All the signs point to José Mourinho ending his second spell at Benfica after the final match of the season at Estoril this coming weekend.

News about a possible return to Real Madrid has dominated the football agenda in both Portugal and Spain over the past few days, and Mourinho’s post-match press conference after Benfica’s 2-2 draw against Braga on Monday only added to the feeling his time at the Estádio da Luz was up.

“It’s a squad I had a lot of fun with,” said Mourinho. “I always went to training happy to be with them, and I always left training happy with the work we had done. It’s a good group of men.” 

Before the Braga match, PortuGOAL carried out an informal vox pop with fans at the stadium, asking Benfiquistas what they would like to happen, and they thought would happen in relation to Portugal’s most successful ever coach and the Lisbon giants. Listen to and read a variety of opinions about the hot topic in Portuguese football. 

Gonçalo: “I’d like him to stay for another year to be honest, but I think he’ll leave, his mind is elsewhere”

PortuGOAL: “José Mourinho? Do you think he’s leaving or staying?”

Gonçalo: “I think he’ll leave. I think he’s already with his mind elsewhere. I think he’ll try everything to get Benfica into the Champions League, then he’ll go on his way. His mind is in Real Madrid.”

PortuGOAL: “Do you think he’s done a good job here at Benfica?”

Gonçalo: “I think so, yes. I’d like him to stay for another year to be honest. Benfica need a coach like José Mourinho, a world class coach, and I’m sorry he’s going to leave. At least I believe he’ll leave.”

PortuGOAL: “If he leaves, who would you like next?”

Gonçalo: “It has to be a coach with a project. Marco Silva is a good option. Ruben Amorim is also a good option. I’d like either of these two.”

Ricardo: “The new coach? Between Marco Silva, Ruben Amorim and César Peixoto”

PortuGOAL: “Should José Mourinho stay or leave Benfica?”

Ricardo: “He should stay.”

PortuGOAL: “That’s what you want, isn’t it, but what do you think will happen?”

Ricardo: “I think he will leave, I think he’ll go to Real Madrid.”

PortuGOAL: “If that happens who would you like as the next coach?”

PortuGOAL: “Between Marco Silva, Ruben Amorim and César Peixoto, the Gil Vicente coach.”

Bruno: “I don’t think Mourinho has the ideal profile for Benfica”

PortuGOAL: “Will he stay or will he leave?”

Bruno: “He’ll leave”

PortuGOAL: “Would you like him to stay or leave?

Bruno: “I’m not too bothered.”

PortuGOAL: “Don’t you think he’s done a good job?”

Bruno: “He’s done what has been possible. The team wasn’t well set up. I don’t think he has the ideal profile for Benfica.”

PortuGOAL: “Who would you prefer as the next coach?”

Bruno: “Ruben Amorim… Marco Silva maybe. Between the two.”

Alfredo: “If I could choose the next coach I’d choose Ruben Amorim”

PortuGOAL: “Mourinho. Do you think he’s leaving or staying?”

Alfredo: “I think he’ll leave.”

PortuGOAL: “Who would you like as the next coach?”

Alfredo: “I agree with my friend. If I could choose I’d choose Ruben Amorim, because I think he’s a coach who would wear the team’s colours. He would be my choice.”

PortuGOAL: “Are all those years at Sporting a problem?!”

Alfredo: “He’ll do to Sporting what he did to Benfica, he’d be welcome.”

Duarte: “I don’t want Mourinho to stay, but I think he will”

PortuGOAL: “Do you think José Mourinho will stay as Benfica coach of will he leave?”

Duarte: “I think he’ll stay.”

PortuGOAL: “Would you like him to stay”

Duarte: “No, I wouldn’t, but I think he’ll stay. The quality of football has not changed (with him).”

PortuGOAL: “Who would you like as the next coach?”

Duarte: “Ruben Amorim, Marco Silva, one of these two Portuguese coaches.”

Pedro: “… another season to judge him”, David: “… maybe he deserves a second chance”, Paulo: “I think Mourinho deserves to start next season”

PortuGOAL: “Do you think José Mourinho will stay or leave Benfica?”

Pedro: “I’d like him to stay.”

PortuGOAL: “You’d like him to stay, but do you think that will happen or not?”

Pedro: “It’s difficult. When Real Madrid are after him, it’s difficult to fight it.”

PortuGOAL: “Do you think he’s done a good job?”

Pedro: “In my opinion he’s done the job that was possible for a team that was not built by him.”

PortuGOAL: “So if he had another season, would it be different?”

Pedro: “In my opinion he’d have to do another season and then we can judge him better, but a full season.”

