Preview: Porto vs Benfica - prediction, team news, lineups

Porto and Benfica meet in the first O Classico of the 2026-27 Primeira Liga season on Sunday night, with the two heavyweights occupying the top two positions after six rounds.

Only two points separate the sides, with the Dragons sitting atop the Portuguese top-flight table, while the Eagles have arrived fresh from a statement European victory at San Siro.

Match preview

Porto have made the ideal start to their title defence, winning all six league matches, a run underpinned by an excellent backline that has conceded just two goals in the top flight this season, with no other side allowing fewer in the division.

That watertight defence is reminiscent of their championship-winning campaign last term, when the Dragons kept a league-high 21 clean sheets and ended a three-year wait for the Portuguese title, lifting the silverware six points clear of runners-up Sporting Lisbon.

Porto's perfect beginning has also mirrored their explosive opening to 2025-26, with victories over Alverca, Rio Ave, Arouca, Academico de Viseu, Moreirense and Casa Pia seeing them establish an early advantage at the summit in 2026-27.

Last weekend's 4-1 victory at Rio Maior provided the perfect response to their Champions League defeat against Manchester City, as the Dragons recovered from an early deficit to snatch maximum points through goals from Andre Silva, Jakub Kiwior, Borja Sainz and Santiago Gimenez.

Another success this weekend would see Porto match their seven-game winning start from last season’s league campaign, although Francesco Farioli's team face the same Benfica side that halted that flawless run in 2025-26 with a goalless draw at this very venue.

Meanwhile, Benfica have also made an excellent start to the Primeira Liga campaign, aside from a disappointing 2-2 draw against newly promoted Academico at Estadio da Luz on the opening weekend.

Five successive league victories in encounters with Casa Pia, Estoril Praia, Maritimo, Moreirense and Gil Vicente have followed, with a brace from Vangelis Pavlidis and Gianluca Prestianni's late strike securing a comeback 3-1 win over the Barcelos outfit.

As such, Marco Silva's side have scored multiple goals in each of their six top-flight matches this term, with their tally of 21 five higher than that of any other side in the current Portuguese campaign.

Benfica's attacking strength was also evident on the continental front in midweek, when Silva's heavily rotated side opened their Europa League campaign with a 2-0 victory over AC Milan courtesy of goals from Dodi Lukebakio and Jakub Kaminski.

A return to Primeira Liga action this weekend sees the Eagles looking to extend a lengthy unbeaten run in the competition, having not suffered a league defeat in 55 matches since losing to Casa Pia on matchday 19 of the 2024-25 season.

Avoiding defeat on their last two league visits to the Dragao suggests Benfica are well equipped for the task ahead, although a 1-0 cup loss on their most recent trip to the ground offers a reminder that their impressive league record does not guarantee another positive result.

Porto Primeira Liga form:

Porto form (all competitions):

Benfica Primeira Liga form:

Benfica form (all competitions):

Team News

Porto will definitely be without Nehuen Perez after the centre-back's thigh injury, while Joao Costa and Zaidu Sanusi remain in treatment.

Vasco Sousa, Andre Miranda and Samu Omorodion are also working their way back to fitness, while Victor Froholdt and Oskar Pietuszewski remain in conditioned training, with the former making progress towards a return.

Farioli has called B-team players Luis Gomes and Tiago Silva into first-team training to cover the absences, while Kiwior and Jan Bednarek remain the expected starting centre-backs.

Meanwhile, summer signing Gimenez came off the bench to score his first goal for the club from the spot last time out, although Silva looks the likely candidate to lead the line once again.

Benfica have fewer concerns heading into the match, with Alexander Bah back in full training and therefore in contention to reclaim the right-back position.

Silva has also been able to manage the workloads of several key players through his extensive rotation in Europe, although the likes of Prestianni and Rafa Silva could return to the lineup this weekend.

Pavlidis also featured in a second-half cameo in that encounter in midweek and is expected to return to the starting XI as he looks to add to his seven league goals, which currently puts him at the top of the Golden Boot race.

Porto possible starting lineup:

D Costa; A Costa, Bednarek, Kiwior, Moura; Hwang, Rosario, Veiga; W Gomes, Andre Silva, Pepe

Benfica possible starting lineup:

Soares; Banjaqui, Araujo, Lenglet, Dahl; Aursnes, Palhinha; Rafa Silva, Schjelderup, Prestianni; Pavlidis

We say: Porto 1-1 Benfica

Porto's defensive organisation could prevent Benfica from reproducing the attacking numbers they have produced elsewhere, while the visitors' current scoring form should make it difficult for the champions to protect their perfect record, potentially resulting in a share of the spoils at the Dragao.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.