Gil Vicente: The Early Bird Rooster Loves to Peck at Benfica

Whether in Barcelos, at the Estádio da Luz, or in the most common rural settings, everyone knows the early-rising nature of the rooster.

When this bird isn't the first to crow, something unusual is afoot—a sentiment that now even applies to the Eagles' own turf.

Last Sunday's match, Benfica's 3-1 victory over Gil Vicente, served as a prime example, with Héctor Hernández breaking the deadlock with a goal in the 7th minute.

Since the Minho-based club's return to Portugal's top flight (2019/20), they've faced the Lisbon giants eight times at the Estádio da Luz. In five of those encounters, it was the Gilista rooster that opened the scoring: 2020/21 (2-1), 2021/22 (2-1), 2024/25 (1-5), 2025/26 (1-2), and 2026/27 (1-3).

Despite the Barcelos side only emerging victorious in two of those five clashes, their competitive and consistently attacking spirit against the Eagles is noteworthy. This perception is further reinforced by the fact that Gil Vicente has scored in six of their last seven trips to the Luz.