Benfica kick off their Primeira Liga campaign at home against newly promoted Académico Viseu with a fearsome pre-season scoring record, having averaged four goals across their last three friendlies. The visitors arrive as an unknown quantity at this level, making an instant…
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Sign inBenfica launch their 2026-27 Primeira Liga campaign against newly-promoted Academico Viseu at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon on August 9, with Marco Silva taking charge of his first league match since replacing José Mourinho. The Eagles come into the contest off the back of a Europa League play-off first leg against Hearts, while the visitors begin life back in the top flight after promotion from Liga Portugal 2.
Silva arrived from Fulham in the summer, tasked with reclaiming the title after Benfica finished the previous league season unbeaten — 23 wins and 11 draws — yet still missed out to their rivals. His competitive bow in Europe was mixed: a 2-1 loss at St Gallen ended an 11-match unbeaten sequence that had only previously been snapped by Real Madrid, but the response was emphatic, a 5-0 home rout in which Vangelis Pavlidis scored four goals and Clement Lenglet netted on his home debut. Silva will now want a similarly commanding start to domestic duties.
Benfica are expected to field a strong side despite the quick turnaround from European action. Pavlidis, who struck 22 league goals last term, will lead the line, while Jhon Duran continues to wait for his first start. New signings Georgiy Sudakov and Jakub Kaminski are likely to retain their places in midfield and attack. The probable XI is: Trubin; Bah, Silva, Lenglet, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Silva, Sudakov, Kaminski; Pavlidis. Academico Viseu have not reported any major injuries and are set to travel with a full squad.
Academico Viseu return to the Primeira Liga as Liga Portugal 2 runners-up, managed by Rui Ferreira, who has been in charge since May 2024. Survival is the immediate objective, and starting the campaign away to a title contender is as tough an introduction as any. The visitors will rely on the organisation that carried them through promotion, with a compact shape designed to frustrate far more decorated opponents.
Pavlidis arrives in red-hot form after his four-goal demolition of St Gallen, underlining his status as Benfica’s main attacking weapon. His movement and clinical finishing will test a Viseu back line that has yet to face a forward of his calibre at this level. If the visitors cannot contain him, the evening could become a long one.
Benfica travel to the second leg of their Europa League tie against Hearts shortly after this match, before returning to domestic action away from home in round two. For Academico Viseu, a first home game against another promoted side offers a more realistic chance to get points on the board.
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