Overview
- Benfica edged Sporting Lisbon 1–0 in Loulé on July 31 with Vangelis Pavlidis’s goal five minutes into the second half.
- Captain Nicolás Otamendi secured his 27th career title and marshaled a defense that stifled Sporting’s attack.
- Summer signings Richard Ríos, Franjo Ivanovic, Amar Dedic and Samuel Dahl made their club debuts as part of a squad rebuild after a disappointing 2024–25 campaign.
- Sporting faces a reduced attacking threat after selling leading scorer Viktor Gyökeres to Arsenal for €76 million.
- Benfica now shifts focus to defending its Primeira Liga crown and securing a spot in the Champions League group stage.