2023–24 S.L. Benfica season

Benfica
2023–24 season
PresidentRui Costa
Head coachRoger Schmidt
StadiumEstádio da Luz
Primeira Liga2nd
Taça de PortugalSemi-finals
Taça da LigaSemi-finals
Supertaça Cândido de OliveiraWinners
UEFA Champions LeagueGroup stage
UEFA Europa LeagueQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Rafa Silva (14)
All: Rafa Silva (22)
Highest home attendance62,247 v Porto
(29 September 2023)
Lowest home attendance48,959 v AVS
(21 December 2023)
Average home league attendance56,248 (17 matches)[1]
Biggest winBenfica 4–0 Vitória Guimarães
(2 September 2023)
Biggest defeatPorto 5–0 Benfica
(3 March 2024)

The 2023–24 Sport Lisboa e Benfica season was the club's 120th season in existence and its 90th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football.

Domestically, Benfica played in the Primeira Liga as defending champions, and reached the semi-finals of the Taça da Liga and Taça de Portugal. In Europe, Benfica played in the UEFA Champions League group stage before reaching the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals. The season started on 9 August 2023, with a 2–0 win over Porto in the Supertaça match, and concluded on 17 May 2024, with a second-place finish in Primeira Liga.

Players

[edit]

First-team squad

[edit]

[2][3] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Ukraine UKR Anatoliy Trubin
3 DF Spain ESP Álvaro Carreras (on loan from Man United)[4]
4 DF Portugal POR António Silva
5 DF Brazil BRA Morato
6 DF Denmark DEN Alexander Bah
7 MF Brazil BRA David Neres
8 MF Norway NOR Fredrik Aursnes
9 FW Brazil BRA Arthur Cabral
10 MF Turkey TUR Orkun Kökçü
11 FW Argentina ARG Ángel Di María
14 DF Spain ESP Juan Bernat (on loan from PSG)[5]
19 FW Denmark DEN Casper Tengstedt
20 MF Portugal POR João Mário (vice-captain)
No. Pos. Nation Player
24 GK Portugal POR Samuel Soares
25 FW Argentina ARG Gianluca Prestianni
27 FW Portugal POR Rafa Silva
30 DF Argentina ARG Nicolás Otamendi (captain)
32 FW Argentina ARG Benjamín Rollheiser (on loan from Estudiantes LP)[6]
36 FW Brazil BRA Marcos Leonardo
44 DF Portugal POR Tomás Araújo
45 GK Japan JPN Leo Kokubo
47 MF Portugal POR Tiago Gouveia
61 MF Portugal POR Florentino
75 GK Portugal POR André Gomes
87 MF Portugal POR João Neves

Transfers

[edit]

In

[edit]
No. Pos Player Transferred from Fee Date Source
Summer transfers
10 MF Turkey Orkun Kökçü Netherlands Feyenoord €25,000,000 1 July 2023 [7]
11 FW Argentina Ángel Di María Italy Juventus Free 5 July 2023 [8]
13 DF Czech Republic David Jurásek Czech Republic Slavia Prague €14,000,000 10 July 2023 [9]
1 GK Ukraine Anatoliy Trubin Ukraine Shakhtar Donetsk €10,000,000 10 August 2023 [10]
9 FW Brazil Arthur Cabral Italy Fiorentina €20,000,000 [11]
17 FW Portugal Gonçalo Guedes England Wolverhampton Wanderers Loan 29 August 2023 [12]
14 DF Spain Juan Bernat France Paris Saint-Germain 1 September 2023 [13]
Winter transfers
36 FW Brazil Marcos Leonardo Brazil Santos €18,000,000 4 January 2024 [14]
3 DF Spain Álvaro Carreras England Manchester United Loan 17 January 2024 [4]
32 FW Argentina Benjamín Rollheiser Argentina Estudiantes de La Plata 20 January 2024 [6]
25 FW Argentina Gianluca Prestianni Argentina Vélez Sarsfield €9,000,000 31 January 2024 [15]

