Not the most exciting league in the world but since I like being here and why not give a bit of know-how to other people. So here is the 2017/2018 recap Let's start with the champions FC Porto FC Porto regained the title after being 4 years (!) without gaining any silverware, something that for a team like Porto was unbelievable. Sergio Coneceição was far from being a boss who fans considered very appealing, known for his bad temper mostly. His teams were not very regular but in FC Nantes he showed to have improved and in FC Porto he proved he was ready. Of course people can dispute the fact that he prefered a more physical approach to the game, leaving guys like Otávio and Oliver Torres out most of the times, only Brahimi offered something different to the game but the most physical players had more success «, like Marega who had an amazing season. Other players like Telles, Soares, Ricardo and Herrera did really well. Europe: Porto was drawed a bad group, with Monaco, Leipzig and Besiktas, it was a very close group that could have put a Porto with financial problems away too soon from Europe but Porto showed to be very energetic and concentrated in their Champions League matches, the Monaco 0-3 Porto was the most impressive match they had in a while, sitting back and putting excelent counters outclassing Monaco completely. Then Liverpool came. Danilo out Sergio Oliveira in: Danilo is Porto's anchor, nothing goes pass him but he had a very serious injury who also made him miss the World Cup. Sergio Oliveira comes in, and offers something different to the midfield forcing Herrera to be more active up and down while the portuguese midfielder took the playmaking role. Best Player: I'm going to say Marega but Alex Telles could squize his way in here, he was absolutely decisive. SL Benfica Oh.... my oh my, my sweet Benfica where did you go wrong. Almost everywhere. So, after a successful 4 year run in the Portuguese League with Jorge Jesus and Rui Vitória, the first problems came and Benfica lost the title. How? here's how. Rui Vitória had a good first season in Benfica, getting the title and make a good Champions League run, falling to Bayern in a good tie, creating a bit of trouble to the German giants. In the second season Benfica started off strong, winning the Supercup and getting an early confortable 7 point lead in the League but in the second half Benfica lost almost every advantage to Porto, almost being passed by them but Porto shockingly conceded a 1-1 draw to Vitória FC at home after Benfica also failed to win against FC Paços de Ferreira. Benfica lost touch with his game but still secured to final win. The problem is, since the second half of the second season, Benfica fans never got to see football again, only for a bried period with Krovinovic entering and chaging to a 4-3-3 but then he got injured and...it's over. Rui Vitória had very questionable choices, like insisting in Felipe Augusto when he had Krovinovic and the youngster Gedson Fernandes. But is this season his entire fault? no Benfica's bosses sold important players like Ederson, Lindelof, Nelson Semedo, Renato Sanches and Mitroglou and they though it was possible to win without replacing them, or replacing them with aboslute failures like Douglas or Seferovic. Europe: Can anyone be surprised with a 4th place in the group stage? I'm not, but 0 points? 1 goal scored? It is absolutely horrible and still today fans demand an apology for that (or a new boss). Best Player: Who else but Jonas? Sporting CP Once again Jorge Jesus failed to bring the desired league win to Sporting and that led to his departure as well as the end of the season shennanigans with the fans in the academy. Sporting did start of well, with Jesus fluid 4-4-2 turned into a 4-2-3-1 with Bruno Fernandes getting the role closer to Bas Dost but after a while Sporting started to decrease their form and really struggled in the league with some fluke wins in Tondela for example really hanging in the balance while Braga was sniffing the 3rd place. Europe: In Europe Sporting was a very different team, in the Champions League with a very difficult group with Barcelona and Juventus, they got some pretty good games againt the 2 european giants and outclassed Olympiacos for the Europa League spot. Europa League didn't start really well for Sporting but they had fairly easy jobs against the likes of Plzen who still managed to scare them in Czech Republic taking the game to extra time. Against Atlético Madrid, Sporting played well, showing a bit of their champions League shape but two errors from the center backs dictated their fate, still wining 1-0 at home but that was it. Still a very decent run. Best Player: Despite Bas Dost being a goal scoring machine, Bruno Fernandes was their best player, a very very classy midfielder. Shout out to SC Braga, the team who played the best football in Portugal, under Abel Ferreira's consulate. You have to watch them play, very exciting stuff. ------------------------------------- 18/19 season Porto - Still under the UEFA radar, struggling a bit to get new players, but if they can keep up the level they are serious candidates. Benfica - Fixing the squad problems, with Ferreyra, Conti, Lema, Odysseias, Alfa Semedo and maybe Gabriel Appelt coming in soon as well as the inclusion of the wonderkids Gedson and Félix. Benfica has a better squad this season but has a very hard task, starting in august trying to get into the Champions League group stage and collect that 40 million euro paycheck. And of course regain the title! Sporting - Kind of a new start, new boss, new squad, so let's see, they got to re-sign Bruno Fernandes who was about to leave for rival Benfica and are trying to keep Bas Dost. Braga - They have been trying to get into the title picture and they have the objective to do so untill 2021, one thing is for sure, they practice the best football.
