In the 17 receptions of the Gauls, the 'incarnates' have 12 wins and five draws, with 27 goals scored and 12 conceded, and the team from the south of France has already experienced both results in previous visits to the Estádio da Luz.

In the old one, in 1989/90, they lost 1-0, in the famous game decided by Vata's 'hand', at 83 minutes, which put Benfica in the final of the European Cup, and, already in the new one, in 2009/10, they drew 1-1, in the first leg of the 'round of 16' of the Europa League.

In addition to Marseille, the other French teams that managed not to lose in their trips to the 'eagles' stronghold were Nantes (0-0, in 1978/79), Bordeaux (1-1, in 1987/88), Bastia (0-0, in 1997/98) and Paris Saint-Germain (1-1, in 2022/23).

In the last 14 years, only the Parisians have 'scored' in Luz, in a game in which the Argentine Lionel Messi, who had never scored against Benfica, opened the scoring, with a 'great goal', at 22 minutes, and Danilo sealed the final 1-1, at 41, in his own goal.

The list of teams that lost is much more extensive, including, in addition to Marseille, Saint-Étienne (1967/68), Montpellier (1988/89), Lille (2005/06), PSG (2006/07, 2010/11 and 2013/14), Lyon (2010/11 and 2019/20), Bordeaux (2012/13), Monaco (2014/15) and Toulouse, already in the current season.

The 1989/90 triumph over Marseille is, without a doubt, the most emblematic, because of what was at stake, the 'passport' to the final of the main European club competition.

Among the remaining 11 triumphs, the second in the 'ranking' will be the 3-1 against Paris Saint-Germain in 2006/07, in a clash in the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup.

After a 2-1 away defeat, Fernando Santos' 'eleven' quickly turned the tie around at Luz, with a goal from Simão - who had already scored in Paris - at 12 minutes, and another from Petit, at 27, but, at 32, Pauleta tied the tie.

The 2-1 remained almost until the end, but, with the extension 'in sight', Benfica benefited from a great penalty, at 89 minutes, and Simão Sabrosa did not waste it, putting the 'incarnates' in the 'quarters'.

The triumph against PSG was the third and last by more than one goal, after the 2-0 against Saint-Étienne, in the first ever trip of a Gallic team to Luz, in 1967/68, and the 3-1 against Montpellier, in 1988/89.

José Augusto and the 'king' Eusébio, from a great penalty, sealed the triumph over 'les verts', in the first leg of the second round of the European Cup. In France, Benfica would go ahead, losing 1-0.

Against Montpellier, which Benfica had already beaten away by 3-0, with goals from Hernâni, Abel Campos and Valdo, in the first leg of the first round of the UEFA Cup, Chalana, Ademir and Mozer scored in the 3-1 of Luz, in the second leg.

The clash between Benfica and Marseille, which will be the 18th game at home for the 'incarnates' against French teams, is scheduled for Thursday, at 8 pm, and counts for the first leg of the quarter-finals of the 2023/24 edition of the Europa League.

Leia Também: Benfica adds three qualifications and two falls in the 'quarters' of the Europa League (Portuguese version)