***

PortuGOAL: “Would you like José Mourinho to stay or leave?”

David: “Would I like him to stay? If it was up to me maybe Mourinho wouldn’t even have come in the first place. But maybe he deserves a second chance to do his job. But, like Pedro said, I think it’s very unlikely that he’ll stay.”

***

Paulo: “I’d like Mourinho to continue, I’d like him to do the job right from the start, with the players chosen by him, and with a pre-season planned by him. I think that could bring Benfica good results, both at domestic and international level. I’m not talking about winning the Champions League, but we’d have a chance to put in a good performance on the international stage.”

PortuGOAL: “There was a period in the season when it seemed things were clicking… that game against Real Madrid. And Benfica haven’t lost yet…”

Paulo: “In the league Benfica haven’t lost, and then there have been factors outside of football, the refereeing hasn’t been very good in Benfica’s games, which has harmed Benfica too. But yes, I think Mourinho deserves to start the season, but there you go. When competing against Real Madrid there is no chance.”

The 2025/26 season is about to end, but Benfica president Rui Costa will not be thinking about relaxing. His decisions in the coming days will have a huge bearing on the club’s immediate future, and possibly his own position at the helm of Portugal’s largest club.

Pending a medical today, Sporting have broken the domestic transfer record in Portugal to buy Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Zalazar from Braga. The €30 million signing is the highest transfer fee ever paid between two Portuguese clubs.

In a related deal, Braga will purchase Sporting right-back Diogo Travassos for €5.5 million.

Zalazar has been subject to transfer speculation for several weeks following a brilliant season for the Warriors, with Benfica reported to be interested in bringing him to Lisbon, but instead he will play in the green and white of city rivals Sporting.

The 26-year-old attacking midfielder has scored 23 goals and provided 8 assists in 52 matches for Braga in 2025/26, making it by far the most productive season of his career.

Zalazar was born in Spain but has Uruguayan nationality, with both of his parents hailing from the South America country. His father José Zalazar was also a footballer, playing 29 times for the full Uruguay national team.

Rodrigo Zalazar began his senior career in Poland and Germany, with Braga paying just €6 million to Schalke 04 for his signature in the summer of 2023.

The purchase is likely to be the first of several made by Sporting this summer with a rebuild necessary, especially in midfield given the expected departure of captain Morten Hjulmand and Japanese teammate Hidemasa Morita, who has come to the end of his contract.

Travassos rewarded for impressive loan spells

While most Sporting fans will be excited by the capture of Zalazar, the sale of promising right-back Diogo Travassos is less consensual.

The Portugal U21 international enjoyed a fine debut season as a full professional for Estrela da Amadora last year, and has impressed even more at Moreirense this term.

An extremely attacking full-back, Travassos has scored 7 goals in 34 matches for Moreirense and is a big reason the modest northern club has enjoyed a fine season, free from any relegation worries.

Braga will pay five and half million euros for the 22-year-old, plus €1 million in potential add-ons.

Sporting CP have reclaimed second position in Liga Portugal following an entertaining 4-1 victory against Rio Ave.

Tamble Monteiro headed wide early on in Barcelos but Rio Ave persisted and took the lead in the 12th minute. Luis Guilherme lost the ball which saw Monteiro break clear and release Diogo Bezerra who steered the ball past Rui Silva.

Francisco Petrasso was fortunate to avoid a penalty after a his forearm caught Luis Suárez in the head. The striker was bleeding but wouldn’t have to wait long to exact some revenge.

Suárez got past Petrasso on the halfway line and surged into the box where he was dragged down by the centre-back. Referee João Gonçalves issued a yellow card and pointed to the penalty spot where Suárez sent Cezary Miszta the wrong way.

Sporting took the lead before the break and didn’t have to do anything to earn it. Gustavo Mancha’s back pass evaded Miszta and rolled into the net, a comical own goal.

Rio Ave went close in added time with Monteiro forcing a save from Silva, Eduardo Quaresma diverting a dangerous cross wide and Dario Spikic firing into the side netting.

The hosts’ chances were dealt a big blow in the 52nd minute when the final chapter of the Petrazzo vs Suárez sideshow. The Argentine went in late on his nemesis and Gonçalves showed no hesitation in producing a second booking.

Rui Borges introduced Geny Catamo and Geovany Quenda in the 65th minute and the Lions made it 3-1 less than 60 seconds later. Trincão cut inside from the right wing, got past Ryan Guilherme and sent a sweet strike into the bottom corner.

Guilherme picked up two bookings in the space of two minutes to reduce Rio Ave to 9 men, the second yellow a harsh call.

