1991–92 S.L. Benfica season

The 1991–92 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 88th season in existence and the club's 58th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 July 1991 to 30 June 1992. Benfica competed domestically in the Primeira Divisão and the Taça de Portugal, and participated in the European Cup by winning the previous league.[1]

Benfica
1991–92 season
PresidentJoão Santos
(until 24 April 1992)
Jorge de Brito
Head coachSven-Göran Eriksson
StadiumEstádio da Luz
Primeira Divisão2nd
Taça de PortugalSemi-finals
European CupGroup stage
Supertaça Cândido de OliveiraRunners-up
Top goalscorerLeague: Isaías (12)
All: Isaías (17)
Highest home attendance90,000 vs Porto
(22 March 1992)
Lowest home attendance15,000 vs União da Madeira
(3 May 1992)

Entering the season as defending champions, the third year of Sven-Göran Eriksson was less successful than before. During the transfer season, Benfica lost two important players – Ricardo Gomes and Valdo to Paris Saint-Germain. As new signings, the club brought in Russians Vasili Kulkov and Sergei Yuran, and promoted youth graduates Paulo Madeira and Rui Costa to regular starters. In the league race, Benfica competed with Porto until January, when a three-point gap opened, and a subsequent home loss against them two months later, ended hopes of retaining the title. Still, the team made history when it defeated Arsenal in Highbury to qualify for the new format of the European Cup, now with a group stage.

Season summary

In his fifth year at Benfica, Swedish manager Sven-Göran Eriksson had to rebuild a new eleven, following the departures of Ricardo Gomes and Valdo to Paris Saint-Germain.[2] After two seasons as back-up, Paulo Madeira had its breakthrough season alongside William, amassing 47 appearances, second-best in the squad.[3] To replace Valdo, Eriksson opted for the 19 year-old, Rui Costa, which had just returned from a successful loan spell at AD Fafe.[4] Benfica also made a few signings, notably Vasili Kulkov and Sergei Yuran, both internationals for the Soviet Union.

Benfica entered their league campaign with a home loss to Boavista. In the following weeks, they recovered the lost ground, and finished September in fourth place, only a point from first.[5] In the same month, the team started their European Cup run with a 10–0 win on aggregate over Hamrun Spartans.[6] On 3 November, Benfica draws the first Clássico of the year, at Estádio das Antas, as the two teams were now matched in second. Three days later, in the second round of the European Cup, Benfica visited Highbury and knocked Arsenal out of the competition, with a 3–1 win, in part due to the individual efforts from Isaías, who bagged a double.[7] It was the first time since 1961–62 that the club defeated a team from England, and granted a spot on the newly created group stages of the tournament.[7] November ended with mixed results, they were joint-first on the league, but lost their European Cup opening game against Dynamo Kyiv.[6]

In December, the team collected two wins and two draws in the domestic league, making them trail Porto by a point at the New Year.[8] Similar situation happened in Europe, after a home draw to Barcelona, they were last at their group after the second match-day.[6] However, in the other competitions, they opened the Portuguese Cup with a win and beat Porto on the first leg of the Supercup.[9] In January, three win less match-days that spread from 29 December to 19 January, which included a second loss to Boavista, increased Porto's gap to three points on the title race, while on the second league of the Supercup, a one-nil loss, postponed the trophy decision until September.[8]

After a fruitful February, in which the team bagged 9 points out of 10 possible, they entered March still chasing Porto who retained the same lead.[10] After a second home draw in the European Cup, on 4 March against Sparta Prague, Benfica postponed the league match of 15th, to better focus in the return leg to Czechoslovakia. However the contend ended in another draw, and the three points in four match-days, Barcelona qualified for the final, as they had seven points.[9] On the following Sunday in a decisive game for the title race, an 89th-minute goal from Ion Timofte gave Porto a 3–2 win at Estádio da Luz and increased their lead to five points.[10] As consolation, the team beat Sporting de Espinho by 6–0 win in the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup, thus ensuring a third game against Boavista, on the semi-finals.[6]

