The Champions League season 2024/2025 for the Portuguese seasons was quite disappointing. Neither Benfica nor Sporting managed to reach the quarter-finals. Here’s the overview of how the Champions League season ended for the Portuguese teams.
Sporting CP
After the league title in 2023/2024 and together with coach Rúben Amorim, Sporting CP was in a very good form. However, after Amorim left the club to Manchester United, Sporting’s performances rapidly became worse. In their last match against Bologna, Sporting saved a place for the qualification round with a 1:1 at home. These are the Sporting Lisbon results from the group stage:
- LOSC Lille (h) 2:0 – 17.09.2024
- PSV Eindhoven (a) 1:1 – 01.10.2024
- Sturm Graz (a) 0:2 – 22.10.2024
- Manchester City (h) 4:1 – 05.11.2024
- Arsenal London (h) 1:5 – 26.11.2024
- FC Brügge (a) – 2:1 – 10.12.2024
- RB Leipzig (a) – 2:1 – 22.01.2025
- FC Bologna (h) – 1:1 – 29.01.2025
Looking at the first matches, Sporting was on a good way to achieve a place under the top 8 teams. With Amorim’s transfer to Manchester United, everything changed. In the upcoming qualification round, Borussia Dortmund from Germany was waiting. Here, Sporting already lost at home with 0:3 and a 0:0 draw in Dortmund meant that Sporting goes out of the tournament.
- Borussia Dortmund (h) 0:3 – 11.02.2025
- Borussia Dortmund (a) 0:0 – 19.02.2025
SL Benfica
For the Lisbon neighbour Benfica the Champions League season went slightly better. Even if Benfica also changed their coach, the team managed to win important matches against Atlético, Monaco and Juventus. Unsurprisingly, SL Benfica managed to reach the qualification round. These are the results from the group stage of the Champions League 2024/2025:
- FK Crvena Zvezda (a) 1:2 – 19.09.2024
- Atlético de Madrid (h) 4:0 – 02.10.2024
- Feyenoord Rotterdam (h) 1:3 – 23.10.2024
- FC Bayern Munich (a) 1:0 – 06.11.2024
- AS Monaco (a) – 2:3 – 27.11.2024
- FC Bologna (h) – 0:0 – 11.12.2024
- FC Barcelona (h) – 4:5 – 21.01.2025
- Juventus (a) – 0:2 – 29.01.2025
In the qualification round, Benfica faced Monaco again. After a 1:0 win in Monaco, the team from Lisbon managed to achieve a 3:3 in the return match and qualified for the next round.
- AS Monaco (a) 0:1 – 12.02.2025
- AS Monaco (h) 3:3 – 18.02.2025
In the round of 16 of the Champions League, the Spanish top team FC Barcelona was waiting for Benfica. During the group stage, both teams already faced each other in a spectacular 4:5 win for Barcelona. After a 0:1 defeat at home, Benfica also lost the away match in Barcelona with 3:1. Barcelona qualified for the quarter-finals and Benfica was kicked out.
- FC Barcelona (h) – 0:1 – 05.03.2025
- FC Barcelona (a) – 3:1 – 11.03.2025
Champions League 2024/2025: Sporting & Benfica ready to start
For Sporting the Champions League season 2024/2025 already ended in the play-offs, while Benfica reached the round of 16. There, they lost agaist Barcelona in the fight for the next round. Updates and the latest news about Portuguese soccer, you will find in our sports category.
Photo from photographer Maciej Rogowski: Ball Raw Media
