Following the draw on Thursday and Friday, UEFA published the order of play for the first stage of the three tournaments it organises on Saturday. And when it came to the Champions League, Benfica and Sporting knew they were in for a hellish month in November.
Among the eight opponents they will face, Benfica are starting the fight for a place in the last 16 – only the first eight teams in the 36-team classification go through directly. The Eagles will face Estrela Vermelha in the first round on the 19th of this month. Sporting will start in Alvalade against Lille two days earlier, on the 17th.
In addition to their common rival (Bologna), the Reds and Whites also have a difficult November. Between Champions League games against Bayern (6/11) and Monaco (27/11) – a team with equal ambitions to reach the playoffs – Benfica will host Porto in Luxe (10/11) for the championship. At the same stage of the season, Sporting will face million-dollar league contenders Manchester City (5/11) and Arsenal (26/11), with a visit to Braga (10/11). in the middle of the championship.