Benfica vs Alverca – News and Probable Lineups

Benfica aims to get back to winning form as they host Alverca at the Estadio da Luz on Sunday for round 21 of the Primeira Liga.

Jose Mourinho’s squad settled for a goalless draw against Tondela last weekend, while their opponents from Ribatejo arrive after a 1–1 draw with Estrela.

Match overview

Despite controlling 70 percent of possession, taking 22 shots, and landing 10 on target, Benfica couldn’t break down a resilient Tondela team last week, thus ending the Eagles’ streak of three consecutive wins in the Primeira Liga.

A silver lining from that match is that it maintained the Reds’ unbeaten run in the league at 35 matches (W25, D10), with 13 wins and seven draws from 20 outings this season, making them the sole team yet to lose this term after Porto’s 2–1 defeat to Casa Pia on Monday.

This outcome enabled third-placed Benfica to narrow the deficit from the top of the Primeira Liga standings from 10 points to nine, although they now trail second-placed Sporting Lisbon by five points, following Sporting’s victory over Arouca in their matchday 20 clash.

Nonetheless, the Eagles could find motivation in the fact that the top two teams will face each other this weekend, providing an opportunity to reignite their dwindling title ambitions.

While Mourinho and his team will be focused on securing their home turf, they will likely be cautious of additional dropped points at home, having achieved only six wins in their 10 league matches at the Luz this season (D4), though their last three home fixtures have all ended in victories.

Adding to their confidence is Benfica’s historical dominance in this fixture, having won all of their last five encounters with Alverca, including a 2–1 victory in the previous matchup this August.

The visitors, however, might draw motivation from their historic win at Da Luz in 2001, although their current form raises questions about their ability to replicate such an upset, as they have not secured a win in their last two matches (D1, L1).

A heavy 5–0 defeat against Braga preceded last weekend’s draw with Estrela in Ribatejo, where Custodio Castro’s side salvaged a late equalizer through substitute Fabrício Garcia, just six minutes after conceding a penalty to Sydney van Hooijdonk.

Despite these recent setbacks, Alverca has shown signs of improvement in 2026, amassing seven points from four games, quite the shift from the three-match losing streak that concluded the previous year.

With 24 points earned from 20 league fixtures (W7, D3, L10), the newly-promoted team sits respectably in 10th place, comfortably seven points above the relegation playoff zone.

While Alverca is eager to create further distance from the drop zone, they must address their away performance, as they have endured six defeats in nine top-flight away outings this season (W2, D1), including losses in their last three matches.

Team News

Benfica is anticipated to be without goalkeeper Samuel Soares and striker Henrique Araújo due to muscle injuries, while Dodi Lukebakio is still recovering from a broken ankle.

Long-term injury casualty Alexander Bah remains out with a severe knee issue, and Richard Ríos is set to miss his sixth consecutive match due to injury.

Rafa Silva, who joined in January, has come off the bench in the last two games and could earn his first start on Sunday, as Sidny Lopes Cabral also aims for a return after featuring as a substitute last weekend.

Even though he failed to score last time, Vangelis Pavlidis remains the leading scorer in the Primeira Liga this season with 19 goals and will be eager to get back on the scoresheet.

As for Alverca, 26-year-old Ghanaian midfielder Sabit Abdulai is in doubt for Sunday’s fixture after being substituted in the match against Estrela last weekend.

If Abdulai is unavailable, he will join long-term absentees Leo Chu, Tomas Mendes, and Stephane Diarra on the sidelines, while striker Sandro Lima’s participation is also uncertain following his absence in the previous match.

Benfica probable starting XI:

Trubin; Dedication, Araujo, Otamendy, Dahl; Aursnes, Barrier; L Cabral, Sudacov, R Silva; Pavliss

Alverca probable starting XI:

Gomes; Naves, Gomez, Meupiyou; Touaizi, Lincoln, Moreira, Chissumba; Figueiredo, Milovanovic, Chiquinho

Benfica will look to take advantage of the matchup between Porto and Sporting, recognizing that a win here could significantly bolster their title race position.

Having kept clean sheets in their last three games, a composed performance seems likely against an Alverca side that has faced difficulties in showing attacking consistency, with just 20 league goals scored this season.