The Portuguese-Leonese rivalry started with the Battle of Valdevez, in which Portuguese forces defeated the Leonese army.

The successor of king Alfonso VII of León and Castile, king Ferdinand II of León, refused to acknowledge the Portuguese kingdom, as he proclaimed his right over Portugal, which led to the establishment of a fortress to conduct raids against the Portuguese.

King Afonso sent his son Sancho to destroy the fortress; however, Ferdinand successfully routed the Portuguese army in 1167.

[1] In 1168, Afonso began plans to fight with the Moors by invading the city of Badajoz alongside Gerald the Fearless.

As Ferdinand got closer to Badajoz, he dispatched a messenger secretly to the Almohad garrison, informing them that help had come and ordering them to guide him to a place where the Leonese troops could enter.