April ended any hopes of a silverware, as competitions dropped in succession. Despite recording a first win in the European Cup on 1 April, the closing match of the competition, at the Camp Nou, began a dark spell. With a 2–1 loss to Barcelona on the 15th, Benfica started a win less spree that cost them the two remaining competitions.[9] On Saturday the 18th, the team draws to Farense at home.[11] Four days later, Boavista knocks Benfica out of the Portuguese Cup final, beating them for a third time in the season.[6] Next in consecutive away games, Benfica loses to Beira-Mar on the 26th and then awards the title to Porto on the 30th, after losing to Desportivo de Chaves, the delayed game from March.[11] Benfica ended in second, 10 points away from Porto, with nine points dropped at home, from two losses to Boavista and Porto, and draws to Estori-Praia, Penafiel, Torreense, Salgueiros and Farense. Eriksson departed to Sampdoria at the end of season.[7]

Competitions

  Win   Draw   Loss   Postponed

Overall record

Competition First match Last match Record
G W D L GF GA GD Win % Source
Primeira Divisão 17 August 1991 17 May 1992 34 17 12 5 62 23 +39 050.00 [3]
Taça de Portugal 15 December 1991 22 April 1992 6 4 1 1 14 3 +11 066.67 [3]
European Cup 18 September 1991 15 April 1992 10 4 4 2 22 7 +15 040.00 [3]
Supertaça 18 December 1991 29 January 1992 2 1 0 1 2 2 +0 050.00 [3]
Total 52 26 17 9 100 35 +65 050.00

Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira

18 December 1991 First legBenfica2–1PortoLuz, Lisbon
Yuran  16'
William  76'
Report Magalhães  61' Attendance: 70,000
Referee: José Pratas (Évora)
29 January 1992 Second legPorto1–0BenficaAntas, Porto
Timofte  67' Report Paneira  0'  26' Attendance: 50,000
Referee: Bento Marques (Évora)

Primeira Divisão

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Porto (C) 34 24 8 2 58 11 +47 56 Qualification to Champions League first round
2 Benfica 34 17 12 5 62 23 +39 46 Qualification to UEFA Cup first round
3 Boavista 34 16 12 6 45 27 +18 44 Qualification to Cup Winners' Cup first round[lower-alpha 1]
4 Sporting CP 34 18 8 8 56 26 +30 44 Qualification to UEFA Cup first round
5 Vitória de Guimarães 34 14 13 7 46 35 +11 41
Source: Primeira Divisão
Rules for classification: 1st points, 2nd head-to-head, 3rd goals average
(C) Champion.
Notes:
  1. Boavista qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup as Portuguese Cup winners

Results by round

Round12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334
GroundHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH
ResultLWWDDWWDWDWWDWWDDLWWWWDWWLLDWDLWDD
Position15966543433322222222222222222222222
Source: ForaDeJogo
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

