

SL Benfica Women 3-0 Racing Power Women — Benfica delivered a statement performance on Sunday, 13 September 2026, sweeping aside Racing Power with a three-goal display in the Portugal Campeonato Nacional Feminino that underlined once again why the Eagles remain the benchmark for women's club football in Portugal.
Match overview
The Campeonato Nacional Feminino is the top tier of Portuguese women's football, contested by the country's leading clubs in a season-long race that also determines entry to the UEFA Women's Champions League. Benfica have been the dominant force of the modern era, combining domestic dominance with regular appearances on the European stage, and this fixture pitted them against one of the most ambitious emerging projects in the league.
Racing Power have built a reputation for bold recruitment and quick progression through the Portuguese pyramid, arriving in the top flight determined to challenge the established order rather than simply survive in it. But a visit to Benfica's Seixal base remains one of the toughest assignments in the division.
How the game unfolded
Benfica imposed themselves from the first whistle. Their high pressing forced Racing Power into hurried clearances, and the home side's midfield controlled the tempo with patient circulation, drawing the visitors out before accelerating through the lines.
The breakthrough was a matter of time and arrived through a quick combination on the right, finished at the back post. The second goal followed before the interval, a reward for persistent pressure after a loose ball broke kindly inside the penalty area. The third came in the second half, a clinical counter-attack that began with a turnover on the halfway line and ended with a low finish into the far corner.
| Stage | Key moment |
|---|---|
| First half | Benfica take the lead through a back-post finish after sustained possession |
| First half | A second goal follows from pressure inside the box |
| Second half | A rapid counter-attack makes it 3-0 and ends the contest |
Tactical story
Benfica's shape was aggressive without the ball and fluid with it. Their full-backs pushed high to create overloads in wide areas, while the defensive midfielders screened the centre and recycled possession quickly. Racing Power defended in a mid-block and tried to attack in transition, but too often the first pass after winning the ball was hurried, allowing Benfica to counter-press immediately.
The visitors' best spell came early in the second half, when a switch to a more direct approach created two half-chances. Benfica's goalkeeper dealt with both comfortably, and once the third goal went in, the outcome was settled.
Standout performers
- Benfica's attacking midfielder dictated the game in the final third, linking midfield and attack and creating multiple shooting opportunities.
- The left winger was a constant threat, repeatedly isolating her marker and delivering dangerous balls into the box.
- Racing Power's goalkeeper deserved credit for a string of saves that prevented a heavier scoreline.
What the result means for the title race
Three points and a clean sheet keep Benfica firmly at the top of the standings and reinforce their position as title favourites. The margin of victory also matters in a league where goal difference can decide the destination of the trophy in a tight season.
For Racing Power, the defeat is a reminder of the gap that still exists between the leading project in Portuguese women's football and the chasing pack, but their progress into the top tier and their willingness to compete against the best remain encouraging signs. Their season will be judged on results against the teams around them, and there are plenty of opportunities ahead to climb the table.