Vasco Seabra is the man responsible for the stabilisation of Futebol Clube de Arouca. The latest PortuGOAL Figure of the Week stole a point from SL Benfica at the Estádio da Luz in commendable fashion. A well-worked goal in the latter stages of the occasion where many are prone to panic and bombard the penalty area with wayward, half-hearted deliveries, all while contending with the absence of eight players.

One week on and Seabra’s Arouca clinched three points against relegation candidates Estrela da Amadora, all but guaranteeing their presence in Portugal’s top-flight next season. Kevin Fernandes reports. 

Benfica responded to Sporting’s win yesterday by beating Vitória 3-0 in Guimarães to make it level pegging on points again at the top of the table between the two great Lisbon rivals with four matches left of the 2024/25 Primeira Liga season.

Vitória had only lost one game at their Dom Afonso Henriques stadium home all season and were unbeaten in the league in their last 10 matches under new coach Luís Freire. While the scoreline flatters Benfica in a well-disputed match, Bruno Lage’s men ran out deserved winners thanks to the clinical football they played where it matters most – in both areas.  

Vangelis Pavlidis continued his superb form by bagging a brace and Álvaro Carreras also got on the scoresheet, but Benfica were indebted to goalkeeper Anatoliy Trubin who made two world-class saves at crucial moments in the game. 

Sporting took a step forward in their quest to retain the Portuguese title with a convincing 3-1 victory over Moreirense at Alvalade tonight.

The usual suspect Viktor Gyökeres was the star of the show, netting a hat-trick to bring his season tally to 34 goals in 29 Primeira Liga games, which is more than double his closest challengers in the scoring charts Samu Aghehowa and Vangelis Pavlidis.

A vibrant start by the Lions was rewarded when the Swede poked home from close range in the 12th minute and the striker soon doubled Sporting’s lead with a powerful angled shot from inside the box.

Gyökeres completed his hat-trick early in the second half with a thunderous free kick and only wasteful finishing by Geny Catamo and Francisco Trincão prevented it from getting embarrassing for the visitors.

Moreirense pulled a goal back when Cédric Teguia headed in an outstanding cross from Godfried Frimpong and the visitors improved in the final half hour, but the result was never in doubt.

Sporting go three points clear of title rivals Benfica, putting pressure on the Eagles ahead of their tricky trip to Guimarães to face Vitória tomorrow. 

As if more evidence was needed of Rodrigo Mora’s star quality, the 17-year-old Porto star scored two more superb individual goals to propel the Dragons to a 2-1 victory over Famalicão this afternoon.

Pedro Bondo pulled one back for the visitors to make it a nervous ending for the home team but Porto held on despite a late red card for Gonçalo Borges to leapfrog Braga into third place in the standings. 

Mora has now scored five goals in his last five games and two weeks before his 18th birthday he has definitively become Porto’s most prized asset.