Sporting put the icing on the cake in the 90th minute, Maxi Araújo sending Quenda through on goal where he sent a powerful shot past Miszta.

It was a vital victory for Sporting who reclaimed second spot on the table following Benfica’s 2-2 draw against Braga. The Lions host Gil Vicente on the final matchday, José Mourinho’s side travelling to Estoril.

Rio Ave 1-4 Sporting CP highlights

Benfica’s final home match of the season ended in disappointment as Braga held them to what could be a costly 2-2 draw.

As a consequence city rivals Sporting overtake the Eagles and move into second place – the last position with a ticket to Champions League football next season – and the point is enough for Braga to guarantee a 4th-place finish.

Benfica made most of the running in a one-sided first half but had to wait until after the break to take the lead, Rafa Silva turning in Gianluca Prestianni’s cross after a quick breakaway. Braga hit back immediately, the ever-impressive Pau Victor heading in a Victor Gómez cross.

The hosts continued to surge forward propelled by the electric Andreas Schjelderup, chances came and went, but it was Braga who stunned the home crowd when Gorby Baptiste curled a brilliant 25-yarder into the corner of the net late on.

There was still time for Benfica to pull a goal back from the penalty spot in stoppage time, Pavlidis converting emphatically after Schjelderup had been felled in the box, but a draw felt like a defeat for home team and their fans. Sahir Bhojwani and Tom Kundert report from the Estádio da Luz.

***

Benfica on top in first half 

Benfica started the stronger of the two sides early on. Their attackers connected and created some good opportunities, threatening in the first five minutes. In the 3rd minute, they even had the ball in the net following a corner. Ivanovic thought he had put his team ahead before the goal was called back for a 4cm offside.

The first chance for Braga came in the 15th minute with a curler that sailed past the right post from Gabri Martínez

Seconds later, the home supporters were treated to a brilliant piece of skill by Schjelderup to evade three defenders. The Norwegian scooped a teasing ball into the box, and at one point, it looked like it had been handled by a desperate Leonardo Lelo as he managed to just about clear the danger.

Rafa then forced a fantastic save from Lukáš Horníček, with the keeper stretching to palm away a shot that looked destined for the bottom left corner.

As the seconds wound down toward the halftime whistle, Leandro Barreiro had time to compose himself and head towards goal, but Hornicek was well-positioned to gather the ball.

Hosts start to feel the pressure

At the interval, Mourinho would’ve known that his team were trailing Sporting after the Lions had gone into the break with a 2-1 lead over Rio Ave. The Eagles went on the attack right off the bat and were able to capitalise after some sloppy Braga play.

Prestianni came up with the assist this time after an uncharacteristic mistake from experienced Portuguese midfielder Moutinho, who gave the ball away carelessly. Rafa caught the ball in his stride, and it was a simple tap-in for the attacker. It had taken less than 30 seconds in the second half for Benfica to break through following the whistle. 

Pau Victor answers back

However, Pau Victor responded almost instantly for the visitors with a beautifully timed header in the 47th minute. Braga’s record signing showed his power and precision in the box. The former La Masia star was able to connect with a looping cross from Víctor Gómez to head in the equaliser.

In the 54th minute it was Fredrik Aursnes knocking on the door, a low shot from the Norwegian producing a quality save from Hornicek.

While Benfica pushed forward, Braga did everything they could to retain a valuable point. The cards start to fly out with Horníček and Lelo within a couple of minutes picking up yellows.

The chances for Benfica continued to flow. Prestianni and Araújo both had good opportunities before the 60-minute mark.

Pavlidis goal chalked off

With 30 minutes remaining, Mourinho turned to his secret weapon. Pavlidis, a player who has led the Eagles in goals over the last two seasons, was thrown on to get that all-important winner. Within three minutes, the imposing striker had the ball in the net after meeting a low pass from Schjelderup. The goal led to wild celebrations at the Luz, a celebration that was short-lived. After a review, it became clear the ball had rolled out of play before Schjelderup’s cross.

Schjelderup has turned into Benfica’s key attacking player in the course of the campaign, and the young winger continued to pester the Braga defenders as the match progressed.

A corner in the 84th minute almost produced one of the unlikeliest of heroes, with António Silva’s header sailing just wide. A glorious opportunity for the 22-year-old defender to give his club that crucial second goal. 

Gorby stunner

Just when it seemed that Benfica were on the verge of edging this contest, the tide turned. In the 88th minute, it was Gorby who provided an exquisite finish to give the visitors a surprising lead. An unstoppable right-footed shot from the youngster that, if we are being honest, no keeper in the world would have had a chance of saving.

