The upshot after an exciting weekend of Liga NOS action is that reigning champions Benfica are three points clear at the top of the table, two ahead of title rivals Sporting and FC Porto.
On Saturday evening Sporting seemed to be cruising to a comfortable win at Vitória Guimarães, leading 3-0 with little over 15 minutes remaining, only for the home side to produce a stunning comeback crowned by an 89th-minute equaliser. Porto played immediately afterwards and swept aside Nacional 4-0 in Madeira, with Diogo Jota scoring a first-half hat-trick.
On Sunday Benfica also won 4-0, at home to Feirense, as the Primeira Liga now takes a 3-week break as international matches and the Portuguese Cup take centre stage.
Sporting's leaky defence
Despite earning a reputation for all-out attacking football, a common feature of Jorge Jesus's teams is a tight and well-organised defence, which makes the high number of goals suffered by Sporting in recent weeks all the more surprising. The Lisbon side have conceded 10 goals in their last 5 matches. The constantly rotating full-back positions and the absence of Adrien on the pitch for 7 of those 10 goals goes a long way to explaining the defensive fragility.
For an hour at the Dom Afonso Henriques the Lions bossed the game and looked set for a surprisingly straightforward three points. Goals from Markovic, Coates and Elias put Sporting in complete control, and only wayward finishing prevented an even bigger lead being built.
But out of the blue Hernâni earned a penalty in the 74th minute that Marega converted, and almost immediately the Malian took advantage of passive defending to score again. It was the seventh goal of the season for the Porto flop, to consolidate his position at the top of the goal-scoring charts in Portugal.
Roared on by their ever-fervent supporters, Vitória scored an equaliser at the death from a Soares header. The goal was preceded by a foul on Schelotto that the referee missed, but Sporting will know they have only themselves to blame for throwing away two points.
Jota's explosive debut
Diogo Jota's magnificent season for Paços de Ferreira last year (15 goals scored) earned him a dream move to Atlético Madrid, with the Spanish side loaning the 19-year-old to Porto. He had to wait for October to get his first start for the Dragons, but responded in the best possible way, bagging a first-half hat-trick.
Two neat finishes with his left foot and a header put Porto 3-0 up at Nacional and made sure there would be no repeat of the difficulties the Dragons traditionally experience on their trips to Madeira.
André Silva added a fourth in the second half against a poor Nacional side.
Porto have been extremely inconsistent under new coach Nuno Espírito Santo, perhaps explained in part by the extreme youth of their team, especially from midfield forwards. And with Otávio (21), Óliver Torres (21), Diogo Jota (19) and André Silva (20) all likely to be regular starters from here onwards, it is little surprise that club president Pinto da Costa last week said this was a season of transition for Porto.
Benfica pull away at table top
Benfica have made light of a horrendous injury list for this early stage of the season, at least domestically.
The 4-0 win over Feirense on Sunday means the Eagles have dropped only 2 out of a possible 21 points from their opening 7 games of the season. Benfica have the league's best attack (17 goals) and joint best defence (4 goals conceded, like Porto).
Another big crowd at the Estádio da Luz saw the hosts take a fortuitous lead in the 35th minute, the experienced Luís Aurélio spectacularly volleying a clearance into the roof of his own net. Sálvio doubled the lead in the 61st minute, although he knew little about it as Icaro's clearance cannoned into the Argentine's shins and ricocheted into the net.
Cervi scored goal number three, heading in a delicious Nélson Semedo cross, but the best was saved for last, with Spanish left-back Grimaldo exemplifying the confidence with which he is playing by guiding a perfect free kick over the wall and into the net with Feirense goalkeeper Peçanha rooted to the spot.
by Tom Kundert
