This is where it truly starts. One month into the nascent season, only now does it feel like the Portuguese 2016/17 club season begins in earnest.
After the prolonged Euro 2016 victory celebrations, a manic end to the transfer window and then the international break, Portugal’s biggest clubs at last go full throttle in their quest for domestic and international glory, as Benfica, Sporting and FC Porto will all be playing two games a week until October.
Who will be celebrating in May next year? PortuGOAL assesses the squads, strengths and weaknesses and the potential for successful campaigns for all three teams.
Benfica
Squad assessment: The three-time champions have lost two major players in Renatos Sanches and Nico Gaitán. Without the former the Eagles would not have won the Liga NOS last season, while Gaitán has been one of the leading players in Portugal for the last half-dozen years. Nevertheless, the Lisbon giants have strengthened well, notably with the acquisition of Braga and Portugal forward Rafa Silva, at a record price for a domestic transfer (€16.4m), midfield holder Danilo Barbosa, another player who impressed at Braga, and Portugal U21 star André Horta, who has earned himself a place in the starting line-up and put in bright performances in the opening games of the season.
Benfica’s attacking options look especially strong. As well as keeping together last year’s prolific strike partnership of Jonas and Mitroglou, and Mexican Raul Jiménez, scorer of many crucial goals for the Eagles, there are other potent goal threats in Rafa, Salvio and André Carrillo, not to mention highly-rated youngsters Gonçalo Guedes, Franco Cervi and Andrija Zivkovic.
The defence also looks solid with virtually identical options to last season, and ex Barcelona left-back Grimaldo is starting to come into his own.
Strength: An endless array of attacking options guarantees Benfica goals
Star man: Jonas. Last year’s player of the season, the prolific Brazilian continues to be the man who makes Benfica tick.
Weakness: Central midfielders are not over-abundant, especially considering the injury record of Serbian anchor man Ljubomir Fejsa and coach Rui Vitória’s reluctance to give Samaris anything other than a bit-part role.
Championship prospects: Benfica have never won four Portuguese titles in a row, but they have a good shot at making history this season. Much will depend on how Rafa settles in and whether or not Jonas can replicate his form of the previous two seasons. Joint favourites.
European aspirations: Benfica enjoyed their best run for years in last season’s Champions League, reaching the quarter-finals. A repeat performance is not beyond them.
Sporting
Squad assessment: Sporting have bolstered their squad depth by bringing in a host of new signings, but – like Benfica – have lost two of their best players from last season, João Mário and Islam Slimani, not to mention Colombian Teo Gutierrez. “I’ve got doubts about whether our new attacking duo will score 47 goals, like Slimani and Teo last season,” said coach Jorge Jesus, while admitting he was happy with the weapons put at his disposal as Sporting attempt to win the title for the first time in 15 years.
Bas Dost, Sporting’s record signing, Lazar Markovic, Joel Campbell, Alan Ruiz, Luc Castaignos and André Souza, not to mention young star Gelson Martins, certainly give JJ plenty of attacking options.
Despite the growing number of foreign players making up the squad, Sporting will continue to rely on a home-grown Portuguese spine. Keeping hold of Adrien Silva was vital, who will line up alongside fellow Euro 2016 champions Rui Patrício and William Carvalho, while the aforementioned Martins and centre-back Rúben Semedo have both started the season in brilliant form.
Strength: Seleção duo Adrien and William in the middle of the pitch provide the consistency and quality around which the team will be built.
Star man: Adrien. The captain continues to lead by example.
Weakness: A whole new attacking line has been brought in, but the need for so many new faces to adapt to new surroundings, a new league and new team-mates constitutes a risk in the opening months of the season.
Championship prospects: Sporting’s squad is well stocked but how will the new boys settle? The Lions broke the club record for the number of points they accumulated last season, but it was not enough as they were edged out by Benfica in an epic title race. Everything points to the two clubs repeating just as fierce a battle this time round. Joint favourites.
European aspirations: For all his domestic achievements, coach Jorge Jesus has acquired a reputation for floundering in Europe (despite guiding Benfica to two Europa League finals). Sporting are in a tough Champions League group with Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund, but have a big enough squad to battle hard on all fronts. Reaching the knockout phase of the Champions League will be a laudable achievement, but a deep run in the Europa League is a more realistic aim.
FC Porto
Squad assessment: Porto, on paper at least, have the weakest squad of the Big Three. Nevertheless, it was widely regarded that the Dragons possessed the strongest set of players at the outset in each of the two previous seasons, and it did not turn out that way, so initial impressions can be deceiving.
Unusually for Porto, a strong Portuguese core could be the crucial factor behind a successful campaign. Rúben Neves, Danilo and André André are high-quality midfield options, with João Teixeira and Sérgio Oliveira capable back-ups, forward Diogo Jota is an exciting late addition to the squad, and striker André Silva has started the season strongly and at 20 years old is already a full Portugal international.
Creative Brazilian midfielder Otávio appears to be earmarked for a leading role despite his young age, and the returning Óliver Torres, also 21, will prove a fantastic late signing if he can reproduce the form shown in his first spell at Porto.
In spite of the deadline-day purchase of Braga centre-back Willy Boly, Porto’s options at the back are much fewer in number and quality and should injuries and/or suspensions pile up, the problems of a porous defence seen in recent years could resurface.
Strength: This Porto side may lack the big-name stars of yesteryear, but it is packed with youthful zest. The energy and enthusiasm of an array of youngsters desperate to prove themselves can only be a good thing.
Star man: Midfielder Otávio impressed on loan at Vitória Guimarães last season, and the Brazilian has been handed a leading role by coach Nuno Espírito Santo. A confident and feisty individual, he has looked up to the task.
Weakness: The centre of defence was Porto’s Achilles’ heel last season, and the quartet of Felipe, Marcano, Boly and Chidozie do not fill you with confidence that it will be a whole lot better this term.
Championship prospects: For the first time in well over two decades Porto start the Portuguese championship race very much as third favourites to lift the crown. That very fact could work to their advantage, but new coach Nuno will have to work some magic if Porto are to remain in the running for the top prize until late in the season.
European aspirations: A favourable Champions League draw makes qualification for the last 16 definitely doable. Anything more will be a bonus.
By Tom Kundert