Benfica then took it up a notch. They produced very little in the way of chances on goal, but when Schjelderup’s left foot was stepped on in the box, the referee awarded a late penalty to give the home supporters a glimmer of hope. Pavlidis once again stepped up to smash home from the spot, levelling the match with a few minutes still remaining.

Benfica’s second goal, though, was too little too late. In the end, the point does little for Mourinho’s men, who now face an uphill battle to catch rivals Sporting on the final day. Only if Benfica win at Estoril and Sporting fail to beat Gil Vicente at home will the Eagles reclaim second place. Any other combination of results and Sporting will be runners-up to Porto. 

Benfica 2-2 Braga highlights

Porto suffered their second defeat in Liga Portugal after a surprise 3-1 loss in Vila das Aves.

Francesco Farioli's side piled on the pressure but it was AFS who went ahead in the 23rd minute. A corner wasn’t cleared, the ball falling to Roni Moura who fired through traffic.

The equaliser came in the 53rd minute when Dominik Prpić released Borja Sainz, the Spaniards' cross picking out Deniz Gül who couldn’t miss from a yard out.

The hosts regained the lead just five minutes later. Francisco Moura’s loose pass was picked off by AFS who poured forward, Roni sending a superb strike that swerved away from Cláudio Ramos who couldn’t prevent the ball from nestling in the net.

Porto should have equalised on two occasions, Gül and Alberto Costa heading crosses straight at Adriel Ramos. Gül was offside when assisting William Gomes as torrential rain and driving wind made conditions difficult.

The hosts went close when Diego Duarte hit the post but AFS were rewarded in the 80th minute. Tunde Akinsola sent a long free kick into the box where Ramos was caught in no man’s land, Aderllan Santos taking advantage by heading the ball into the net.

Prpić received a second booking in added time to sum up the contest. Porto conceded three goals for just the second time this season, the first coming in a 3-1 defeat against Vitória de Guimarães in the League Cup semi-finals.

The supporters in Vila das Aves will be wondering where their team has been all season. The relegated club have gone five games unbeaten including a 1-1 draw against Sporting CP, the victory over Porto just their third in a miserable campaign.

Francesco Farioli made wholesale changes after his side claimed the Liga Portugal title last weekend. Porto still created plenty of opportunities, ending with 69% possession, 20-9 shots and 3.06-0.75 xG.

AFS 3-1 Porto highlights

In Gameweek 32, as Porto were crowned champions, Benfica gave arch-rivals Sporting a glimmer of hope in the heated pursuit for second place and potentially, presence in the next edition of the UEFA Champions League.

In a vintage performance for Rui Borges’ men (with plenty of technical ability on display for multiple goals), is it too little, too late after dropping points to relegated AFS and relegation threatened Tondela?

Invincible Benfica were held to their tenth stalemate of the season as the likes of Daniel Bragança shone, as Sporting looked invigorated without the weight of expectation and the physical demands of two matches per week.

Nothing can overshadow Daniel Bragança who has managed to recover from another ruptured Anterior Cruciate Ligament, this time in his left knee.

Not even two ACL tears can stop Daniel Bragança from shining 💚 https://t.co/hdptHHMH8X

— Kevin Fernandes (@kevinaraujof) January 17, 2026

This is the story of how the latest PortuGOAL Figure of the Week overcame career defining difficulties. Kevin Fernandes reports.

Made in Santarém, Destined for Sporting

From the parish of Fazendas de Almeirim in the Santarém, Daniel Santos Bragança started his footballing journey at curiously named local side Footkart Escola Futebol Karting Associação.

Born in 1999, Daniel Bragança has represented Sporting Clube de Portugal since 2007. Most of his life has been spent in green and white, from a boy to adulthood.

At youth level, Bragança won two league titles (U-17 and U-19) and was quickly recognised as a top talent, immediately catching the eye of spectators as he operated in midfield with a characteristic elegant grace and supreme technical ability,

Loan spells at Estoril Praia and Farense confirmed that Bragança could dictate play with his nonchalant, refined style at senior level.

The trials and tribulations in the top-flight

In declarations for Sporting TV upon reaching 150 senior matches for the Lions, Daniel Bragança said: “Above all, it’s a feeling of pride. I’d already reached the 100-game milestone, and now I’ve hit the 150-game mark. For me, it’s a feeling of pride to represent Sporting CP, as always. It’s something I’ll remember forever.”

From injuries to winning six trophies (including three Liga Portugal titles) to captaining the club he carries in his heart, Daniel Bragança has experienced it all at Sporting.

