Benfica kicked off the 2026/27 season of the National Handball Championship with an emphatic victory, defeating Águas Santas 34-23 at Pavilhão No. 2 da Luz on Saturday, in a match from Round 1 of the first phase of the competition. The team coached by Anders Hallberg showed clear dominance over their opponents from the start, reaching 7-1 at 11 minutes and extending the lead to 10-2 at 15 minutes and 14-4 at 23 minutes.
One of the major highlights of the match was Joaquim Nazaré, an Eagles' signing who delivered a high-level debut in the Portuguese championship. The player finished the match with seven goals scored, establishing himself as one of the main protagonists of the Benfica squad in the season now underway.
Before kickoff, the Benfica team showed their support for Edijeso Quaresma, a young teammate who suffered an injury while on duty with the Under-23 National Team. This gesture of solidarity revealed the team spirit existing within the Eagles' squad.
The article remains incomplete, making it impossible to know the details of the second half of the match, although Benfica's emphatic victory was already assured given how the team started the game.