17 August 1991 1Benfica0–1BoavistaLisbon
19:45 Report Casaca  13' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: José Pratas
24 August 1991 2Gil Vicente0–1BenficaBarcelos
20:15 Report Pacheco  41' (pen.) Stadium: Estádio Adelino Ribeiro Novo
Attendance: 18,000
Referee: Miranda de Sousa
1 September 1991 3Benfica2–0Vitória GuimarãesLisbon
20:30 Pacheco  43'
Rui Águas  64'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Carlos Valente
14 September 1991 4Sporting0–0BenficaLisbon
21:00 Report Stadium: Estádio de Alvalade
Attendance: 60,000
Referee: Vítor Correia
22 September 1991 5Benfica2–2Estoril-PraiaLisbon
20:00 Pacheco  51'
Rui Águas  78'
Report Voynov  55'
Passos  89'
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Fernando Correia
29 September 1991 6Torreense1–3BenficaTorres Vedras
20:30 Bigu  87' Report Magnusson  33', 40'
Isaías  81'
Stadium: Campo Manuel Marques
Attendance: 3,000
Referee: António Marçal
5 October 1991 7Benfica2–0MarítimoLisbon
19:00 Yuran  6', 37' Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: João Simãozinho
19 October 1991 8Paços de Ferreira1–1BenficaPaços de Ferreira
20:00 Adalberto  61' Report César Brito  79' Stadium: Estádio da Mata Real
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Donato Ramos
27 October 1991 9Benfica4–1Desportivo de ChavesLisbon
20:00 José Carlos  11'
Yuran  29'
Isaías  64'
Magnusson  75'
Report Marito  89' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Carlos Carvalho
3 November 1991 10Porto0–0BenficaPorto
20:30 Report Stadium: Estádio das Antas
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Fortunato Azevedo
10 November 1991 11Benfica2–1FamalicãoLisbon
19:30 Rui Costa  6'
Rui Águas  72'
Report Dane  53' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Bento Marques
23 November 1991 12Braga0–2BenficaBraga
19:45 Report Thern  6'
Rui Águas  61'
Stadium: Estádio 1º de Maio
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Carlos Valente
1 December 1991 13Farense2–2BenficaFaro
19:45 Ricardo  60'
Teffo  79'
Report Lemajic  35' (o.g.)
Kulkov  83'
Stadium: Estádio de São Luís
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: Veiga Trigo
7 December 1991 14Benfica3–0Beira MarLisbon
19:45 Yuran  38'
Kulkov  57'
Isaías  72'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Mário Leal
21 December 1991 15União da Madeira0–1BenficaFunchal
19:00 Report Pacheco  75' Stadium: Estádio dos Barreiros
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: José Silvano
29 December 1991 16Benfica1–1PenafielLisbon
19:45 Magnusson  42' Report Rebelo  43' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 35,000
Referee: Serafim Alvito
4 January 1992 17Salgueiros1–1BenficaPorto
19:45 Joaquim Soares  9' Report Isaías  6' Stadium: Estádio do Bessa
Attendance: 5,000
Referee: José Pratas
19 January 1992 18Boavista1–0BenficaPorto
20:00 Ricky  21' Report Stadium: Estádio do Bessa
Attendance: 17,000
Referee: Carlos Valente
25 January 1992 19Benfica5–0Gil VicenteLisbon
19:00 Pacheco  29'
Paulo Madeira  60'
César Brito  64'
Rui Costa  74'
Magnusson  88'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Donato Ramos
2 February 1992 20Vitória Guimarães1–3BenficaGuimarães
19:00 Ziad  82' Report César Brito  35'
Kulkov  67'
Isaías  69'
Stadium: Estádio D. Afonso Henriques
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: Veiga Trigo
9 February 1992 21Benfica2–0SportingLisbon
20:00 William  57' (pen.)
Pacheco  83'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 80,000
Referee: Fortunato Azevedo
16 February 1992 22Estoril Praia0–2BenficaEstoril
20:00 Report Isaías  3'
César Brito  64'
Stadium: Estádio António Coimbra da Mota
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Fernando Correia
23 February 1992 23Benfica0–0TorreenseLisbon
19:45 Paulo Sousa  37'
César Brito  90'
Pacheco  90'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: Jorge Coroado
29 February 1992 24Marítimo0–4BenficaFunchal
19:00 Report Rui Costa  29', 59'
Magnusson  56', 72'
Stadium: Estádio dos Barreiros
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Veiga Trigo
8 March 1992 25Benfica4–0Paços de FerreiraLisbon
20:00 Pacheco  29'
César Brito  42', 83'
Thern  75'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Adão Mendes
15 March 1992 26Desportivo de ChavesPostponedBenficaChaves
Report Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Chaves
22 March 1992 27Benfica2–3PortoLisbon
20:00 Rui Bento  0'  64'
William  74'
Yuran  85'
Report João Pinto  64' (pen.)
Kostadinov  84'
Jaime Magalhães  0'  87'
Timofte  89'
Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 90,000
Referee: Fortunato Azevedo
5 April 1992 28Famalicão0–0BenficaFamalicão
20:00 Report Stadium: Estádio Municipal 22 de Junho
Attendance: 7,500
Referee: José Pratas
11 April 1992 29Benfica2–0BragaLisbon
19:00 César Brito  3'
Isaías  16'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: José Silvano
18 April 1992 30Benfica1–1FarenseLisbon
20:00 Yuran  89' Report Luizão  76' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Lourenço Ferreira
26 April 1992 31Beira-Mar2–1BenficaAveiro
19:00 Miranda  44', 62' Report Isaías  28'
César Brito  83'
Stadium: Estádio Mário Duarte
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Carlos Carvalho
30 April 1992 26Desportivo de Chaves1–0BenficaChaves
19:00 Rudež  74' Report José Carlos  0'  38' Stadium: Estádio Municipal de Chaves
Attendance: 10,000
Referee: Neves Fernandes
3 May 1992 32Benfica6–0União da MadeiraLisbon
20:00 Rui Águas  14'
Paulo Sousa  16'
Isaías  27', 81'
Magnusson  51', 63'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: João Mesquita
10 May 1992 33Penafiel2–2BenficaPenafiel
19:00 Szuster  38'
Vasco  86'
Report William  68'
Isaías  70'
Neno  0'  85'
Stadium: Estádio Municipal 25 de Abril
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Mário Leal
17 May 1992 34Benfica1–1SalgueirosLisbon
19:45 Isaías  80' Report Abílio Novais  65' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 25,000
Referee: José Filipe

