Portugal is welcoming thousands of British football fans as Benfica host Celtic and Torreense face Sunderland this Thursday (October 15), with visiting supporters already making themselves heard in Lisbon and Leiria.
Both Portuguese clubs are chasing a second consecutive Europa League victory. Torreense kick off at 5.45pm at Leiria’s Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, before Benfica take on the Scottish side at 8pm at the Estádio da Luz in Lisbon.
For Sunderland supporters, the celebrations began well before matchday. Hundreds gathered in Leiria on Wednesday, singing and celebrating into the night, according to footage published by Sunderland on X.
Estimates of the English club’s travelling support vary. The Guardian reported that almost 4,000 fans were making the trip.
The influx has also prompted additional transport services. FlixBus increased journeys between Leiria and the airports in Lisbon and Porto by more than 35% for October 15 and 16, according to travel publication Presstur.
It is a particularly significant journey for Sunderland: their first European away fixture in more than 53 years, according to the club’s match preview. Their opponents are enjoying a European adventure of their own, having qualified by winning the Portuguese Cup last season despite playing in Portugal’s second division. Torreense are using the larger Leiria stadium for their European home matches.
The Torres Vedras club made an impressive start, beating Norway’s Lillestrøm 2-1 away. Benfica also opened with a victory, winning 2-0 at AC Milan.
Meanwhile, around 5,000 Celtic supporters have travelled to Portugal, according to A Bola, with many making a pilgrimage to the Estádio Nacional at Jamor before tonight’s encounter.
The stadium holds a special place in Celtic history. It was there that the club’s celebrated “Lisbon Lions” beat Inter Milan 2-1 in 1967, becoming the first British team to win the European Cup.
A Bola reported queues outside the ground and supporters in green and white gathering around the stadium — a reminder that, for many travelling Celtic fans, a visit to Lisbon means far more than the match itself.
Michael Bruxo
Journalist for the Portugal Resident.