The 85th season of the Portuguese top football division will kick off on Friday, and fans can expect it to be quite different from what they've experienced in recent years.
Benfica and Porto will start as the main candidates to win the title because of a couple of reasons. First off, both Portuguese giants added some talented footballers to their squads, which will come in handy when the time to battle for trophies arrives. Secondly, the exodus of players Sporting CP experienced in this offseason will give them an edge over the Portuguese lions, and we will have a good idea of how things could go this year for each of Portugal's "Big Three".
Let's have an in-depth look at the games Benfica and Porto will play this weekend.
Benfica vs Vitoria Guimaraes
The Eagles saw their four-year winning streak cut short by Porto last season, and following quite a busy offseason, Rui Vitoria's men are ready to battle for the Primeira Liga title. Benfica's first game will come on Friday, when they host Vitoria Guimaraes at Estadio Da Luz. Os Conquistadores finished last season in 9th place, and their chances of shocking the Eagles will rely on what new signing André André can do up front to help.
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Benfica 3 - 2 Vitória Guimarães
August 10, 2018 3:30pmEstádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (da Luz) (Lisboa)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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Porto vs Chaves
The Dragons will want to start their title defense on a high note, and facing Chaves on Matchday One should be a good test of their chances. Porto kept most of their main footballers around, including Iker Casillas and captain Héctor Herrera, which gives them a bit of an edge over Os Flavienses, who finished sixth in the 2017-18 season, matching their second-best finish in the Portuguese top flight's history.
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Primeira Liga 2018-19 : Matchday 1
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Moreirense 1 - 3 Sporting CP
August 12, 2018 1:30pmParque Desportivo Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas (Moreira de Cónegos)This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
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