Out

[edit]
No. Pos Player Transferred to Fee Date Source
Summer transfers
MF Germany Julian Weigl Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach €7,180,000 1 July 2023 [16]
3 DF Spain Álex Grimaldo Germany Bayer Leverkusen Free [17]
DF Portugal Sandro Cruz Portugal Chaves [18]
73 MF Italy Cher Ndour France Paris Saint-Germain [19]
96 MF Portugal Diego Moreira England Chelsea [20]
FW Switzerland Haris Seferovic United Arab Emirates Al Wasl 5 July 2023 [21]
2 DF Brazil Gilberto Brazil Bahia €2,500,000 9 July 2023 [22]
FW Portugal Henrique Araújo Portugal Famalicão Loan 18 July 2023 [23]
4 DF Brazil Lucas Veríssimo Brazil Corinthians Loan (€1,000,000) 26 July 2023 [24]
49 MF Portugal Martim Neto Portugal Gil Vicente Loan 1 August 2023 [25]
9 FW Portugal Gonçalo Ramos France Paris Saint-Germain 7 August 2023 [26]
17 MF France Soualiho Meïté Greece PAOK 27 August 2023 [27]
18 MF Portugal Paulo Bernardo Scotland Celtic 1 September 2023 [28]
21 FW Norway Andreas Schjelderup Denmark Nordsjælland Loan (€2,500,000) [29]
23 DF Serbia Mihailo Ristić Spain Celta Vigo €1,500,000 [30]
99 GK Greece Odysseas Vlachodimos England Nottingham Forest €9,000,000 [31]
Winter transfers
FW Portugal Gonçalo Ramos France Paris Saint-Germain €65,000,000 22 November 2023 [32]
38 DF Brazil João Victor Brazil Vasco da Gama €6,000,000 31 December 2023 [33]
MF Brazil Gabriel Pires Brazil Fluminense Free 18 January 2024 [34]
22 MF Portugal Chiquinho Greece Olympiacos €1,000,000 20 January 2024 [35]
13 DF Czech Republic David Jurásek Germany TSG Hoffenheim Loan 22 January 2024 [36]
DF Brazil Lucas Veríssimo Qatar Al-Duhail €9,000,000 25 January 2024 [37]
33 FW Croatia Petar Musa United States FC Dallas €10,000,000 1 February 2024 [38]

Pre-season friendlies

[edit]

  Win   Draw   Loss

The pre-season began on 5 July 2023.[39]

12 July 2023 Friendly Southampton England 0–2 Portugal Benfica Burton upon Trent, England
15:00 WEST (UTC+1) Report
Stadium: St George's Park
Attendance: 0
Referee: Sunny Gill
Note: Televised training match
16 July 2023 Friendly Basel Switzerland 1–3 Portugal Benfica Basel, Switzerland
16:00 WEST (UTC+2)
Report
Stadium: St. Jakob-Park
Attendance: 22,072[40]
Referee: Mirel Turkes
20 July 2023 Algarve Cup Al Nassr Saudi Arabia 1–4
(5–5 p)
Portugal Benfica Faro/Loulé, Portugal
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Algarve
Attendance: 17,516[41]
Referee: Flávio Duarte
Penalties
Note: A penalty shoot-out was held after the match in case the competition needed a tiebreaker.[42]
21 July 2023 Algarve Cup Benfica Portugal 2–0 Spain Celta Vigo Faro/Loulé, Portugal
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Algarve
Attendance: 14,822[41]
Referee: Carlos Teixeira
Note: Benfica won the tournament.
25 July 2023 Friendly Burnley England 2–0 Portugal Benfica Lisbon, Portugal
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report Stadium: Estádio do Restelo
Attendance: ~12,000[43]
Referee: Pedro Ramalho
30 July 2023 Friendly Feyenoord Netherlands 2–1 Portugal Benfica Rotterdam, Netherlands
16:00 CEST (UTC+2)
Report
Stadium: De Kuip
Referee: Dennis Higler

Competitions

[edit]

Overall record

[edit]
Competition First match Last match Starting round Final position Record
Pld W D L GF GA GD Win %
Primeira Liga 14 August 2023 17 May 2024 Matchday 1 2nd 34 25 5 4 77 28 +49 073.53
Taça de Portugal 20 October 2023 2 April 2024 Third round Semi-finals 6 4 1 1 14 8 +6 066.67
Taça da Liga 31 October 2023 24 January 2024 Group stage Semi-finals 3 2 1 0 7 2 +5 066.67
Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira 9 August 2023 Final Winners 1 1 0 0 2 0 +2 100.00
UEFA Champions League 20 September 2023 12 December 2023 Group stage Group stage 6 1 1 4 7 11 −4 016.67
UEFA Europa League 15 February 2024 18 April 2024 Knockout round play-offs Quarter-finals 6 3 2 1 7 5 +2 050.00
Total 56 36 10 10 114 54 +60 064.29

Source: Soccerway

Primeira Liga

[edit]

