1973–74 S.L. Benfica season consecutive wins and reached second place by early February, while also cutting their gap to Sporting to just one point. In March, a loss in Estádio das Antas with Porto and a draw with Beira-Mar, put Sporting with a four-point lead again. Nonetheless, Benfica beat Sporting at their own home and three weeks later, they got back to a single point difference after their rival dropped points. That gap remained unchanged until the last match-day, when Sporting won the title. In the Portuguese Cup, Benfica reached the Taça de Portugal Final after beating Porto away, but lost the competition on
1988–89 S.L. Benfica season Their next match was a Clássico with second-place Porto, ending in a draw. Until Christmas, Benfica increased their lead to four points. However, they lost for the first time in the next match, with Boavista, followed by a second consecutive loss with Penafiel, which did cause them to lose their first place because Porto also lost. In the following weeks, Benfica racked up wins and increased their lead to six points by March. The Clássico on the 29th match-day helped define the course of the remainder of the season. It was Porto's last hope of closing the gap, but Benfica