Porto 1-0 Benfica Highlights, Taca De Portugal Quarter-Final: Bednarek's Header Fires Dragons To Semis

Hello, football fans! This is the start of our live blog covering the O Classico in the Taca de Portugal, with Porto facing off against Benfica for a place in the semi-finals. Stay tuned for pre-match updates and line-ups as they are released.

• Fixture: Porto vs Benfica

• Series: Taca de Portugal 2025-26 quarter-final

• Venue: Estadio do Dragao, Porto

• Date: Tuesday, January 15, 2026

• Time: 2:15 AM IST (January 16)

The Porto vs Benfica, Taca de Portugal match will not be streamed or televised live on any platforms in India. In Portugal, fans can watch the match live on Sport TV1, Sport TV Multiscreen, RTP 1, RTP Africa, and RTP Play. Read our detailed POR vs BEN live-streaming guide.

Starting XI: Diogo Costa (c); Martim Fernandes, Jan Bednarek, Thiago Silva, Jakub Kiwior; Victor Froholdt, Pablo Rosario, Gabriel Veiga; Pepe, Samuel Aghehowa, Borja Sainz.

Bench: Claudio Ramos (gk), Alberto Costa, Dominik Prpic, Alan Varela, Rodrigo Mora, Stephen Eustaquio, Deniz Gul, Oskar Pietuszewski, William Gomes.

Starting XI: Anatoliy Trubin; Amar Dedic, Antonio Silva (c), Tomar Araujo, Samuel Dahl; Fredrik Aursnes, Richard Rios; Gianluca Prestianni, Leandro Barreiro, Sidny Lopes Cabral; Vangelis Pavlidis.

Bench: Diogo Ferreira (gk), Goncalo Oliveira, Joao Fonseca, Enzo Barrenechea, Georgiy Sudakov, Manu Silva, Andreas Schjelderup, Franjo Ivanovic, Joao Rego.

• Total matches: 258

• Porto wins: 102

• Benfica wins: 93

• Draws: 63

The last time they faced each other was on October 5, with the match ending in a goalless draw.

Both sets of players walk out of the tunnel amid a sea of blue and white at the Estadio do Dragao. Refere Fabio Verissimo blows his whistle, and the home side get us underway in this quarter-final clash. Stay tuned!

It has been a really physical start to the match, as O Classicos always are, with a number of crunching tackles. A coming together between Fernandes and Cabral leads to the Porto full-back going down with what looks like a bloody nose. The physios come on the pitch, and after a lengthy bit of treatment and a change of shirt, play resumes with a drop ball.

A good early chance for Benfica with a swift team move, and Barreiro lays it off for Prestianni to have a shot from inside the box. However, it flies just over the bar. Early warning signs for the home side to be alert at the back.

Bednarek heads the home side ahead!! It was all so easy for Porto, who keep on mounting pressure on the Benfica box from set-pieces. Gabri Veiga floats in an inch-perfect corner from the right, and Bednarek outjumps everyone to bury his header past a helpless Trubin.

Trubin to the rescue for Benfica, again!! The goalkeeper makes an incredible double save, first going down quickly to deny Veiga before making another stop from the rebound shot by Froholdt. The hosts, however, have the wind under their sail and continue to push ahead.

Benfica have been the better side in the last 10 minutes or so, with Aursnes being a livewire down the flanks. After the referee sorts out a bit of coming together between Antonio Silva and Aghehowa, Cabral floats in a ball into the box from the corner. However, the Porto defence manages to clear it.

Another brilliant piece of football from the Dragons, with Veiga running with the ball down the left edge of the box before cutting to his right and having a shot towards the near corner. It misses the goal by inches, but Trubin probably had it covered.

Bad news for Benfica as Rios can't continue due to an injury issue, and he is replaced by Sudakov. There have been multiple injury halts in the match, and the fourth official indicates a minimum of … minutes to be added on at the end of the regulation time. Can the visitors draw the match level before the break?

The referee brings the first half to an end, and Porto go into the break with a slender advantage. It has been a really attacking quarter-final match, with chances at both ends of the pitch. However, Bednarek's early header is the difference as we go into half-time.

Both sets of players are out on the pitch, and Benfica get the second half underway in this Taca de Portugal quarter-final match. It has been quite level in terms of stats, but Porto lead the only one that matters courtesy of Bednarek's header. Stay tuned for the vital second half!

Benfica are pushing really hard for an equaliser, and Pavlidis is the latest to try and test the goalkeeper. However, his shot is a bit too centralm and Lunis gladly holds on to it. It's interesting to see how long 41-year-old Thiago Silva can absord so much pressure.

Benfica win a free-kick on the flanks, and Cabral floats in what looks like a cross towards the far post. It, however, has Costa scrambling back and at full stretch to tip it behind for a corner.

Sudakov's ball into the box is eventually laid off by Pavlidis to Araujo, who has a first-time shot which curls past the post. Much, much better from the Eagles.

With Benfica growing into the match, Farioli makes double change to introduce some fresh legs into the Porto squad. Rodrigo Mora and William Gomes come on, with Veiga and Sainz making way.

Pepe earns a needless booking for a poor tackle on Dedic. Benfica's Araujo balances the stats by earning a yellow card of his own, fouling Aghehowa while the forward was trying to make a run towards the opposition half.

With time running out, Mourinho makes a big call. Prestianni, who has been one of the best players for Benfica, comes off for Schjelderup. Will the Norwegian player be the difference maker in this tightly contested quarter-final?

Porto make a double change of their own, with Alan Varela and Alberto Costa coming on. Martim Fernandes and Jan Bednarek are the ones making way.

With just over five minutes remaining in regulation time, Mourinho plays his final card. Sidny Cabral comes off for Benfica, and Ivanovic enters the pitch. The visitors have had more of the ball throughout, but can they beat Costa and force extra time?

The six minutes of added time are up, and despite some pressure from Benfica, Porto hold on to their slender lead. The home side maintain their unbeaten streak and are through to the semis, while pressure mounts on Mourinho's men even more.