For weeks, Porto have been waiting for their Primeira Liga title rivals Benfica to land a false stride. The moment finally arrived this weekend, but in what could proved to be a pivotal weekend in the season, the Dragons failed to take advantage.

Taking on Paços de Ferreira (only two home defeats all season) in their own back yard isn’t one for the novices of the Portuguese game, a fact Benfica fans will know all too well after their 0-0 draw on Saturday.

The stalemate opened the doors for Porto, so close to the final stretch of the season, to grab the advantage over the Eagles and go top of league table – before the meeting of the two titans in Lisbon – but Vitória de Setúbal were right on cue to derail the northern outfit in a 1-1 draw.

In the distance, Sporting went about their business quietly, as two more strikes by Bas Dost saw the Lions pick up a 2-0 victory at the Alvalade versus Nacional before the trailing storm.

In the latest instalment of PortuGOAL’s in-depth analysis of the lesser known Liga NOS teams, we turn the spotlight on one of only two clubs outside the traditional Big Three to ever win the Portuguese championship - Boavista.

At the turn of millennium the Porto-based club shocked the football world by becoming champions of Portugal and regular participants in the Champions League. But from the dizzying heights of their golden era, Boavista fell to a desperate low and years in the wilderness following demotion to the third tier on the back of corruption charges.

Having returned to the top flight three years ago, the Axadrezados are now in midst of building a competitive team again, in no small measure thanks to the astute work of coach Hugo Leal. Tiago Estêvão runs the rule over Boavista’s 2016/17 vintage.

The pressure is well and truly on at the top end of the Liga NOS table, although you would be forgiven for not noticing, such is the ease that the title hopefuls have been able to turn over their opposition in the past week.

Unsatisfied with the seven-goal demolition of Nacional at home, FC Porto topped up their accounts with four more goals in the visit to Arouca, with Juventus waiting in the wings in the UEFA Champions League this week.

Sporting, despite being a long way away from top spot, reciprocated the Dragons’ eye for goal with four of their own, as they defeated Tondela 4-1 away from home.

Benfica weren’t to be left behind among the goal festivities, dispatching Belenenses back to Belém with a 4-0 defeat, as the red half of Lisbon rests upon first place for yet another week. Here’s how Week 25 unfolded at the top.

Belenenses played some nice football in patches in Lisbon tonight but ended up on the wrong side of a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Benfica.

After the match PortuGOAL caught up with midfielders Vítor Gomes and Robert Ahman-Persson and centre-back Domingos Duarte for their thoughts on the match.

Watch and read translations of the video interviews here.