Benfica made it four wins out-of-four this calendar year against Vitória de Guimarães when they lifted the Portugal Super Cup at the Estádio Municipal de Aveiro last weekend.
Benfica have had a poor pre-season with heavy defeats against Swiss Young Boys (5-1) and Arsenal (5-2), a single goal reversal against Hull City at the Algarve Stadium and further misery as they lost to RB Leipzig (2-0). With the loss of keeper Ederson to Manchester City for €40m and Victor Lindelöf to the red half of Manchester for €35m, the fans are worried that no replacements have so far been forthcoming.
The Eagles started in emphatic style swooping in to grab two goals in the opening eleven minutes as Jonas and new signing Swiss international Haris Seferovic found the back of the net. Guimarães pulled a goal back two minutes before the break through the young Raphina.
Mexican international Raúl Jiménez came off the bench to add a third for Benfica seven minutes from time.
August is a good month for 22-year-old Sporting winger Gelson Martins.
In August 2014, he made his professional debut as a late substitute as Sporting ‘B’ won 1-0 at Olhanense in the Segunda Liga championship.
Twelve months later and the Cape Verde born Martins made his Primeira Liga debut coming on as a late substitute in the 2-1 success against newly promoted CD Tondela and this August he grabbed both goals as Sporting won 2-0 at yet another newly promoted side CD Aves.
SC Portimonense, who took the Segunda Liga title last season, started their latest Primeira Liga campaign with a hard fought win over Boavista (Porto).
Vítor Oliveira, 63, is not only the oldest manager in the Primeira Liga but he has held twenty-two managerial jobs at seventeen Portuguese clubs throughout his long career.
Over the course of his 32-year managerial career, Oliveira has achieved promotion on ten occasions including an unprecedented five in a row - Arouca, Moreirense, União da Madeira, Chaves and Portimonense - in his last five seasons!
It was visitors Boavista who set out to spoil the opening day party when Rochinha scored midway through the first-half but appropriately it was Portimão-born Rúben Fernandes who levelled matters from a corner ten minutes after the interval.
The crowd were roaring the team on and with five minutes to go it was Bruno Tabata who secured victory with a scorcher of a shot, from the edge of the penalty area, into the bottom lefthand corner of the net.
Portimonense will face a much stiffer task when they travel to SC Braga on Sunday.