Benfica retain Liga Placard title after dramatic derby victory

Benfica retained the Liga Placard title after defeating Sporting CP 4-3 in the decisive fifth game of the championship final at the Pavilhão Fidelidade on Sunday. The win clinched the best-of-five series 3-2 and secured the club’s 10th Portuguese futsal championship.

The triumph marks Benfica’s first back-to-back national title in 18 years, with the club retaining the crown it won in the 2024/25 season. The eagles revalidated the title, achieving a back-to-back that had eluded the club since the 2007/08 season. It is Cassiano Klein’s second consecutive championship, the head coach having claimed the title in his debut campaign last term before successfully defending it this year. Benfica now hold ten national titles, though they remain behind Sporting, who lead the competition’s history with 19.

The decider lived up to a series in which home advantage proved decisive in every game. Roared on by a sold-out crowd of 2,319, with club president Rui Costa among them, Benfica struck twice inside the seventh minute. Goalkeeper Léo Gugiel opened the scoring with a stunning long-range effort before André Coelho doubled the lead moments later. Tomás Paçó pulled one back for Sporting at 15 minutes to make it 2-1 at the break.

The second half turned frantic. Diogo Santos levelled at 26 minutes, but Silvestre immediately restored Benfica’s lead following a parry from Bernardo Paçó. Tomás Paçó struck again to make it 3-3, before Kutchy converted a penalty in the 31st minute for the decisive 4-3. Gugiel, later named the final’s best goalkeeper, preserved the advantage with a string of late saves as Sporting pushed for an equaliser, and Tomás Paçó was sent off in the closing seconds.

The win completed a memorable treble for Benfica, who add the championship to the Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga already won this season. Following the final whistle, players, staff and supporters marked another milestone in the club’s futsal history under the banner: «Bicampeões Nacionais»