The final round of Liga Bwin fixtures before Christmas concluded last night, and it proved to be a pivotal weekend for many of Portugal’s top flight.

Paços Ferreira, Boavista and Santa Clara have all been struggling of late but the trio recorded important victories to edge further up the league table.

At the top it remained as you were with Sporting and Porto securing easy wins to stay level pegging in the title race.

Benfica kept in touch though with a 7-1 demolition of Marítimo, their star man and PortuGOAL Figure of the Week Rafa Silva was in sensational form once more.

• Benfica
• Maritimo
• Sporting,
• FC Porto,
• Rafa Silva
• Luis Diaz
• Gil Vicente
• Darwin Nunez
• FC Vizela

Benfica have cemented preparations for their upcoming FC Porto double-header with a 7-1 triumph over Marítimo at the Estádio da Luz, as their fellow title hopefuls also registered victories.

Goals and assists from Darwin Nuñez and Rafa Silva again proved to be the recipe for success for the Eagles in a big outing against Marítimo in the Primeira Liga, as they aimed to close in on top spot.

Porto kept their distance, however, with a 4-0 win away to Vizela, following Sporting, also victorious against Gil Vicente, to the top of the table with a four-point advantage.

The fourteenth round of this Liga Bwin season was peppered with some high scoring encounters, Vitória Guimarães and Tondela playing out a 5-2 thriller while Vizela and Marítimo also helped themselves to heavy victories, overcoming Arouca and Santa Clara respectively.

Gil Vicente, Portimonense and Estoril all continued terrific seasons too, the three of them securing single goal victories to establish themselves in the division’s top eight.

The title race remained as competitive as ever as Sporting and Porto stayed level at the top but Benfica remain within touch, in no small part due to the latest brilliant display from their striker Darwin Núñez, who is our PortuGOAL Figure of the Week after his hat-trick downed Famalicão.

Porto-Lazio, Sheriff-Braga in Europa League

It was a Champions League last-16 draw unlike any other. Lisbon duo Benfica and Sporting were originally paired against Real Madrid and Juventus respectively, but a technical error necessitated a re-draw. In the one that counted, Sporting landed English champions Manchester City, while Benfica were drawn against Dutch champions Ajax.  

In the Europa League, FC Porto have been drawn against Italian outfit Lazio, with whom Porto coach Sérgio Conceição enjoyed tremendous success in his playing days. To reach the last sixteen of the competition Braga must overcome Moldovan side Sheriff Tiraspol.