The Portuguese Football League will hold another round with the top three in the standings playing, each on their own day. Sporting, leader of the classification and national champion, is the first to take action, this Saturday, at Famalicão’s home.
On Sunday it is Benfica’s turn to take to the Luz lawn, still licking the wounds of first defeat in the Champions League of this time. The guest of the “eagles” is Rio Ave. FC Porto only plays on Monday, facing AVS away from home. Here you find the complete calendar of the I League and here is the II League.
With no European competitions on the calendar in the middle of the week, the main national teams do not have a restful week, as the quarter-final matches of the League Cup are scheduled from Tuesday onwards. Sporting-Nacional on Tuesday. Benfica-Santa Clara on Wednesday and FC Porto-Moreirense and Sp. Braga–V. Guimarães on Thursday promises entertainment all week long.
With regard to the national teams, the highlight goes to the women’s team, which on Tuesday will compete with Azerbaijan in the second leg of the play-off qualification for the Women’s European Football Championship 2025, after already having won the first leg match.
In international football, the weekend is full of big games. Saturday there is a Real Madrid-Barcelona, second and first respectively in the Spanish League. But Sunday is a big day, with a Marseille-PSG (third and first in the French League), an Arsenal-Liverpool (third and first in the English League) and an Inter-Juventus (second and third in the Italian League).
But next week will also be marked by the award, on Monday, of the Ballon d’Or to whoever is considered the best football player of the year. The trophy ceremony will be in Paris and although there is no Portuguese among the favorites – Vitinha and Rúben Dias are on the list – there are a few more in other categories: Diogo Costa (Yashin Award, best goalkeeper), João Neves ( Kopa Trophy, best under-21) and Filipa Patão (best coach of a women’s team) are nominated.
In motor sports there is Formula 1 (Mexican Grand Prix) and MotoGP (Thai Grand Prix, in this case without the Portuguese Miguel Oliveira, recovering from injury).
In roller hockey, Saturday is the day of the Continental Cup semi-finals, with Sporting facing the Italians of Follonica and Oliveirense facing the Spanish of Igualada. The final will be on Sunday.
As for handball, Tuesday is the day for Benfica and FC Porto to compete in the European League, in games from the fourth round of the group stage, while on Wednesday Sporting will play in the Champions League, in Paris, against PSG. In basketball, the Champions League is reserved for Benfica, who will play in the third round of the group stage.
What may have escaped you in the PUBLIC
The start of NBA.
As surprises in the Portuguese Cup.
O attack by Frederico Varandas to Pinto da Costa and Filipe Vieira.
