This story has it all. There’s Cristiano Ronaldo, of course, but there’s also Johan Cruyff, Ian Rush or Kaká
Remember Simão’s great goal outside the box at Anfield? And what about Miccoli’s brilliant kick minutes later in the same stadium?
If we want to go back to the last time a Portuguese team did what Sporting managed to do this Tuesday against Paris Saint-Germain, we really have to go back 20 years and go to England.
It was there that, in a difficult match against European champions Liverpool, Benfica managed to seal their passage to the quarter-finals of the competition, in a display of great strength against one of the greatest colossi in European football.
Practically 20 years ago, more precisely on March 8, 2006, Benfica was the last Portuguese team to beat the defending European champion, a feat rarely seen, and which Sporting managed to repeat with the brutal victory in Alvalade against the French.
It wasn’t for lack of trying, no, but rather of getting it right. In total, and before Sporting, only four other times has a Portuguese club managed to beat the defending European champion.
In addition to this Benfica in Liverpool, the same Benfica had beaten the same Liverpool two weeks earlier, at Estádio da Luz, taking the first step towards a historic tie.
To complete the Eagles’ achievements we have to go back to November 7, 1984. Irony of ironies, the opponent was also Liverpool, even though the teams were considerably different.
The winning goal for the Reds at the old Luz was scored by Michael Manniche, in a game that featured stars such as Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish on the field. On the Benfica side were Carlos Manuel or Diamantino, in a team led by the Hungarian Pál Csernai.
Simão and the rest of the team celebrate the goal at Anfield (Jon Buckle – PA Images via Getty Images))
Furthermore, Benfica never managed to repeat the feat. But it wasn’t for lack of trying: the Reds had eight other chances of beating the reigning European champion, but without achieving that glory.
Two of them were in the same year, with a team that would win the Champions League three years in a row, and that had a certain Johan Cruyff in the middle: Ajax 1-0 Benfica (5 April 1972); Benfica 0-0 Ajax on April 19, 1972.
After that it was Arrigo Sacchi’s powerful Milan in the final of the 1989/1990 season. Frank Rjikaard scored the only goal at the Prater in Vienna, where years before FC Porto had been European champions. AC Milan 1-0 Benfica (23 May 1990).
In the midst of this story that has a lot of Milan, there was still another Liverpool. The guy from 1984 who had lost to the Eagles in Luz, but who had previously won 3-1 in England, arriving to pass that 2nd round tie, when there was still no group stage. Liverpool 1-0 Benfica (24 October 1984).
Since then, there have been three more chances for Benfica to beat the European champion, but all of them failed, all of them against Milan. Two in 1995 and another two in 2007. Milan 2-0 Benfica (March 1, 1995); Benfica 0-0 Milan (March 15, 1995).
At Benfica there was Artur Jorge, at AC Milan there was Fabio Capello. In Benfica’s goal was Michel Preud’homme, who in front had men like João Vieira Pinto or Claudio Caniggia.
Milan 2-1 Benfica (18 September 2007); Benfica 1-1 Milan (28 November 2007). The Reds were coached by José Antonio Camacho and a certain Ángel Di María appeared in a team watching Rui Costa’s latest flashes. At AC Milan there were Andrea Pirlo, Kaká, Clarence Seedorf… yes, it was the rest of that last great Milan.
FC Porto, a success
Cristiano Ronaldo after scoring one of the best goals of his career at Estádio do Dragão (Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images))
It is said once and it directly involves Benfica that FC Porto won over a defending European champion. It was against PSV Eindhoven, who the year before had beaten Toni’s Benfica in the final.
With goals from Rui Águas and Domingos Paciência, both coming off the bench, the Dragons beat the Dutch. On the bench was Alfredo Murça, a name that would fall into oblivion, but in the eleven there were still Rabah Madjer or Fernando Gomes. FC Porto 2-0 PSV Eindhoven (9 November 1988).
Before that, FC Porto had been beaten 5-0 in the Netherlands. PSV Eindhoven 5-0 FC Porto (26 October 1988).
Furthermore, only two other times were FC Porto able to beat the defending European champions. They were both in 2009, when they met the almighty Manchester United – it almost seems strange to say in this day and age – taking the quarter-final tie to the last.
Manchester United 2-2 FC Porto (7 April 2009); FC Porto 0-1 Manchester United (April 15, 2009). For those who don’t remember, it was a goal from the middle of the street by Cristiano Ronaldo that resolved this tie at Estádio do Dragão.
Sporting joining the club
Beating PSG, probably the best team in the world, certainly the best of last season, is a unique feat for Sporting in this way.
The Lions had tried to beat the reigning European champion four times, but always without success and, curiously, always with the same opponent.
It was Real Madrid, but in two different phases.
The first was in Alvalade, against that was the beginning of the Galacticos. Sporting 2-2 Real Madrid (12 September 2000).
At Sporting, Augusto Inácio was coaching and the goals were scored by Sá Pinto and André Cruz, but insufficient to beat a team with Roberto Carlos, Luís Figo or Raúl.
In the second match of that year, the same story: Real Madrid 4-0 Sporting (October 25, 2000).
After that, the only thing left to count is Sporting under Jorge Jesus, who put on a great performance at the Santiago Bernabéu, only losing in the final minutes – “ochencha ocho”, remember? Real Madrid 2-1 Sporting (14 September 2016), with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring one of the goals.
In the second round of this group stage, the same result. Sporting 1-2 Real Madrid (November 22, 2016).
This historic victory over PSG in Alvalade goes directly to a luxury club, with Sporting achieving the fifth time that a Portuguese team has managed to beat the defending European champion.
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