Porto host Benfica in a Primeira Liga fixture on October 5
Jose Mourinho acknowledged Porto's strong form but denied they're favourites
Benfica sit third in Primeira Liga, four points behind Porto
Jose Mourinho conceded Porto are operating at a higher level than Benfica as it stands, but insisted that does not make his former club favourites for Sunday's Classico.
Mourinho takes Benfica north to the Estadio do Dragao with his team sitting third in Primeira Liga, two places and four points behind leaders Porto.
Benfica and Porto are both unbeaten in the league this term, but Francesco Farioli's team have won all of their seven matches.
Mourinho suffered his first defeat since taking charge at Benfica on Tuesday, seeing his side go down 1-0 to another of his previous clubs, Chelsea, in the Champions League.
And though Mourinho feels Porto are ahead of Benfica as it stands, he insisted that does not mean there is going to be a gulf between the rivals come Sunday.
"The teams are in different moments, obviously," said Mourinho, who led Porto to European glory in 2004.
"Porto has a lot of work behind them; they had a pre-season. There's a lot of work there, the team is in good shape, it has a clear structure, well-developed dynamics, the results are a consequence of the hard work they put in.
"[Saturday] was one of the few training sessions I had the whole team in, with the game tomorrow. The work is very much based on analysis and trying to help the team grow.
"Porto has a good, very solid team, with the coach's hand in it. But if you ask me if Porto is the favourite for this, I'd say no."
Mourinho's preparations seemed to have been hit by a virus going around Benfica's camp, but the 62-year-old claimed it was not a problem.
"Forget the virus, that's not part of the equation for me," he said.
"I don't even want to talk about the virus, unless we lose key players from one day to the next. Training went off without a hitch; no players showed any symptoms."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Porto - Rodrigo Mora
Mora scored a last-gasp winner as Porto saw off Red Star Belgrade 2-1 in the Europa League on Thursday.
The teenager is, however, yet to score in the league this term from five appearances, though he will be coming into Sunday's contest with plenty of confidence.
Benfica - Vangelis Pavlidis
Pavlidis has been Benfica's standout performer this season, having already scored five league goals, while also providing two assists.
That haul includes a double in last week's 2-1 win over Gil Vicente, and Mourinho will be looking for another clinical display from the attacker as he aims to get one over on his old team.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
Benfica have won each of their last two Primeira Liga meetings with Porto.
Should they secure victory, it will be the first time either side has won three consecutive matches in this fixture since Porto won three on the spin between May 2010 and April 2011, with two of those three victories coming under former coach and current club president Andre Villas-Boas.
Porto have lost four of their last six Primeira Liga meetings against Benfica (W2), as many defeats as they suffered against them in their previous 25 meetings combined (W13 D8).
However, Porto have won all of their last six Primeira Liga home matches, scoring 16 goals (2.6 per match) and conceding just twice, keeping a clean sheet in each of their last four at the Dragao.
But Benfica have won 10 of their last 11 Primeira Liga away matches (D1), with the only exception a 1-1 draw against Braga in the final game of last season.
Benfica have won their three away matches this season but have not won more on the road to start a Primeira Liga campaign since 2021-22, when they won each of their first five.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Porto - 39.3%
Draw - 26.6%
Benfica - 34.1%
