TV and streaming channels to watch the 2019-20 Primeira Liga kick-off

August 8, 2019 By Oscar Rojas

Topics: Primeira Liga, Benfica, Pacos de Ferreira, Gil Vicente, Porto, Marítimo, Sporting CP. TV Schedules, TV Listings

The Portuguese top flight kicks off this weekend, with new players adding their talent to a competitive league. Here are the stand-out points ahead of Matchday One.

One more Primeira Liga season will begin on Friday, with Porto and Sporting facing the task of stripping the title away from Benfica. All "Big Three" teams in Portugal added more talent to their rosters, and the 2019-20 season could be one of the best in recent history.

Benfica will also enter this competition after winning the 2019 International Champions Cup, where they collected three wins in the same number of matches. Porto will also have something to be proud of ahead of the Portuguese top flight's commencement, since they took home the lead in their UEFA Champions League KO Stage match against Krasnodar.

Team news - Who's in, who's out?

Portugal's "Big Three" will not have a full squad to choose from, as each one of them will have to deal with absences on Matchday 1. Sporting will have to make do without Idrissa Doumbia, who was sent off during the Super Cup against Benfica. The Eagles also took a hit during that match, as Gabriel Pires picked up a knee injury. André Almeida will also be out for Benfica. Lastly, Porto will not have Loum around, while goalkeeper Iker Casillas is not going to stage a shocking comeback this week, even if he was registered to play by the Dragons.

Coach's quotes ahead of Matchday 1

Benfica's coach Bruno Lage referred to the possibility of winning back-to-back trophies with Benfica, following a late surge that saw his team leapfrog Porto with an impressive unbeaten streak last season. Lage believes that his team will be capable of doing so, even if they missed out on some big names during the transfer window.

"We have a very competitive squad. It's true that some players had more playing time during the preseason, and we have to work on that same direction. The league has not begun yet, and we have to be sure of our chances before we take the pitch on Saturday."

Key historical stats ahead of Primeira Liga's Matchday 1

Benfica, Porto and Sporting are the only teams to be included in all previous Primeira Liga seasons.
Benfica became the first Portuguese team to win a title without losing a single game.
Porto is the only team to have won five consecutive league titles (1994-1999)
Sporting, Porto and Benfica have shared the podium between them for the past six seasons. Paços de Ferreira was the last team to leapfrog any of these teams by the end of the 2012-13 season.

What is social media talking about ahead of Matchday 1?

Porto may have landed some top-caliber signings during the offseason, but the biggest news coming out of their camp was Iker Casillas' potential return. The Spanish goalkeeper has not given up hope on returning to the pitch after suffering a heart-attack in May, and Porto has registered the footballer for the 2019-20 season. Will he stage a shocking comeback?

Iker Casillas has not given up hope of continuing his playing career despite his heart attack in May. Porto have officially registered the Spanish goalkeeper in their 2019/20 squad. https://t.co/ci94IkVEzc
— Tom Kundert (@PortuGoal1) August 9, 2019