This Friday, Sporting and Rio Ave kick off the 2024/25 Football League season, with the Lions beginning their title defence and seeking a second league title that has eluded them since the 1950s.
Despite their last two titles under Ruben Amorim, in the 2020/21 and 2023/24 seasons, Leonin have achieved random and disjointed titles, far from the hegemony of the past. Moreover, since their quadruple championship between 1950 and 1954, the Lions have not won two consecutive titles.
The championship starts after the Super Cup, in which Sporting beat their rivals Porto 3-0 and eventually suffered a 4-3 defeat in extra time in a game of contrasts for the Lions.
In the match against Rio Ave, scheduled for the José Alvalade stadium (20:15), Ruben Amorim will still be without the injured Saint-Justé and Nuno Santos, but will see the return of Matheus Reis, suspended in the Super League Cup.
Coach Luis Freire still has some adjustments to make to the Vila Condenses squad, but he will be looking to repeat the good performance from the last match against Sporting, a 3-3 draw at the Estadio dos Arcos.
In the first round, which starts this Friday and ends on Monday, Porto will take to the field on Saturday to host Gil Vicente (20:30), while Benfica will visit Famalicao on Sunday (18:00).
Program of the 1st round:
– Friday, August 9:
Sporting – Rio Ave, 20:15.
– Saturday, August 10:
ABC – National, 13:30.
Casa Pia – Boavista, 18:00.
“Porto” – “Gil Vicente”, 20:30.
– Sunday, August 11:
Estoril Praia – Santa Clara, 15:30.
Farense – Moreirense, 18:00.
Famalican – Benfica, 18:00.
Sporting Braga – Estrela da Amadora, 20:30.
– Monday, August 12:
Arouca – Vitoria Guimarães, 20:15.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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