Porto hosts Benfica for their Primeira Liga round 28 fixture which will determine significant positions in the top four standings.
Another O Classico match for the campaign takes place with Porto fighting on three and Braga for four position through goal differential but Benfica maintains their dual position in the title race behind Sporting Lisbon by goal differential.
Porto enters the match against Benfica with a positive attitude despite their nine-point deficit to Benfica since victory would strengthen their third-place position and potentially ignite their chance to compete for the title.
The Dragons ended 2024 on a winning note by registering three successive league victories which made people believe Sporting had lost their grip on the championship.
The beginning of 2025 brought difficulties for Porto as they achieved only two victories from nine top-division matches yet seem to find stability in their recent performances.
The Blue and Whites surpassed their previous record by notching two consecutive wins in 2025 when they defeated AVS 2-0 and topped Estoril Praia 2-1 for their point total to reach 56.
Porto faces Sunday's match with renewed purpose since they hope to recover from their November 4-1 defeat which occurred in the previous meeting.
The rareness of one-sided outcomes in major derbies provides Porto with hope to secure victory despite facing an opponent who awarded them a stunning 4-1 defeat at the first encounter in November.
However, Benfica won’t be an easy opponent. They hold the third-best away record in the league this season, with eight wins, two draws, and three losses in their Primeira Liga travels. During these matches, they’ve scored 22 goals while conceding 13.
Similar to their hosts, Benfica faced a rough patch around the turn of the year, managing just one win in four games between December 29 and January 25 while losing three. However, they’ve since bounced back in impressive fashion, stringing together eight consecutive league victories. Notably, they’ve scored exactly three goals in seven of those wins, including their latest 3-2 triumph over struggling SC Farense.
With 65 points from 21 wins, two draws, and four defeats, Benfica now sits level on points with league leaders Sporting—only trailing on goal difference (-7). A victory on Sunday would temporarily propel them to the top of the table (until Sporting plays on Monday) and mark their first league double over Porto since the 2018-19 season.
