreirense, Gil Vicente 2000/1
Farense, Portimonense, Estrela da Amadora 2500/1

Supercup
Benfica 2-0 Porto
Di Maria 61
Musa 68

Porto manager got red card and refused to leave the field for 6 minutes.


1st Week
Friday 11 August

SC Braga 1-2 Famalicão
1-0 Ricardo Horta 9'
1-1 Rodrigues 67'
1-2 Aranda 90+5'

Saturday 12 august

Gil Vicente 5-0 Portimonense
1-0 Fujimoto 9' (p)
2-0 Fujimoto 9' 45+5'
3-0 Pedro Tiba 58'
4-0 Toure 72'
5-0 Pereira 90+5'

Farense 0-3 Casa Pia
1-0 Clayton 15'
2-0 Roberto 64'
3-0 Goodwin 90' (p)

Sporting 3-2 Vizela
1-0 V. Gyökeres 14'
2-0 V. Gyökeres 15'
2-1 S. Essende 75'
2-2 Nuno Moreira 77'
3-2 Paulinho 90+9'

Sunday 13 August
Rio Ave 2-0 Chaves
1-0 Acevedo 64' (P)
2-0 Zé Manuel 90+8'

Estrela da Amadora 0-1 Vitória Guimarães
1-0 Jota Silva 24'

Arouca 4-3 Estoril
0-1 J. Holsgrove 10'
1-1 R. Mújica 20'
1-2 J. M. V. Freitas Silva Marques 49'
2-2 Cristo González 57'
2-3 Alejandro Marqués 70'
3-3 V. Feltes 73' (OG)
4-3 P. Carvalho Santos 90+6'

Monday 14 August

Moreirense 1-2 FC Porto
1-0 Frimpong 51'
1-1 Toni Martínez 67'
2-2 Wendell 74'

Boavista 3-2 Benfica
0-1 A. Di María 22'
1-1 Boženík 55'
1-2 Rafa 75'
2-2 Bruno Lourenço 90' (P)
3-2 Boženík 90+13'

Surprises of MD1: Home loss of SC Braga and victory of Boavista over Benfica (first time manager Petit has a victory against his former team).
Lots of goals in Arouca-Estoril and Gil Vicente.

3 points: Gil, Casa Pia, Rio Ave, Arouca, Boavista, Sporting, Famalicão, Porto, Guimarães


0 points: Estrela, Moreirense, Braga, Vizela, Benfica, Estoril, Chaves, Farense, Portimonense

Sporting beat Casa Pia by 1-2.
In Sporting first goal, it seemed to be offside but VAR said it was clear by 19 cm.
After the end, the referees commission said there was a mistake and the goal was offside by 9 cm but they could do nothing.
Here VAR just serves the corrupts

rpo.castro wrote: ↑Sat Aug 19, 2023 11:04 Here VAR just serves the corrupts

???? The clubs that have that fame weren't involved in this match....

If you want a real comedy sketch just watch the highlights of Porto 1-1 Arouca.
23 minutes of injury time, switching off the VAR tv so the referee couldn't review a penalty (ref had to call VAR officers by phone). The usual at Porto stadium in a 3rd world league

Benfica 4-0 Guimarães
Porto 1-1 Arouca
Braga 1-1 Sporting

Standings after MD4
10 pts Boavista, Porto, Sporting
9 pts Benfica, Guimarães

7 Famalicão
6 Arouca
5 Casa Pia
4 Braga (-1 match), Moreirense (-1 match), Rio Ave, Vizela, E. Amadora
3 Gil Vicente, Farense, Estoril
2 Portimonense
0 Chaves

In the match that was missing from MD3 Moreirense 2-3 Braga (very poor game from Braga, Moreirense was better).

Standings after MD4
10 pts Boavista, Porto, Sporting
9 pts Benfica, Guimarães

7 Famalicão, Braga
6 Arouca
5 Casa Pia
4 Moreirense, Rio Ave, Vizela, E. Amadora
3 Gil Vicente, Farense, Estoril
2 Portimonense
0 Chaves

Boavista, a team that is forbidden by FIFA to sign new players (due an unpaid debt), players, managers and staff have up to 4 months of unpaid wages (since start of the season) and they are leading the league and with 25 minutes they are winning 4-0!

MD5
Estrela da Amadora 0-1 FC Porto
Farense 3-1 SC Braga
Vizela 1-2 SL Benfica
Boavista 4-1 Chaves

Standings:

13 pts Boavista, Porto, Sporting
12 Benfica


9 Guimarães
8 Casa Pia, Famalicão
7 Braga
6 Gil Vicente, Farense, Arouca
5 Rio Ave, Portimonense
4 Moreirense, Vizela, E. Amadora
3 Estoril


0 Chaves

Thursday: Estrela Amadora 2-4 SC Braga

Friday: Benfica 1-0 Porto, Porto with 10 players for 70 minutes.

Such videoclown league.

Vitoria Guimaraes, in a play that their striker is at least 2m offside, dives ad penalty is given!

@BurningStorm Braga beat Rio Ave, at home by 2-1 with both Braga goals in injury time. Rio Ave is one of the weakest teams and this is their 7th consecutive non-win.
I think it was the worst match so far. We are so freaking tired of this coach.

rpo.castro wrote: ↑Sat Oct 07, 2023 21:17 @BurningStorm Braga beat Rio Ave, at home by 2-1 with both Braga goals in injury time. Rio Ave is one of the weakest teams and this is their 7th consecutive non-win.
I think it was the worst match so far. We are so freaking tired of this coach.

I would say keep him at least until the second Union game if he really holds your team back. On the other hand, maybe a new coach would play better football but would lose the close games. The current guy always wins them, it seems.

Benfica got a home draw against Casa Pia (who missed a penalty) in another miserable match.

Braga went to neighbours Gil Vicente. From losing 2-0 with one man less, to winning 2-3 at 82'. Looked like another remontada but Gil equalized at 89'.

Sporting is tied with benfica but plays monday at Boavista (though match). Porto is 3 behind (tomorrow at Vizela).
Guimarães has same points of Porto (19), Braga only 17, Boavista 15 (but that game on monday against sporting).