The 2016-17 campaign delivered a season of strong domestic challenge and European adventure for Os Dragões as they finished a competitive 2nd in the Primeira Liga, narrowly missing the title for the fourth successive season. Leading the charge was the sensational young striker André Silva, whose 16 league goals (21 overall) proved decisive in a campaign that marked his breakout year. Despite a third consecutive season without silverware and a Round of 16 exit to eventual runners-up Juventus in the Champions League, the season, overseen by Nuno Espírito Santo, was characterized by the emergence of new talent and a determined, yet ultimately frustrated, push for the title.