O Clássico

Originally, the term O Clássico only referred to games played in the league, but now tends to include matches that take place in other domestic competitions such as the Taça de Portugal, Taça da Liga and Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.

The first match between the Águias and the Dragões was an exhibition game that was played on the 28 April 1912, when Benfica defeated Porto 8–2.

Prior to the establishment of the Primeira Liga in 1934, both Benfica and Porto were competing within their football league district.

Benfica would meet Porto for the first time in an official match in the domestic cup competition which during the early periods of Portuguese football was the Campeonato de Portugal.

Benfica defeated Porto in the final of the 1931 Campeonato de Portugal, 3–0 at the Campo do Arnado in Coimbra.

Two goals from Vítor Silva and one from Augusto Dinis sealed the win to claim Benfica's second Campeonato de Portugal.

[3] Benfica's league titles were joined by two consecutive European Cups which were won in 1961, 3–2 against Barcelona, and in 1962, 5–3 against Real Madrid.

The 1970s saw the continuation of Benfica's dominance up until the 1977–78 season, during which Porto won the league title for the first time in 19 years.

Porto's resurgence and the introduction of Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa as chairman saw Porto reach new heights, winning the European Cup for the first time after defeating Bayern Munich 2–1 in the 1987 European Cup Final.

In the 1990s, Porto began to dominate Portuguese football, winning a record five consecutive league titles.

Benfica won the league title in 2005 for the first time in over ten years to halter Porto's momentum.

The next year, Porto recorded their biggest home win over As Águias, a 5–0 thrashing in a league fixture.

Sergei Yuran and Maxi Pereira are the only players who have scored a goal for both sides in O Clássico.