Preview: Benfica vs Academico de Viseu - prediction, team news, lineups

Benfica look to kick off their 2026-27 Primeira Liga campaign on a winning note as they welcome newly promoted side Academico Viseu to Estadio da Luz this weekend.

The Lisbon giants enter the new league season under former Fulham boss Marco Silva, who succeeded Jose Mourinho following his departure to Real Madrid and will be hoping for a better campaign than last term's underwhelming one.

Match preview

Mourinho's second spell at Benfica did not produce the desired outcome, as the Lisbon club missed out on a top-two finish for the first time in three years while also being eliminated from every cup competition before the end of February.

The Reds' journey in the Taca da Liga ended with a semi-final defeat to Braga, a week before their Taca de Portugal exit at Porto, followed by their Champions League knockout playoff elimination at the hands of Real Madrid.

Despite being the only side to go unbeaten in the league last term, Benfica finished third in the Primeira Liga table, eight points behind eventual champions Porto and two adrift of city rivals Sporting Lisbon, after relinquishing second place to the Lions following a couple of draws on matchday 32 and 33..

As such, the Reds find themselves competing for a place in the Europa League, where they overturned a first-leg deficit against St Gallen with an emphatic 5-0 victory at Estadio da Luz in the second qualifying round.

After seizing control of their third qualifying round tie with another dominant display, thrashing Hearts 6-1 in Thursday's first leg, Silva's side will briefly turn their attention to domestic matters before next week's return fixture on the continental front.

Sunday's home match against Academico will see the Portuguese manager look to build on Benfica's 49-match unbeaten run in the league (W38, D11), stretching from matchday 20 of the 2024-25 season, and he will be confident of doing so with another victory.

Meanwhile, Academico are marking their return to Portugal's elite after 37 years in the lower divisions, having finished second in the Liga 2 standings last season thanks to a superior head-to-head point over third-placed Torreense.

Os Viriatos also benefited from a managerial change during the campaign, with Sergio Fonseca replacing Sergio Vieira and guiding the team from the bottom half into the promotion places before departing at the end of the season.

Bruno Pinheiro was appointed on June 19 and the 49-year-old returns to Portuguese football after a year with Eupen, having previously managed Estoril Praia and Gil Vicente, meaning he is no stranger to the demands of the Primeira Liga.

Pinheiro has enjoyed a positive start at the helm as far as preparation for the new campaign is concerned, having seen his side win three of their five pre-season outings, including a 1-0 victory in the third-place play-off of the Torneio de Verao da Povoa de Varzim last time out.

That said, Academico face their toughest test yet this weekend against a side that has dominated this fixture, with the Viseu outfit losing and failing to score in each of their previous four meetings with Benfica, although the most recent encounter came as far back as the 1988-89 campaign.

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

Benfica form (all competitions):

Academico de Viseu Primeira Liga form:

Academico de Viseu form (all competitions):

Team News

Benfica have only strengthened the squad from the previous campaign, having retained the vast majority of their regular starters, with almost all departures involving players who failed to establish themselves in the first team, though Nicolas Otamendi's exit to River Plate stands out after he left as a club legend.

The Reds' additions include the loan signing of Jhon Duran from Fenerbahce, alongside the arrivals of Jakub Kaminski from Koln and Enzo Barrenechea from Aston Villa, with Clement Lenglet joining on loan from Atletico Madrid.

Duran scored his first goal for the club in the victory over Hearts, but he is unlikely to displace Vangelis Pavlidis in the number nine role, with the Greek striker, who found the net 22 times in last season's Primeira Liga, in excellent form after scoring five goals across his last two outings.

Academico have kept a core of the side that earned promotion to the top flight, with several departures consisting of players returning to their parent clubs or leaving following the expiry of their contracts.

The Viseu club have strengthened by signing the likes of Ewerton, Alejandro Mestanza, Marcos Lavin, Cristian Ferreira and Andro Babic, with Mohamed Bouldini also returning for a second spell at the club.

To navigate the demands of top-flight football, Pinheiro will look to rely on the experience of captain Luis Silva, Robinho, Andre Ceitil and Andre Clovis, all of whom have previously played in the Primeira Liga with their former clubs.

Clovis enters this encounter in excellent form after scoring four times in Academico's pre-season matches, while Silva should be fit for this fixture despite being rested at the Povoa Tournament last weekend.

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Soares; Bah, Araujo, Lenglet, Dahl; Barreiro, Barrenechea; Rafa Silva, Sudakov, Prestianni; Pavlidis

Academico de Viseu possible starting lineup:

Sampaio; Barcelos, R Pereira, Correia, G. Costa; L Silva, Messeguem; Ceitil, Kahraman, Zamora; A Clovis