1978–79 S.L. Benfica season three losses in a month, severely hindered the title race. Nevertheless, despite dropping out of the UEFA Cup at the hands of Borussia Mönchengladbach, domestically, Benfica won all league matches for three months, reaching the first place in the league. A home draw with Porto stopped their winning run, but it was a loss to Marítimo that compromised their title race. That loss followed another with Braga for the Taça de Portugal. Despite dropping points again in March, Benfica kept an entertaining battle with Porto, which came to an end when they drew again in match-day 29. Two consecutive seasons
2001–02 S.L. Benfica season managerial change". On the final Sunday of the month, Benfica visited Bonfim to face Vitória de Setúbal. Benfica scored first with a goal from Carlitos in the 20th minute, but couldn't keep the lead, resulting in yet another draw. On 3 February, Benfica received Beira-Mar in Da Luz. António Tadeira characterized the game for "Record", complementing the team's effectiveness: "The unprecedented scoring ratio, turned a poor and colourless performance into a satisfying thrashing". The 4–1 win brought Benfica to third place. A week later, Benfica faced Porto at Estádio das Antas for the Clássico. Despite Simão scoring first, Benfica's old