1941–42 S.L. Benfica season

The 1941–42 season was Sport Lisboa e Benfica's 38th season in existence and the club's 8th consecutive season in the top flight of Portuguese football, covering the period from 1 September 1941 to 30 June 1942. Benfica competed in the Primeira Divisão, the Taça de Portugal and in the Campeonato de Lisboa.

Benfica entered the season aiming to reclaim the major domestic titles after three years without a league championship. In the third season of Lippo Hertzka, the team strengthened its squad and began strongly, winning all pre-season friendlies and starting well in both the Campeonato de Lisboa and the Primeira Divisão. Despite losing the regional title to Sporting, Benfica recovered in the national league, overcoming mid-season setbacks to build a decisive lead and ultimately secure its fourth league championship with two matches remaining. The season ended with elimination in the quarter-finals of the Taça de Portugal following a Derby defeat to Sporting.

Benfica entered the season seeking to win its fourth league title, having failed to secure the championship in the previous three seasons, as well as to reclaim both the Taça de Portugal and the Campeonato de Lisboa, competitions it had been unable to defend in the preceding campaign. Hungarian coach János Biri remained in charge for his third year at the club. During the off-season, Alexandre Brito and Francisco Baptista departed for Unidos de Lisboa, while Manuel da Costa joined from Académica.

Before of the start of the Campeonato de Lisboa, Benfica played three friendlies against rivals Porto, Belenenses,^[1] and Sporting,^[2] winning all three matches. The team opened its Campeonato de Lisboa campaign with two victories over Carcavelinhos and Unidos de Lisboa, scoring eleven goals across both games. Benfica closed the month with a 2–2 away draw against Belenenses, ending the third matchday in second place, one point behind leaders Sporting.^[3]

Benfica opened December with a 10–0 victory over Os Fósforos, but on 9 December the team travelled to face Sporting in the Derby de Lisboa, losing 3–2 after having taken a two-goal lead into half-time.^[4] The squad reacted with five consecutive wins, including a 4–3 triumph over Belenenses,^[5] and entered the final matchday one point behind the leaders.^[6] In the decisive last round, Benfica hosted Sporting but were defeated 5–0, relinquishing the title.^[7]

Before the start of the Primeira Divisão, Benfica played two preparation matches, defeating both Belenenses and Vitória de Setúbal.^[8] The league campaign began with a 4–1 victory over Carcavelinhos, followed by wins against Académico F.C. and Unidos de Lisboa, placing the team at the top of the table after the third matchday, level on points with Barreirense and Belenenses.^[9]

On 8 February, Benfica suffered a 3–1 away defeat to Académica, but reacted with an 8–1 win over Olhanense. On 22 February, the team travelled to face Porto in O Clássico, losing 4–1 and ending the month in fifth place, two points behind league leaders Sporting.^[10] Benfica responded with two decisive wins, a 2–1 home victory against Belenenses on 1 March,^[11] followed by a 4–1 away win over Sporting in the season’s first league Derby.^[12] The team closed March with three additional victories, finishing the month tied on points with Sporting at the top of the table.^[13]

In April, Benfica recorded four consecutive victories, scoring four goals in each match, which allowed the team to establish a four-point lead over second place.^[14] May began with a 3–2 away win against Olhanense, followed by a 5–1 home victory over Porto in the second O Clássico of the season, with Francisco Rodrigues scoring twice.^[15] The result preserved Benfica’s four-point advantage at the top of the table.

On 17 May, the team played the first of two decisive fixtures, losing 4–0 away to Belenenses,^[16] which reduced its lead to two points. One week later, Benfica defeated Sporting 4–3 in a crucial league encounter, restoring a four-point gap with three matches remaining.^[17] The team closed the season with three additional victories, securing its fourth league title with two matches to spare.

After securing the league title, Benfica entered the Taça de Portugal, beginning with a 2–0 victory over Barreirense in the round of 16, which set up a fifth Derby de Lisboa of the season in the quarter-finals. One week later, the team travelled to face Sporting, losing 4–0 and being eliminated from the competition.^[18]

  Win   Draw   Loss   Postponed

The squad for the season consisted of the players listed in the tables below, as well as staff member János Biri (manager).

Note 1: Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Note 2: Players with squad numbers marked ‡ joined the club during the 1941-42 season via transfer, with more details in the following section.