Portuguese Football in English
Benfica bag €35m possibly rising to €80mBayern Munich today announced the signing of Benfica’s 18-year-old midfielder Renato Sanches on a long-term contract until the summer of 2021.
The German giants paid €35 million euros up front from the teenager, with a potential further €45 million due depending on sporting objectives achieved by the player.
It caps a remarkable season for Sanches, who only made his Benfica debut in October this season.
And so the penultimate round of games in the Liga NOS 2015-16 campaign arrived this weekend. There was much to play for in the title race but also at the wrong end of the table, with a number of sides realistically facing life in Liga 2 next season.
Sporting got the title pendulum off to a start in the nation’s capital on Saturday night, with Setúbal visiting the Alvalade and hoping to put some daylight between themselves and the relegation zone. Benfica, meanwhile, travelled to Madeira to take on Marítimo. The game looked to be in doubt due to adverse weather on Saturday morning, but did eventually get the all clear.
Benfica clocked up yet another win as they edge nearer their quest for a third successive championship. A header early in the second half by centre-back Jardel was enough for the Eagles to earn all three points on Friday night.
As such, Sporting travelled to Porto the next day under immense pressure not to fail, but came away from the Estádio do Dragão with a 3-1 victory to keep their title hopes alive.
The fight for the final Europa League place is also going to the wire, with two points separating Paços de Ferreira, Rio Ave and Estoril with two games remaining. PortuGOAL rounds up the weekend action and its implications at the top and bottom of the Liga NOS.
Sporting overcame the most difficult of their remaining fixtures to keep the pressure on Benfica with a 3-1 over Porto at the Dragão in what was an entertaining and end-to-end match.
Islam Slimani opened the scoring for the visitors before Hector Herrera equalised from the penalty spot. Slimani scored again just before the restart with substitute Bruno César given a gift of a goal from Iker Casillas.
All eyes were firmly fixed onto the title race in Matchday 31 as Sporting and Benfica battled for the coveted top spot as they began another weekend of action within touching distance of each other.
For Jorge Jesus’ men, it was all about taking maximum points versus the only team other than Benfica to have beaten them in the league this season, União da Madeira, currently fighting to retain top flight status at the other end of the table.
‘The Eagles’ made the journey north to Vila do Conde with Europa League hopefuls Rio Ave awaiting, meanwhile FC Porto looked to seal their qualification for the UEFA Champions League with an away win against 17th placed Académica.
