1985–86 S.L. Benfica season lapped the first round of the league in first place, after recovering five points since September. After an event-less January, in which Benfica retained their one-point lead over Sporting; in February, Benfica faced Porto again, this time for the round of 16 of the Taça de Portugal, winning 2–1. Meanwhile, in the Primeira Divisão, they added another point in their lead over their closest competitors. In March, Benfica was eliminated of the Cup Winners' Cup by Dukla Prague, while in the Portuguese Cup, they thrashed Sporting by 5–0 in the quarter-finals. They finished the month with a replay of the
2004–05 S.L. Benfica season scored in the 13th minute. When asked why Anderlecht had more goal opportunities than Benfica, Trapattoni said, "Do you know international football? It is very balanced nowadays. I wish we had more chances but our opponent was stronger." Following the win, Benfica were due to meet Porto in the Supercup on 20 August. Ricardo Quaresma of Porto scored the only goal of the game in an individual effort. It was Benfica's tenth consecutive loss in the competition; the previous win occurred in 1989. Four days later, Benfica travelled to Belgium to play Anderlecht. The home team scored first by Aruna