League table

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Sporting CP (C) 34 29 3 2 96 29 +67 90 Qualification for the Champions League league phase[a]
2 Benfica 34 25 5 4 77 28 +49 80
3 Porto 34 22 6 6 63 27 +36 72 Qualification for the Europa League league phase[b]
4 Braga 34 21 5 8 71 50 +21 68 Qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round[c]
5 Vitória de Guimarães 34 19 6 9 52 38 +14 63 Qualification for the Conference League second qualifying round[c]
Source: Liga Portugal
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head away goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Matches won; 7) Goals scored; 8) Play-off.
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ Since Atalanta, the winners of the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League, qualified for the Champions League via league position, Benfica was promoted from the Champions League third qualifying round to the league phase, as the team with the highest coefficient out of all the teams in Champions League qualifying.
  2. ^ Porto qualified for the Europa League league phase by winning the 2023–24 Taça de Portugal.
  3. ^ a b Since the 2023–24 Taça de Portugal winners, Porto, finished in top three, the spot given to the third-placed team (Europa League second qualifying round) was passed to the fourth-placed team, and the spot given to the fourth-placed team (Conference League second qualifying round) was passed to the fifth-placed team.


Results summary

[edit]
Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
34 25 5 4 77 28  +49 80 15 2 0 48 7  +41 10 3 4 29 21  +8

Source: Liga Portugal

Results by round

[edit]
Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
ResultLWWWWWWWDWWDDWWWWWWWDWWLWWWLWWWLWD
Position111154432222123222222111122222222222
Points0369121518212225282930333639424548515255585861646767707376767980
Source: Liga Portugal
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

[edit]
14 August 2023 1 Boavista 3–2 Benfica Porto
20:45 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio do Bessa
Attendance: 21,320
Referee: António Nobre (Leiria)
19 August 2023 2 Benfica 2–0 Estrela da Amadora Lisbon
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 58,479
Referee: Gustavo Correia (Porto)
26 August 2023 3 Gil Vicente 2–3 Benfica Barcelos
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Cidade de Barcelos
Attendance: 11,792
Referee: João Pinheiro (Braga)
2 September 2023 4 Benfica 4–0 Vitória de Guimarães Lisbon
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 60,410
Referee: Nuno Almeida (Algarve)
16 September 2023 5 Vizela 1–2 Benfica Vizela
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio do FC Vizela
Attendance: 5,584
Referee: Luís Godinho (Évora)
24 September 2023 6 Portimonense 1–3 Benfica Portimão
18:00 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Portimão
Attendance: 4,354
Referee: Hélder Malheiro (Lisbon)
29 September 2023 7 Benfica 1–0 Porto Lisbon
20:15 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 62,247
Referee: João Pinheiro (Braga)
7 October 2023 8 Estoril 0–1 Benfica Estoril
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio António Coimbra da Mota
Attendance: 4,966
Referee: André Narciso (Setúbal)
28 October 2023 9 Benfica 1–1 Casa Pia Lisbon
18:00 WET (UTC+0) Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 57,240
Referee: Claúdio Pereira (Aveiro)
4 November 2023 10 Chaves 0–2 Benfica Chaves
15:30 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Municipal Eng. Manuel Branco Teixeira
Attendance: 8,271
Referee: Hélder Malheiro (Lisbon)
12 November 2023 11 Benfica 2–1 Sporting CP Lisbon
20:30 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 62,166
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (Porto)
3 December 2023 12 Moreirense 0–0 Benfica Moreira de Cónegos
18:00 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Parque de Jogos Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas
Attendance: 5,664
Referee: Fábio Veríssimo (Leiria)
8 December 2023 13 Benfica 1–1 Farense Lisbon
18:00 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 56,766
Referee: Miguel Nogueira (Lisbon)
17 December 2023 14 Braga 0–1 Benfica Braga
20:30 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Braga
Attendance: 25,532
Referee: Luís Godinho (Évora)
29 December 2023 15 Benfica 3–0 Famalicão Lisbon
18:45 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 58,725
Referee: André Narciso (Setúbal)
6 January 2024 16 Arouca 0–3 Benfica Arouca
18:00 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Arouca
Attendance: 4,437
Referee: Fábio Veríssimo (Leiria)
14 January 2024 17 Benfica 4–1 Rio Ave Lisbon
18:00 WET (UTC+0) Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 55,238
Referee: Iancu Vasilica (Vila Real)
19 January 2024 18 Benfica 2–0 Boavista Lisbon
20:15 WET (UTC+0) Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 54,345
Referee: Gustavo Correia (Porto)
29 January 2024 19 Estrela da Amadora 1–4 Benfica Amadora
18:45 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio José Gomes
Attendance: 6,398
Referee: Hélder Malheiro (Lisbon)
4 February 2024 20 Benfica 3–0 Gil Vicente Lisbon
18:00 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 58,722
Referee: Tiago Martins (Lisbon)
11 February 2024 21 Vitória de Guimarães 2–2 Benfica Guimarães
20:30 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio D. Afonso Henriques
Attendance: 25,015
Referee: Luís Godinho (Évora)
18 February 2024 22 Benfica 6–1 Vizela Lisbon
18:00 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 56,191
Referee: João Gonçalves (Porto)
25 February 2024 23 Benfica 4–0 Portimonense Lisbon
18:00 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 57,201
Referee: Miguel Nogueira (Lisbon)
3 March 2024 24 Porto 5–0 Benfica Porto
20:30 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio do Dragão
Attendance: 49,013
Referee: João Pinheiro (Braga)
10 March 2024 25 Benfica 3–1 Estoril Lisbon
20:30 WET (UTC+0) Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 48,964
Referee: Manuel Oliveira (Porto)
17 March 2024 26 Casa Pia 0–1 Benfica Rio Maior
18:00 WET (UTC+0) Report
Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Rio Maior
Attendance: 6,925
Referee: Claúdio Pereira (Aveiro)
29 March 2024 27 Benfica 1–0 Chaves Lisbon
18:00 WET (UTC+0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 55,351
Referee: Hélder Malheiro (Lisbon)
6 April 2024 28 Sporting CP 2–1 Benfica Lisbon
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio José Alvalade
Attendance: 48,113
Referee: Artur Soares Dias (Porto)
14 April 2024 29 Benfica 3–0 Moreirense Lisbon
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 49,083
Referee: Hélder Carvalho (Santarém)
22 April 2024 30 Farense 1–3 Benfica Faro
20:15 WEST (UTC+1)
Report Stadium: Estádio de São Luís
Attendance: 6,309
Referee: Gustavo Correia (Porto)
27 April 2024 31 Benfica 3–1 Braga Lisbon
18:00 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 55,727
Referee: João Pinheiro (Braga)
5 May 2024 32 Famalicão 2–0 Benfica Vila Nova de Famalicão
20:30 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Municipal 22 de Junho
Attendance: 4,827
Referee: João Gonçalves (Porto)
12 May 2024 33 Benfica 5–0 Arouca Lisbon
18:00 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 49,364
Referee: Fábio Melo (Porto)
17 May 2024 34 Rio Ave 1–1 Benfica Vila do Conde
20:45 WEST (UTC+1)
Report
Stadium: Estádio dos Arcos
Attendance: 4,809
Referee: David Rafael Silva (Porto)

