This week, Portuguese clubs achieved fairly positive results on the European scene. Enough to keep the pressure on the Netherlands in the UEFA rankings.
Portugal is gradually approaching its goal. This week once again, Portuguese clubs have performed well on the European stage, even catching up to their main rival In the UEFA classification.
A fairly positive week for Portugal
For the first time this season, the five Portuguese clubs participating in European competitions had the opportunity to speak in midweek. It all started with Sporting Lisbon drawing at Eindhoven Stadium (1-1), in a decisive match for UEFA points, given the closeness between the two teams represented in the standings. The next day, Vitoria took its place by defeating FC Celje in the Conference League (3-1).
The first win that showed the way for Benfica. In full swing since the arrival of the new coach Bruno LageThe Portuguese club literally crushed Atletico Madrid in the Champions League (4-0). But Thursday evening was noticeably less successful than before for the Portuguese clubs. After the success achieved by the Eagles at home, Braga lost badly to Olympiacos (3-0), while Porto remained under supervision at home to Manchester United (3-3).
Portugal returns to the UEFA rankings
Two victories, two draws and a defeat enabled Portugal to gain new points in the UEFA classification. In total, the Portuguese national team collected 6 points (2 points for each win, 1 point for each draw), which must then be divided by 5, i.e. the number of Portuguese clubs participating in European competitions this season. Thus, Portugal obtains a real lead of 1.2 points in the standings this week, allowing it to put more pressure on its direct competitor.
For its part, the Netherlands is struggling to maintain its lead over Portugal. Of their five European representatives still competing in the competitions, only Feyenoord won this week. Like PSV, who drew with Sporting, Twente and Ajax also drew, while AZ Alkmaar lost. With one victory, three draws and one defeat, the Netherlands have gained an advantage of 0.833 points in the standings, thus seeing their noose tightened.
Only a matter of time?
The margin gets narrower and narrower. Portugal now has 53,016 points in the UEFA classification, only 3.55 points lower than the Netherlands, which is in sixth place. This is an encouraging situation, especially since some Portuguese clubs appear to be in excellent condition to continue the European adventure at the end of the currently contested stages.
Benfica is third in the Champions League with two wins in the most matches, and is on the right track, just like Sporting, who have taken four points out of a possible six in the competition. The same goes for Vitoria, who won their first conference league match this week. It remains to be seen whether Porto and Braga will be able to reverse this trend and advance to the next round of the Europa League, in order to allow Portugal to maintain all its strength in this distant confrontation.
UEFA classification as of 4 October 2024
1- England – 92,446 points
2- Italy – 81,481 points
3 – Spain – 75,703 points
4 – Germany – 74,285 points
5 – France – 61,379 points
6 – Netherlands – 56,566 points
7 – Portugal – 53,016 points
8 – Belgium – 46,400 points
9- Czech Republic – 40,450 points
10 – Türkiye – 37,300 points
Photo by Gaulter Fatia/Getty Images
Alexandre Ribeiro launched Trivela.fr in 2019 and today runs it alongside his colleagues. Passionate about Portuguese football as a whole, and especially the Portuguese national team, with all his energy and involvement he brings this media to life every day.