Nice summary mate. Surprisingly I’m feeling very confident about this season. New president, new coach, fresh start. Bruno and Dost resigning are absolutely massive for us and we’ve made some great additions with Raphinha and Nani. I’m really excited to see Mane and Matheus back aswell. Bruno Gaspar is another very good signing and Viviano is a solid keeper. The only thing I’m currently worried about is CDM. With William leaving we need to sign someone capable of playing his role. Battaglia coming back will help but I think this is they key position we need to strengthen, along with left back but it looks as though Coentrao might be coming back. Exciting season ahead
There is another factor that can play well in Sporting's favor, and it's the fact they have 0 pressure.
Benfica has been doing well this pre season, it seems that we are applying some sort of a counter pressing à la Liverpool. Porto is struggling with building their team and Sergio's center back Mbemba just got injured and it looks serious.
True but that probably means we’ll struggle even more with 0 pressure slightly less optimistic as I was when I made that post as: Gelson has left for free and there’s going to be a whole court battle about it Badelj is joining Lazio rather than us We are dealing with Braga (selling Palhinha in return for Vukcevic) which never ends well for us We need another striker in God it’s not boring being a sporting fan
Might try catch a few games this season in the Portuguese league, still a league i follow on occasions. Spent 5 months living in Porto on Study Abroad year in 2010. Hope Braga can push top 3 this season. Would love them to win league in next few years. Any news regarding interesting transfers? Who would the early title favourites be?
I would say Benfica looks stronger this season, but all can change when the serious games come. Vitória SC had a very interesting transfer market and they look strong this season, I'm very excited to see the Minho derby between Braga and Vitória SC
Interesting start to the season, 2 wins for ourselves and Benfica before playing out a 1-1 draw last weekend. Nani has been excellent so far, great to see him back in the green and white. Porto stuttering with a defeat against Guinmares, as we know it only takes a couple of defeats in this league and the championship has gone The best news though is that Petrovic May finally be leaving!!! @miguelpalma92 what have you made of your opening few games ?
Yes, I haven't seen so many smaller teams playing good attractive football in a long long time! Finally the old dinossaurs are getting less and less time ahah The Lisbon rivals without being brilliant have now 7 points and are in the lead with Braga. I'm a bit disapointed because Benfica should've won that game, Sporting is really having a hard time rebuilding, it takes time, and instead we almost lost the game if it wasn't for the 18 year old João Félix header reminding me of good old João Vieira Pinto. Porto needs to be careful, losing at home in this league against smaller teams can be fatal at the end. I read a scouting report about the game and it said something like creativity and inteligence beat Porto's physique. And it's true, even against Silas' Belenenses, another team with a similar model to Luis Castro's Guimarães. gave a hard time to Porto, this is due to their lack of creativity apart from Brahimi and sometimes Otávio. They should play Oliver Torrer more often, he is a very very good playmaker. Benfica signed Gabriel from Leganes, great signing and we are still waiting for Krovinovic and we have the best midfield in Portugal. Nani is doing just fine in this league he is going to make a hard difference and good thing he didn't come to have vacations, he came with the right mindset and he is targeting an international call up again. So far the most interesting teams to watch are: Vitória Guimarães, despite the bad start they do have a very interesting football and I think this huge win will bring them up. Belenenses, Silas last year took the job without much experience and started showing interesting things but didn't have much time to reshape the team interely his way but this season they are picking up where they left and improving even more, it's a solid short passing game with abundance of creativity. Braga, of course, not starting of as well as they were playing at the end of last season but... first place and they are taking baby steps to reach the same level. I think Benfica is looking better than the rivals despite Rui Vitoria being such a..... well better not say it. It's a poor football considering what one could do with this squad but instead its run run run and drill pointless crosses to a solo man in the box. Like that works...
Oh yeah, playing Champions League and all. Great squad they had back then. Mossoró, Lima, Hugo Viana, Matheus, Vandinho..
Jovane Cabral has been an unexpected revelation in the opening games of this season. Grabbing his first goal today against Feirense. Tight game but we got the result, and after all the turmoil of last season/ ongoing elections that's all i really care about at this stage. Lets keep this up!
Sporting has been surviving, but don't look as good as before. Braga next matchday, that's a big test. Jovane has a lot of quality and physically he is above the rest from his generation in Sporting's academy. Great Benfica win at Nacional, always a difficult ground that one, 4-0 with dominance. Seferovic really has here a second life. Rafael Leão is leaving Lille, there are talks to return to Sporting, good news for you lads.
