Portugal with a new opportunity to have three teams in the ‘octave’ of the Champions League
Portuguese football has a new possibility of having three teams for the first time in the round of 16 of the Champions League, with Sporting having to ‘imitate’ FC Porto and Benfica in the farewell to the groups.
After 2021/22 arrived at the round with the qualification assured, while FC Porto and Benficafica or their future in this round, ‘incarnates’ already have a guaranteed place in the ‘eighths’, while the ‘eighths’, while the ‘lions’ still need of a point to ‘write’ a ‘golden’ page in the national, in the eighth time that Portugal managed to place three teams in the most important competition of clubs.
Last season, FC Porto ended up falling to the Europa League, after defeating Atlético Madrid (3-1) at Estádio do Dragão.
Now, the national champions and the club da Luz will fight for the conquest of Group B and Group H, respectively, which will give them the status of heads in the draw for the ‘eighth’, while Sporting receives Eintracht Frankfurt and only needs the tie for the series to make history, with the triumph being able to equal the first place of Group D.
Portugal takes a chance on one of the ‘same country’ countries, in the ‘eighth of Italy’, at a time with ‘Spain even 5’, at a time when Spain itself, which will have more teams than Spain.
In 2006/07, 2007/08, 2012/13, 2014/15, 2016/17 and 2017/18, the presence of Portuguese clubs was also three, but never such a scenario, with full qualification, was possible.
In the ‘debut’ of the ‘big three’, FC Porto passed in second place in their group behind Arsenal and ahead of CSKA Moscow and Hamburg, while Benfica was third in group F, which qualified Manchester United and Celtic, and Sporting fourth in B, dominated by Bayern and Inter.
In the following (2007/08), the three ‘bigs’ of the season and join in the group stage, once again, FC Porto continues to the ‘eighth’, this time as the winner of Group A, beating Liverpool, Marseille and Besiktas. Then, ‘fell’ against Schalke 04 and Manuel Neuer, on penalties.
On the other hand, Benfica once again ‘stumbled’ on Celtic, second in Group D, behind AC Milan, while Sporting was beaten in the F by Manchester United and Roma.
Five years later (2012/13), the ‘film’ was repeated, with Ports being second in Group A, yielding only to Paris Saint-Germain, to, once again favorites, be removed in the ‘eighth’, by Malaga (1-0 and 0-2).
Celtic was, for the third time, ‘executioner’ of Benfica, being second in Group B, snatched by FC Barcelona, while, this time, Sporting de Braga was fourth in Group H, a long way from Manchester United, Galatasaray and CFR Cluj.
In 2014/15, it was again the ‘big three’ to represent Portugal in the group stage and Porto did even better, reaching the quarter-finals.
The ‘Dragons’ won, undefeated (four wins and two draws), Group H, beating Shakhtar Donetsk, Athletic Bilbao and BATE Borisov, and then moving away from Basel, before being eliminated by Bayern Munich, who still scared (3-1), before the rout in Germany (1-6).
Benfica finished last in Group C, beaten by Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen and Zenit, and Sporting was third in the G, ahead of Maribor, but yielding to Chelsea and Schalke 04.
Two years later (2016/17), FC Porto maintained the tradition, moving to the ‘eighth’, after overcoming, in Group G, won by debutants Leicester, FC Copenhagen and Club Brugge.
For its part, Benfica cracked the ‘curse’, being second in Group B, behind Napoli and ahead of Besiktas and Dinamo Kiev. As for Sporting, they were the last of the F, beaten by Borussia Dortmund, Real Madrid and even Legia Warsaw.
In 201/18, FC Porto went ahead as second in Group G, behind Besiktas and ahead of Leipzig and Monaco, while Benfica did not score any points in Group A, against Manchester United and Basel, who qualified, and CSKA Moscow, while Sporting was third in Group D, without a chance against FC Barcelona and Juventus.