Taça de Portugal

15 December 1991 Fourth RdAlverca0–2BenficaLisbon
19:45 Report Magnusson  15', 87' Stadium: Desportivo de Alverca
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: Vítor Correia
12 January 1992 Fifth RdVitória de Setúbal0–0 (a.e.t.)BenficaSetúbal
20:15 Report Stadium: Estádio do Bonfim
Attendance: 4,000
Referee: Bento Marques
22 January 1992 5R ReplayBenfica4–1Vitória de SetúbalLisbon
20:30 Paulo Madeira  14'
César Brito  15'
Kulkov  67'
Vítor Paneira  81'
Report  9' Sobrinho Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: José Filipe
19 February 1992 Sixth RdFamalicão0–1 (a.e.t.)BenficaFamalicão
21:00 Report Thern  119' Stadium: Estádio Municipal 22 de Junho
Attendance: 2,000
Referee: João Simãozinho
29 March 1992 Quarter-finalBenfica6–0EspinhoLisbon
20:00 Pacheco  16'
Vítor Paneira  18'
Eliseu  25' (o.g.)
Yuran  44'
César Brito  61'
Paulo Madeira  88'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Bento Marques
22 April 1992 Semi-finalBenfica1–2BoavistaLisbon
20:00 Pacheco  78' (pen.) Report Ricky  73', 90' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Mário Leal

European Cup

First round

18 September 1991 First legHamrun Spartans 0–6 BenficaMalta
19:45 Report Pacheco  30'
Yuran  32', 35', 50', 83'
Rui Águas  75'
Stadium: Ta' Qali National Stadium
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Alfred Wieser (Austria)
2 October 1991 Second LegBenfica 4–0
(10–0 agg.)
Hamrun SpartansLisbon
19:45 Isaías  52'
César Brito  70'
Yuran  73'
Paulo Madeira  75'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 40,000
Referee: Erny Kesseler (Luxembourg)

Second round

23 October 1991 First legBenfica 1–1 ArsenalLisbon
20:00 Isaías  15' Report Campbell  18' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 80,000
Referee: Tullio Lanese (Italy)
6 November 1991 Second legArsenal 1–3 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 agg.)
BenficaLondon
20:00 Pates  20' Report Isaías  36', 109'
Kulkov  100'
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,000
Referee: Aron Schmidhuber (Germany)

Group B

Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
Barcelona 6 4 1 1 10 4 +6 9 Advance to final
Sparta Prague 6 2 2 2 7 7 0 6
Benfica 6 1 3 2 8 5 +3 5
Dynamo Kyiv 6 2 0 4 3 12 9 4
Source: UEFA
27 November 1991 1Dynamo Kyiv 1–0 BenficaKiev
19:45 Salenko  29' Report Stadium: Olimpiyskiy
Attendance: 80,000
Referee: Keith Hackett (England)
11 December 1991 2Benfica 0–0 BarcelonaLisbon
19:45 Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 70,000
Referee: Bruno Galler (Switzerland)
4 March 1992 3Benfica 1–1 Sparta PragueLisbon
19:45 Pacheco  53' (pen.) Report Novotný  31' Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 75,000
Referee: Howard King (Wales)
18 March 1992 4Sparta Prague 1–1 BenficaPrague
19:45 Chovanec  45' Report César Brito  29' Stadium: Letná Stadium
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Gérard Biguet (France)
1 April 1992 5Benfica 5–0 Dynamo KyivLisbon
19:45 César Brito  25', 62'
Isaías  71'
Yuran  83', 87'
Report Stadium: Estádio da Luz
Attendance: 78,000
Referee: Mario van der Ende (Netherlands)
15 April 1992 6Barcelona 2–1 BenficaBarcelona
20:00 Stoichkov  10'
Bakero  25'
Report César Brito  27' Stadium: Camp Nou
Attendance: 100,000
Referee: Hubert Forstinger (Austria)

