Benfica-FC Porto: the history of the “clássico” in numbers

At 6:00 pm on Sunday will kick-off, at Estádio da Luz, the 84th “clássico” between Benfica and FC Porto at the eagles’ home ground for the National Championship. The current leader of the league table has a large lead with triumphs in 51% of the matches (42 wins).

At Benfica’s home ground there have been also 26 draws and 15 occasions Porto took the victory. In goals, the reds also have a comfortable lead – almost double. They scored 166 (an average of 2 per game) and conceded 84 to the rival (1,01 per encounter).

In more than 80 years of 80 years of “clássicos” between Benfica and FC Porto one witnessed many results, but never one like the “benfiquista” victory, by 12-2 in the 1942/43 season. This is indeed the Reds’ biggest win at home against the blue and white. The 1940’s was rich in routs of Benfica in the “clássico”: 7, being the one that has the biggest record of assertive results from the eagles.

Still in the 1940’s, the highlight for the eight victories in a row from Benfica, a record that lasts in time as Benfica’s best winning streak against FC Porto in home matches for the National Championship; and the 10 undefeated matches, labeled as one of the two best-undefeated runs against the dragons. The best registers 11 encounters in the period between 1963 – a glorious decade of the Club – and 1974.

However, the matches in the Championship started in 1934/35 with Benfica beating FC Porto, by 3-0. It is interesting that four of the first five victories were with a rout (3 or + goal difference): 3-0 in 1934/35; 5-1 in 1935/36; 6-0 in 1936/37; 4-1 in 1938/39.

The most common result and a European two-times champion top scorer

Naturally, the Benfiquistas could guess that the Club’s top scorer in the “Clássicos” for the Championship would be Eusébio. They would not be far from the truth, but the “Pantera Negra” is 2^nd, beaten by another legend, called José Águas. Captain of the European two-times Champions, the Striker – father of Rui Águas – scored 13 goals in 12 matches. Eusébio has 10 in 11 encounters and the podium is completed by Joaquim Teixeira (9 goals in 6 matches).

In spite of being the club (Benfica) with the majority of victories in this clash, the 1-1 draw is the most usual result at the eagles’ home (12 times). After that comes the 0-0, which occurred in nine occasions. In what concerns to victories, the 3-1 for Benfica is the most regular one (6 times), followed by the 2-0 result (5 times). 

The data for the 84th Benfica-FC Porto of I Portuguese League is there. The Stadium is already sold out and, on the stands, a special chant will be intoned during the first 10 minutes of the match.

Text: Marco Rebelo

Pics: Archive / SL Benfica