Despite Benfica's success this Wednesday evening in the Champions League, Portugal is no longer one of the two best nations of the season according to the UEFA coefficient. Explanations.
The stunning success of the Benfica Eagles this Wednesday evening was not enough. Winners by a score of three goals to two on Monegasque soil, after having been behind twice, the Lisbonites were unable to compensate for the disappointment of neighbors Sporting against Arsenal. Thus, Portugal temporarily loses a particularly coveted bonus.
A mixed start to the week for Portugal
For the moment, only two of the five Portuguese clubs involved in European competitions have been able to speak during this week. Indeed, Portugal's two representatives in the Champions League, namely Sporting and Benfica, both played their match counting for the fifth day of the league phase of the competition.
And the least we can say is that the results displayed by the two Portuguese clubs are rather mixed. The European week actually began with a debacle at the Estadio José Alvalade, with a heavy defeat for Sporting on home soil against Arsenal (1-5). The next day, Benfica rectified the situation somewhat by winning their duel in Monaco, after playing part of the match in numerical superiority (2-3).
At the start of the week, Portugal therefore gleaned two additional points for the UEFA rankings. Two points corresponding to the victory of the Eagles in the Principality, which must then be divided by five, i.e. the number of Portuguese teams entered in European competitions, to obtain a real advance of 0.400 points in the ranking.
Italy takes the lead in the current season
A score still too low to compensate for the rise in power of Italian clubs in competitions. Because if it is relevant to focus on the overall ranking of the UEFA coefficient, bringing together the results of the last four seasons, added to those of this season, the ranking of the best nations in the current season is also important.
Indeed, the two best nations in the UEFA coefficient ranking for the 2024/25 season will each have an additional place for the next edition of the Champions League. A bonus that all competitors wish to obtain, in order to further promote local teams.
And if Portugal was until then in a good position to seize one of these two places, while it sat in second position in the current season, the situation has changed. At the start of the week, Italy overtook Portugal and now has 9,625 points for the current season, compared to 9,600 for the Portuguese. A downgrade which is explained in particular by the successes of Inter, AC Milan and Atalanta in the Champions League, while Juventus also brought home a point with a draw.
A decisive evening?
Ahead of England and its 10,000 points acquired since the start of the season, Italy and Portugal are therefore competing for second place. And if the Italians have recently moved in front, the ranking could still evolve, while teams from each of the two nations will be required to play this Thursday evening.
Indeed, no less than three Portuguese representatives, namely Porto, Braga and Vitoria, will meet their next European opponents this Thursday. Three matches, and as many opportunities to bring back new points in the UEFA rankings, while Italy will also be able to count on three teams: Fiorentina, Roma and Lazio.
If the Italians now have a slight advantage in the ranking, Portugal has a privilege of choice: its points won will be divided by 5, when those of its direct competitor will be divided by 8. In other words, each Portuguese victory makes advance Portugal by 0.400 points, while Italian victories give Italy 0.250 points.
The UEFA ranking for the current season 2024/25
1 – England – 10,000 points
2 – Italy – 9.625 points
3 – Portugal – 9,600 points
4 – Germany – 9.125 points
5 – Spain – 8,428 points
6 – France – 8,357 points
Photo credit: Carlos Rodrigues/Getty Images
Alexandre Ribeiro launched the Trivela.fr site in 2019 and today runs it alongside his colleagues. Passionate about Portuguese football as a whole, and in particular the Portuguese national team, it is with all his energy and involvement that he brings this media to life on a daily basis.
