A Bruno Fernandes hat-trick, making the Portuguese playmaker the highest-scoring midfielder in history on 31 goals, powered Sporting to an eye-popping 8-1 victory over Belenenses, this Sunday, as the third-placed Lions confirmed their spot on the Primeira Liga podium for yet another season.
Marcel Keizer's men responded to big wins around them in the league table, starting with Benfica's 5-1 triumph over Portimonense at the Estádio da Luz that left the Eagles needing just four points to clinch the Liga title, as the Portuguese footballing season nears its conclusion.
FC Porto reciprocated with a 4-0 victory at home to Desportivo das Aves on Saturday night, meanwhile Sporting de Braga renewed their poor form with an away loss to Marítimo, 1-0, and surrender in the race for third place. PortuGOAL has more from the crux of the Primeira Liga campaign.
Marítimo 1-0 Sp. Braga
Anything other than a win for Braga would see them succumb to finishing fourth in the Primeira Liga, as they went head-to-head in Madeira with another side, Marítimo, equally keen to triumph and, in turn, confirm their top-flight status for another season.
A 34th-minute red card for Getterson, awarded upon a VAR review, spelled trouble for Marítimo going into half-time, as a couple of handy saves from Charles kept the score locked at 0-0 before the interval.
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The best Braga could offer with their one-man advantage over the hosts came from Nuno Sequeira’s cross-shot in the 51st minute, desperately palmed away by Charles between the sticks.
As Abel Ferreira’s side pushed further up the field in search of an opener, Rodrigo Pinho was on hand to land a killer blow on the Arsenalistas in the 83rd minute, racing through on goal on the counter-attack before eventually hooking a shot past the goalkeeper and giving Marítimo the lead.
Claudemir failed to equalise late on for Braga with a free header inside the box, soaring over the bar and concluding a sorry performance for the once title-hopefuls.
Benfica 5-1 Portimonense
Three ‘finals’ stood between Benfica and the Primeira Liga title prior to Portimonense’s visit to the red half of Lisbon, who were forced to take on the table-toppers without ex-Porto man Jackson Martinez through injury.
The Colombian’s absence wasn’t to be felt too much as Portimonense, shortly after Haris Seferovic neared the game's first goal with a chip, dominated the quality of chances in the first period, going closest through Dener’s first-time shot wide inside the box.
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António Folha’s team pressed on in the second period, rewarding themselves with a goal through Rodrigo Tabatá in the 53rd minute when rounding Odisseas Vlachodimos, but that goal was soon cancelled out after Rafa Silva took advantage of sloppy play at the back for Portimonense to nip in and equalise moments later.
Rafa turned the game on its head when frantically stroking the ball into an empty net in the 66th minute, meanwhile it wasn’t until the 84th minute that Benfica reached a higher degree of comfort with a third goal, courtesy of Seferovic’s touch and half-volley inside the box.
The Swiss striker popped up again to make it 4-1 in the 88th minute with a tap-in before Jonas, attacking André Almeida’s cross from the right, nodded in the fifth and final goal for Benfica, edging them closer to an eagerly-anticipated league title.
FC Porto 4-0 Desp. Aves
After a difficult week that saw the Dragons concede ground to Benfica in the race for the title and Iker Casillas’ recent absence in light of heart complications, Porto were out in search of a positive response against Aves at home.
[To watch match highlights click on the screen below]
Jesús Corona got Porto off on the right foot with a headed goal in the 18th minute, courtesy of Alex Telles’ delivery from the left, before a Tiquinho Soares penalty set Porto up for a 2-0 lead going into the break.
Wilson Manafá got off the mark in blue and white in the second half, rifling hard and across goal with a shot inside the box to make it 3-0 in the 68th minute. Soares drew the curtains on a 4-0 victory just two minutes later with his second, volleying coolly into the back of the net in the face of a scrambling Aves defence.
Belenenses 1-8 Sporting
Having nailed down automatic qualification for next season’s Europa League campaign, Sporting looked to top-up their momentum ahead of the Taça de Portugal final versus Porto in their trip to Jamor, the venue of the season's curtain-caller itself.
Belenenses appeared to make their bed inside the first 22 minutes after slack play at the back from the hosts allowed Raphinha to put the Lions ahead before a last-man challenge from goalkeeper Muriel left his side reduced to ten men shortly after.
Sporting’s Luiz Phellype’s made it seven goals in seven appearances just before the break to double the score, an advantage halved in the second period via Licá for Belenenses.
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Nemanja Gudelj boosted the visitors' lead up to 3-1 in the 64th minute via a heavily-deflected shot, with Bruno Fernandes following up the Serbian’s effort to notch Sporting’s fourth goal from the penalty spot.
The capitulation commenced for Belenenses in the final 15 minutes, as Bruno Fernandes made it 30 for the season before Dost grabbed Sporting’s sixth goal on his return to the first team.
A volley for Bruno Fernandes at the back-post rewarded the Portuguese midfielder with his first career hat-trick in the 83rd minute, on top of registering his name in history as the highest-scoring midfielder, leaving the finishing touches in the Green and Whites’ biggest win of the season to Idrissa Doumbia, who was on hand to steer a shot in for 8-1.
By Patrick Ribeiro
Matchday 32
Moreirense 1-2 Rio Ave
Marítimo 1-0 Sp. Braga
Feirense 4-4 Chaves
Benfica 5-1 Portimonense
FC Porto 4-0 Desp. Aves
Tondela 1-3 Santa Clara
Belenenses 1-8 Sporting
Vit. Guimarães - Nacional
Vit. Setúbal - Boavista
