It’s with pearly-white smiles that the Estádio da Luz welcomed back Liga NOS football after almost a month; a feel-good factor owed to the fact that Benfica currently cruise at the top of the table, meanwhile rivals Sporting had slipped to a four-point distance between them and Rui Vitória’s side following a 1-1 draw versus Tondela.
Things promised to get tougher for the green half of Lisbon, travelling to Madeira to take on Nacional at the Choupana, whereas Benfica hosted Paços de Ferreira on Friday night.
Sandwiched between the two Lisbon outfits, FC Porto travelled to the Estádio do Bonfim to face Vitória de Setúbal the following day, with the Dragons rivalling Benfica with a purple patch of their own. Here’s how the action unfolded at the top.
Benfica 3-0 Paços de Ferreira
The next time Benfica return to compete for the league, 2nd placed Porto will be the side that the Eagles clash with in the second ‘Clássico’ of the season, therefore it was imperative for the Liga NOS holders to go into the highly-anticipated game next week without swapping seats at the pinnacle of the table.
Paços de Ferreira defender, Filipe Ferreira, almost pushed proceedings in the desired direction for the home side, as his header backwards from a deflected shot had to be tipped over by his teammate Rafael Defendi early on.
Come the 26th minute, the Estádio da Luz was left celebrating as Franco Cervi threaded a weighted pass to Gonçalo Guedes, entering the box from the right and thrashing an effort at the near-post to put the hosts 1-0 up and lift the stadium off its feet.
Guedes was almost at it again just ten minutes later, picking up the scraps from a corner kick on the edge of the box and firing low on the half-volley, but Defendi was on hand to safeguard the goal.
Ivo Rodrigues, on loan from Porto, was then given the half-chance to bring the visitors level after an unconvincing finger-tip clearance from Ederson fell to the winger’s feet, only for the Paços de Ferreira man to fail to direct his effort at goal.
The away side continued to offer warnings, as Pedrinho’s shot from range in the 50th minute skipped just wide, but Benfica were able to gain some breathing space soon enough thanks to Eduardo Salvio, eyeing up the far right corner with a well-placed shot in the 64th minute to double his team’s lead.
With Benfica on the ascendancy, Salvio was a Defendi save away from celebrating a brace in the 72nd minute, whereas Paços de Ferreira striker Cícero should’ve done a lot better with a chance hooked wide inside the box just six minutes later.
All three points were later sealed by Pizzi in the 87th minute, who played off Raúl Jiménez first before working his way into the box via Salvio’s assistance and downing his former club with a left footed finish, leaving Benfica five points ahead prior to both Sporting’s and Porto’s games.
Nacional 0-0 Sporting
With the fog creeping, Sporting were out to end a two-game winless streak in the league, following draws against Vitória de Guimarães and, most recently, Tondela.
The visitors were given the optimum opportunity to begin decimating the angst when Nacional’s Rui Correia found himself a step behind Sebastian Coates, subsequently bringing the Uruguayan down with a tug inside the box and gifting Sporting an early penalty in the 7th minute.
Even with the likes of Bas Dost, Bryan Ruiz and Bruno César in the line-up, Sporting looked to the cool head of William Carvalho to convert the spot-kick, but Jorge Jesus’ men were left to rue that decision as Rui Silva saved the Portugal international’s effort from 12 yards.
Trouble ensued at the other end just five minutes later with Salvador Agra racing through on goal, but Coates appeared again to play a prominent role and deny the winger with a last-ditch tackle at the point of pulling the trigger.
Gelson Martins tried his luck from outside the box in the 20th minute, but Rui Silva remained privy to the target aimed for by the Sporting player by tipping the effort around the post.
Testing Rui Patrício’s attention span moments later, Salvador Agra had a pop at goal from a cross-bound free-kick, to which the Sporting number one replied by tipping the ambitious effort over the bar.
Sporting reciprocated Nacional through Bryan Ruiz’s teasing ball across goal, but the cross delivered by the Costa Rican failed to be directed goalwards by the incoming Bas Dost.
With Jesus’ side running out of ideas, Ricardo Gomes stunned the away support in the 63rd minute when working his way into the box and forcing a save out of Patrício from a tight angle, a shot that would go on to cannon off the underside of the bar and away from danger.
Sporting’s best opportunity of the second period fell to Ruben Semedo, already in the 86th minute, as he claimed a free header on goal that went straight into Rui Silva’s grasp.
The winner never came for the Lions and it could easily have been a defeat that the Lisbon outfit were left to dwell over, as Ricardo Gomes found himself between Coates and the on-rushing Patricio from an unclaimed through ball, lifting a header over the Sporting goalkeeper and wide of the open net in the 89th minute.
Goalless at its conclusion, Sporting racked up their third consecutive league draw, falling seven points behind league leaders Benfica and being overtaken by Braga in the league table after their eventual 2-1 win over Belenenses.
Vitória de Setúbal 0-0 FC Porto
Following Benfica’s triumph on Friday night, only a win would keep Porto within touching distance of their rivals ahead of next week’s main card between the two.
Many will then be guilty of thinking it’s a good time to take on Vitória de Setúbal at the Estádio do Bonfim, a match-up that’s been producing nothing but Porto wins for over 11 years.
Oliver Torres could and should have placed Porto ahead in the 25th minute, as Diogo Jota led the charge on the counter and left the Spaniard one-on-one versus Bruno Varela, only for the ex-Benfica man to read the midfielder’s placed shot.
Porto’s spell of dominance continued and another chance soon followed, but this time it was Jota spurning the opportunity with a free header going wide after some good work from Alex Telles down the left flank.
Jota would go on to have an even better chance of getting on the scoresheet in the second half, invading the six-yard box to meet Otávio’s cross with his head, but it was Bruno Varela who saw his name up in lights after a point-blank save to deny the young Portuguese forward.
Setúbal offered a spot of bother through another former Benfica man, Fábio Cardoso, who managed to beat Iker Casillas with a glancing header, but the defender saw his goal being chalked off for offside mid-celebration.
The referee heard plenty from the away side too, dismissing what would be Porto’s third penalty claim by booking Otávio for a supposed dive and leaving Nuno Espírito Santo’s team with just a sole point in the bag.
By Patrick Ribeiro
Gameweek 9
Benfica 3-0 P. Ferreira
Nacional 0-0 Sporting
Tondela 1-2 Moreirense
Setúbal 0-0 FC Porto
Boavista 0-0 Estoril
Arouca 1-0 Maritimo
Rio Ave 0-3 V. Guimarães
Braga 2-1 Belenenses
Chaves - Feirense (Monday)
