José Mourinho made three changes to Benfica’s starting eleven for the visit of Nacional at the Estádio da Luz, leaving out Bah, Enzo Barrenechea and Lukebakio as he reshuffled a side looking to get back to winning ways. Dedic, Leandro Barreiro and Prestianni came in, while Fredrik Aursnes returned to the bench after missing action since 2 March.
Benfica lined up with Trubin; Dedic, António Silva, Otamendi and Dahl; Ríos and Barreiro; Prestianni, Rafa Silva and Schjelderup; Pavlidis. Nacional named Kaique in goal behind Alan Núñez, Leo Santos, Zé Vítor and José Gomes, with Laabidi, Matheus Dias and Igor Liziero in midfield and Daniel Júnior, Jesús Ramírez and Witi in attack.
The match carried familiar weight for the visitors. Benfica had won 22 of the previous 24 meetings between the clubs, Nacional had never won at the Estádio da Luz and their away record in the fixture stood at 22 defeats and five draws in 27 matches. Their last point in Lisbon came on 25 January 2021, when the teams drew 1-1.
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This meeting also came with recent history still fresh. On 29 November 2025 in round 12, Nacional led 1-0 before Benfica turned the game around late, with Jesús Ramírez scoring in the 60th minute, Prestianni equalizing in the 89th and Pavlidis striking in the 90+4th minute. Chuchu Ramírez, who had scored 15 goals this season and ranked as the league’s fifth top scorer, had also scored against Benfica in the first leg.
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Benfica’s bench included Samuel Soares, Alexander Bah, Enzo Barrenechea, Fredrik Aursnes, Sudakov, Gonçalo Moreira, Lukebakio, Ivanovic and Anísio Cabral, with the 20-year-old attacking midfielder Gonçalo Moreira returning after also missing out on recent selection. Mourinho did not take a reserve centre-back to the match, a choice that underlined how tight the squad remained for a game that Benfica approached with urgency before the derby.