Friendlies

[12]

25 July 1991 Alnö1–6BenficaAlnön
Roger Wermer  4' Stadium: Släda IP
20 August 1991 Roma2–0BenficaRome
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico
24 May 1992 Toronto Blizzard0–2BenficaToronto

Player statistics

The squad for the season consisted of the players listed in the tables below, as well as staff member Sven-Goran Eriksson (manager) and Toni (assistant manager).[1][3]

Note 1: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Note 2: Players with squad numbers marked ‡ joined the club during the 1991-92 season via transfer, with more details in the following section.

No. Pos Nat Player TotalPrimeira DivisãoTaça de PortugalEuropean CupSupertaça
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
1 GK Manuel Bento 0000000000
1 GK Silvino 9-51-16-3101-1
1 GK Neno 44-3034-22009-71-1
2 DF António Veloso 490320609020
2 DF José Carlos 421291506020
4 DF William 284183404021
4 MF Rui Bento 370240407020
4 DF Pedro Valido 4010101010
5 DF Paulo Madeira 474321429120
5 MF Stefan Schwarz 280160309000
6 MF Paulo Sousa 321231503010
6 MF Vasili Kulkov 305193316120
6 MF Hernâni Neves 0000000000
7 MF Vítor Paneira 443290528120
8 MF Jonas Thern 423272518020
8 MF António Pacheco 4111277528210
9 FW Rui Águas 186145103100
9 FW Sergei Yuran 3515216319721
9 FW João Pires 2010001000
10 MF Rui Costa 324214307010
11 FW Mats Magnusson 3011229423010
11 MF Isaías 40172612508510
11 FW César Brito 3713237627410

Transfers

[1]

In

Entry date Position Player From club
July 1991 FW Sergei Yuran Dynamo Kyiv
July 1991 MF Vasili Kulkov Spartak Moscow
July 1991 FW João Pires Estoril-Praia
July 1991 DF Pedro Valido Gil Vicente
July 1991 AM Rui Costa AD Fafe

Out

Exit date Position Player To club
July 1991 CB Samuel Quina Boavista
July 1991 LB Fernando Mendes
July 1991 CB Ricardo Gomes Paris Saint-Germain
July 1991 AM Valdo Filho
July 1991 FW Vata Estrela da Amadora
July 1991 FW Adesvaldo Lima Internacional

Out by loan

Exit date Position Player To club Return date
July 1991 AM Erwin Sánchez Estoril-Praia 30 June 1992
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References

  1. "Squad 1991/92". ForaDeJogo.
  2. "Ricardo Gomes e Valdo novamente lado a lado" [Ricardo Gomes and Valdo side-by-side again]. Record (in Portuguese). 4 September 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  3. Tovar 2012, p. 515.
  4. Malheiro, João (July 2006). Memorial Benfica 100 Glórias [Benfica Memorial, 100 glories] (in Portuguese) (Third ed.). QuidNovi. pp. 124–125. ISBN 978-972-8998-26-4.
  5. Tovar 2012, p. 509.
  6. Tovar 2012, p. 513.
  7. Tovar 2012, p. 508.
  8. Tovar 2012, p. 510.
  9. Tovar 2012, p. 514.
  10. Tovar 2012, p. 511.
  11. Tovar 2012, p. 512.
  12. António Manuel Morais; Carlos Perdigão; João Loureiro; José de Oliveira Santos (1994). Benfica: 90 Anos de História (in Portuguese). SOGAPAL. p. 260.

Bibliography

  • Tovar, Rui Miguel (2012). Almanaque do Benfica. Portugal: Lua de Papel. ISBN 978-989-23-2087-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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