Nice. Benfica's next opponent

Benfica already has its next target in its sights. The draw, held this Monday in Nyon, Switzerland, for the UEFA Champions League qualifying round, pitted Nice, fourth in Ligue 1, against the Eagles. A tough matchup is on the horizon.

In a fresh reaction, Benfica's general director for professional football, Mário Branco, said he considered Nice to be the "most challenging opponent in sporting terms" among the clubs that were included in the draw for the third qualifying round of the Champions League.

"Among the potential opponents available in the draw, this will, in theory, be the most challenging in sporting terms. They have an interesting squad, a very complete mix of young players and more experienced ones. A team that also comes from the top 5, one of the most important leagues in Europe, but obviously we'll approach it with the utmost optimism," the official said yesterday, speaking to BTV .

Thus, the 'encarnados' will face their opponent on August 5th or 6th, and host the French team in the return leg on August 12th at Estádio da Luz in Lisbon. The victorious team will then qualify for the play-offs , where Sporting already finds itself.

The goal is challenging, but not impossible: Benfica is aiming for its fifth appearance in the competition's main stage. Last season, the Eagles reached the round of 16, only to be eliminated by FC Barcelona in what was the first edition of the competition's new format. It could have gone better. Nice appeared to be one of the toughest options, as would Fenerbahçe had they been chosen.

Nice: the prognosis

We know this: Nice secured fourth place in the last French football league and was French champion four times in the 1950s. And despite only participating in the then European Cup twice (in 1956/57 and 1959/60), they reached the quarterfinals both times. However, the club has a thorn in its side, which could influence the games, having returned to European competition last season, falling in the Europa League group stage after a fifth-place finish in 2023/24.

The squad's stars are few but good: the club landed defender Jean-Clair Todibo, who had previously played for Benfica before being sold for €40 million to West Ham, where he was on loan last season. They also have Senegalese goalkeeper Yehvann Diou and Swedish winger Isak Jansson as reinforcements. The club also managed to land Gabin Bernardeau and Juma Bah. But among the familiar faces, 41-year-old Brazilian Dante and Ivorian forward Evan Guessand are not to be ignored.

Last season, in addition to finishing fourth in Ligue 1, Nice also lost in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France. In the UEFA Europa League, their record hasn't improved either: eight league games, three draws and five losses, and second-to-last place in the 36-team table. This season, the French side have won against Cercle Brugge (2-1) and Aubagne (3-0) and drawn with Nancy (3-3). Before facing Benfica, they still have a clash against St. Pauli on July 26th.

The draw therefore decided that Benfica would play for the 40th time against a French team, over which they have a head-to-head advantage: 19 wins, 11 draws, and nine losses.

Transfers

Much is already happening in the transfer market, and there's some fresh news regarding Benfica. According to Mais Futebol , the Reds have recently moved forward with the signing of Richard Ríos, and the deal with Palmeiras could be worth up to €30 million: the Eagles agreed to pay a fixed fee of €25 million for the Colombian midfielder, with another €5 million variable.

According to the same source, Ríos's desire to move to Portuguese football played a key role in the negotiations, following a video call with club president Rui Costa. Thus, at 25 years old, Richard Ríos will sign a five-year contract with Benfica, running until June 2030.

Furthermore, Benfica and Chelsea shouldn't take much longer to reach an agreement for João Félix's transfer. According to the newspaper Record, the Eagles are eager to shake hands and close the deal in the coming days. Benfica SAD's offer is €20 million for half of João Félix's transfer fee. The star player was signed by the English club in August 2024 for €52 million, but ended up being loaned to Sérgio Conceição's AC Milan.

Regarding FC Porto, we know that 24-year-old winger Gonçalo Borges will play for Feyenoord after a decade wearing the Dragon colors, with the Dutch club paying €10 million. "FC Porto has reached an agreement with Feyenoord for the definitive transfer of Gonçalo Borges's sports registration rights and 100% of his economic rights for a total value of €11 million, corresponding to a guaranteed remuneration of €10 million plus a maximum variable remuneration of €1 million," the club said in a statement.

But that's not all: the blue and whites are already in the front row to negotiate the signing of Victor Froholdt from Copenhagen, with the 19-year-old central midfielder potentially costing €18 million. The player has been targeted by several major clubs and was named "Young Player of the Year" last season, making 53 appearances for Copenhagen and scoring six goals.

The market is also moving at Sporting. According to RTP , there is no offer from Manchester United for Viktor Gyokeres, after reports emerged over the weekend that Rúben Amorim's team had submitted a bid worth around €80 million for the Swedish striker.

Now, an agreement between Sporting and Manchester United has left Arsenal even more irritated and under pressure. However, according to the television station, the Manchester club is not interested in the deal and has not made such an offer.

It's a case of the mess: with a contract valid until 2028 with Sporting, Gyökeres remains in default. He hasn't shown up for the preseason training sessions led by Rui Borges, and he hasn't been to Alcochete or the Algarve, now risking a fine or the loss of part of his salary.

The player accuses the club's management of breaking their word and claims that they are not letting him leave under the conditions that had been established.