FC Porto have held onto their shared ownership of the Primeira Liga top spot after doing their business in a 3-0 victory away to Portimonense, hours before Sporting reigned supreme at the Estádio da Luz versus Benfica.
The Dragons took their chance in applying pressure on both their rivals prior to last Friday’s eagerly-anticipated Lisbon Derby, cruising by the Portimão outfit with goals from Vitinha and Otávio.
Sporting’s win meant they stayed top with Porto on the same amount of points, dropping Benfica four behind, who now have Braga hopeful of shortening the gulf between third and fourth place after a key 2-0 win at home to Estoril.
Portimonense 0-3 FC Porto
It was north meets south on Friday night, hours before the main event in the capital as Porto looked to clock up the points on the road and capitalise on the result coming out of the Lisbon Derby.
A Pedro Sá own goal left Sérgio Conceição’s men well-placed to do so, although the goal itself took longer than the Portuguese boss may have liked, arising right on the brink of half-time. Vitinha added comfort to Porto’s lead in the 70th minute with a shot tucked in from the edge of the box, as the game began to open up a bit more for the Dragons.
The league leaders proceeded to expose Portimonense on the break before landing a third and final goal of the game, nabbed by an Otávio dink in the 75th minute and clinching the three points demanded and expected of them.
Sp. Braga 2-0 Estoril
In a rare chance to close in on a top three spot, Braga welcomed Estoril, hot on their heels in fifth and keen to do the same, to the infamous Estádio Municipal.
The Arsenalistas talisman, Horta, could’ve placed his team ahead on two separate occasions throughout the early exchanges, missing a one-on-one against Thiago Silva before the Estoril shot-stopper also got the better of the winger from the penalty spot, keeping things locked at 0-0 after a big save.
With 34 minutes on the clock, Horta finally found a way past his foe upon good work between himself, Iuri Medeiros and Vitor Oliveira, enabling the Braga captain to put his side a goal up. Horta acclimatised himself to the taste of scoring, doubling up on his earlier effort to beat Silva for a second time, as Braga cruised into the half-time interval with a two-goal advantage.
A second-half red card for ex-Gil Vicente man Lucas Mineiro could’ve complicated matters for Carlos Carvalhal’s men in the following 45 minutes, bracing themselves for an eventual Estoril clap-back, but the hosts held firm to register a 2-0 victory.
By Patrick Ribeiro
Matchday 13
Portimonense 0-3 FC Porto
Benfica 1-3 Sporting
Boavista 1-1 Marítimo
P. Ferreira 1-2 Vitória
Santa Clara 2-1 Arouca
Gil Vicente 4-0 Famalicão
Sp. Braga 2-0 Estoril
