Chelsea were back in familiar territory at the weekend, once again sending scouts to Portugal, this time for the goalless but high-quality Clássico between Porto and Benfica at the Estádio do Dragão.
According to Record, the London side were one of 18 clubs taking notes from the stands. Chelsea were alongside teams including PSG, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Atlético Madrid and Tottenham.
The match itself ended in a goalless draw, yet it was far from dull. ZeroZero described it as “poor in goals but rich in tactics”, and that summed it up perfectly.
José Mourinho’s Benfica set up in a disciplined, compact shape, limiting Porto to very little despite allowing them most of the possession.
The hosts, under Francesco Farioli, showed control and patience but struggled to break through the visitors’ mid-block, with midfielders Gabri Veiga and Victor Froholdt often isolated from the attacking line.
Benfica, meanwhile, were more effective without the ball. Georgiy Sudakov and Richard Ríos impressed with their pressing work, while António Silva once again led the backline with authority.
The most dangerous moment came late on from Porto’s 18-year-old Rodrigo Mora, whose curling effort narrowly missed the top corner. That’s a reminder of why scouts are following his progress so closely.
For Chelsea, it was another opportunity to monitor the next wave of Portuguese-based talent. It’s a market they know well after recruiting Enzo Fernández from Benfica in 2023, Dário Essugo from Sporting in 2025. That’s in addition to Geovany Quenda, who will join from the same club next year for over £43m.
The Blues’ consistent presence in Portugal shows a clear pattern. They trust the league’s ability to produce young players ready for high-level football, both technically and tactically.
This time, even without goals, there was plenty for Chelsea’s scouting department to note, particularly the maturity and structure of players who could soon be on their radar again.
