Liga round-up

After five rounds of the Primeira Liga Benfica are two points clear at the table summit. The Eagles were losing for much of their match at home to Moreirense but came back to win 3-1.

Lisbon neighbours Sporting hit form, thrashing Gil Vicente 4-0 away, while the surprise of the weekend occurred at the Estádio do Dragão as Boavista held ten-man FC Porto to a goalless draw in the Invicta derby.

FC Porto 6-0 BATE Borisov

Porto may have had a Champions League to forget last season, but judging by the Dragons' performances in the competition this term they are intent on making up for it in 2014/15.

After dispatching Lille with the minimum of fuss in the play-off, Porto started their group campaign with a crushing 6-0 win over Belarus outfit BATE Borisov.

Brahimi was the star of the show, scoring a magnificent hat-trick. with Jackson Martínez, Adrián and Aboubakar also finding the net.

1-1 a familiar sight for Marco Silva's Sporting

Sporting contrived to throw away two points in Slovenia after a defensive calamity allowed Maribor to equalise in the final seconds of the game upon their Champions League return.

The Lisbon club had taken the lead in the 80th minute when Nani struck superbly to grab his first goal since returning to the club. That goal was cancelled out when Naby Sarr and Maurício both produced awful clearances leaving 18-year old Luka Zahović to equalise for Maribor.

Benfica 0-2 Zenit St. Petersburg

Benfica's Champions League campaign got off to a bad start as the Eagles were well beaten by Russian outfit Zenit St. Petersburg at the Estádio da Luz. A nightmare opening saw the hosts reduced to ten men following Artur's sending off and 2-0 down after just 22 minutes, the goals scored by old nemesis Hulk and former Benfica midfielder Axel Witsel.

The Eagles improved in the second half and were unlucky not to claw a goal back, and the players' efforts were at least rewarded by a tremendous (and highly unusual in Portugal) show of support for a losing team from the home fans who chanted loudly throughout the closing minutes. Nevertheless, Zenit were worthy winners and with two away games next, against Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco, Benfica are already facing a tough task to qualify for the knockout rounds.