Taça de Portugal

[edit]
20 October 2023 Third round Lusitânia 1–4 Benfica São Bento
15:30 WEST (UTC+0)
  • Ferrara 45' (pen.)
  • Bessa Yellow card 83'
Report Stadium: Estádio João Paulo II
Referee: Ricardo Baixinho (Lisbon)
25 November 2023 Fourth round Benfica 2–0 Famalicão Lisbon
20:45 WET (UTC±0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 52,609
Referee: Manuel Oliveira (Porto)
10 January 2024 Fifth round Benfica 3–2 Braga Lisbon
20:45 WET (UTC±0)
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 56,018
Referee: Nuno Almeida (Algarve)
8 February 2024 Quarter-finals Vizela 1–2 Benfica Vizela
20:45 WET (UTC±0)
Report
Stadium: Estádio do FC Vizela
Attendance: 3,798
Referee: Hélder Carvalho (Santarém)

Semi-finals

[edit]
29 February 2024 First leg Sporting CP 2–1 Benfica Lisbon
20:45 WET (UTC±00:00) Report
Stadium: Estádio José Alvalade
Attendance: 45,393
Referee: Fábio Veríssimo (Leiria)
2 April 2024 Second leg Benfica 2–2
(3–4 agg.)
Sporting CP Lisbon
20:45 WEST (UTC+01:00)
Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 59,113
Referee: João Pinheiro (Braga)

Taça da Liga

[edit]

Third round

[edit]
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification BEN ARO AVS
1 Benfica 2 2 0 0 6 1 +5 6 Advance to knockout phase 4–1
2 Arouca 2 1 0 1 2 3 −1 3 0–2
3 AVS 2 0 0 2 2 6 −4 0 1–2
Source: Liga Portugal
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers
31 October 2023 Arouca 0–2 Benfica Arouca
20:15 WET (UTC±00:00)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Arouca
Attendance: 3,405
Referee: Hélder Carvalho (Santarém)
21 December 2023 Benfica 4–1 AVS Lisbon
20:15 WET (UTC±00:00) Report
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 48,959
Referee: Carlos Macedo (Braga)

Semi-finals

[edit]
24 January 2024 Benfica 1–1
(4–5 p)
Estoril Leiria
19:45 WET (UTC±00:00)
Report
Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Leiria
Attendance: 20,155
Referee: Claúdio Pereira (Aveiro)
Penalties