Braga's form has been slept on for sometime now but, with Benfica coming to town defending just a three-point-advantage over the fourth-placed side, here stood the chance for 'the Arsenalistas' to gain some much-deserved recognition for their campaign thus far. It didn't work out that way for the northerners, however, as a Benfica side, led by goals from Eduardo Salvio, Jonas and Raúl Jiménez , maintained their excellent form to side-step Braga with a 3-1 victory, as the Eagles neared Sporting in the table.
That was until another hat-trick from Bas Dost set the Lions back off into the distance with a 3-0 home win over Desportivo das Aves, claiming top-spot in the Primeira Liga for the time being.
The two Lisbon outfits then awaited the conclusion of Estoril's clash with league leaders FC Porto last night. The bottom-of-the-table side led 1-0 before the game was abandoned at half-time due to the structural instability of one of the stands. PortuGOAL takes you through the events of Matchday 18.
After achieving hegemony in Portuguese football (16 championship titles in 22 seasons) and prospering in Europe, FC Porto’s domestic domination and international successes abruptly ended in 2013-14. Four long seasons without a trophy, financial meltdown and a series of failed managerial appointments seemed to have marked a definitive shift in the Portuguese football landscape.
Great news for fans of Portuguese football living in the United Kingdom!
Liga NOS 2017/18 is at the halfway point and ‘Os Três Grandes’ are dominating proceedings as is the custom.
We’ve officially reached the halfway point in Liga NOS this season and “The Big 3” are battling out a tense title race with only one defeat thus far between the trio.