However, since being integrated into the first team in 2020, Bragança has only played 4059 minutes of Liga Portugal football. That is the equivalent to approximately 45 full matches across six years.

Despite all his talent, Bragança has never been an undisputed starter for Sporting. Ruben Amorim preferred the likes of Matheus Nunes to his low tempo dictator, while Rui Borges often masks the out-of-possession limitations of Bragança by placing the technician as a recognised No10.

This season Bragança has shown a goal touch like never before, netting 6 times in his 22 appearances since returning from his second ACL injury at the start of the calendar year. It should be noted those 22 appearances equate to just 719 minutes. 

Daniel, the maestro

Bragança was never the fastest, strongest in duels and has never been brilliant when asked to defend in an organised block, but he comes into his own when his magical left-foot receives the ball.

Elite close control, incisive passing and clinical box-crashing ability defines Bragança, who made his name as a deep-lying playmaker in his early career.

As a No8 or as a No10, as a squad player for ‘Os Leões’ or as a starter elsewhere – the latest PortuGOAL Figure of the Week guarantees magic and is the archetype of an aesthetically pleasing player we love to watch.

Braga’s Europa League campaign has ended in the semi-finals after a 3-1 defeat in Freiburg. Hopes were high following a 2-1 first leg victory at the Quarry, but it was an uphill battle in the Black Forest due to an early dismissal.

Igor Matanovic did well to turn and release Jan-Niklas Beste who charged towards the box, Mario Dorgeles barging into the winger which saw referee Davide Massa produce a straight red card in the 6th minute.

The German club piled on the pressure and opened the scoring in the 19th minute. Braga failed to clear Vincenzo Grifo's cross which was pounced on by Lukas Kübler, he lost control but managed to deflect Jean-Baptiste Gorby’s clearance off the inside of the post and over the line.

Johan Manzambi shot straight at Lukas Hornicek but he would make no mistake in the 41st minute. Given time and space outside the area, the 20-year-old curled a sweet strike into the net that gave the goalkeeper no chance.

Braga went close to squaring the tie in added time, Pau Victor picking out Víctor Gómez who went around Noah Atubolu and hit the post. The rebound fell to Rodrigo Zalazar who couldn't take advantage.

The half-time whistle came at a bad time for the visitors as Freiburg started the second half on fire. Grifo hit the post, Matthias Ginter went close, Manzambi forced a fine save from Hornicek and Grifo curled an effort wide.

Braga weathered the storm and had another opportunity to score. Victor was the architect once again, sending Gorby through where the midfielder hit a tame effort straight at Atubolu.

Manzambi went close again as Carlos Vicens went to his bench for the first time, bringing on Gabriel Moscardo and Fran Navarro for Vitor Carvalho and Zalazar.

João Moutinho’s shot was deflected narrowly wide by Nicolas Hofler and Beste tested Hornicek at the other end. The goalkeeper then kept his side in the tie with two fantastic saves from a corner, denying Grifo and Ginter.

Braga’s resistance was eventually broken in the 72nd minute. It was a routine goal, Grifo delivering a free kick into the box where Kübler headed home.

The Warriors had nothing to lose and threw players forward, Moscardo’s shot deflected over the bar before Demir Ege Tiknaz made way for Gabri Martínez. Braga got a lifeline in the 79th minute when they reduced the deficit.

Gomez headed Moutinho’s free kick to the back post, Victor perfectly positioned to score from close range. It was a grandstand finish in Freiburg, Atubolu tipping efforts from Gorby and Martínez over the bar as Freiburg held on to reach the final.

Bad luck for Braga

It was always going to be a tough task in Freiburg following Mario Dorgeles’ sixth minute dismissal. Braga did themselves proud however, Gómez hitting the post on the stroke of half-time and Pau Víctor’s late goal keeping the tie alive.

Lukas Hornicek, Víctor Gómez, João Moutinho and Víctor Gómez produced strong performances in Germany where Ricardo Horta wasn’t risked off the bench.

Tristes mas com a certeza de que vamos ser felizes no futuro ♥️

Cabeça erguida, Gverrreiros. #GanharComTodos pic.twitter.com/bJlnMNtRYW

— SC Braga (@SCBragaOficial) May 7, 2026

Carlos Vicens was proud of his side in Germany: “I’m proud of our season. I think we were the team that deserved to be in the final, but sometimes not everything goes as we want and you have to accept it. I congratulate Freiburg.

“I cannot be prouder of the effort we put into these two games. The team never used the difficulties we’ve had in the last few weeks as excuses. With the players we had we fought for our goal. We didn’t do it, but I believe we will look back on this season as a historical and exemplary one, above all in the Europa League.

“At the end of the day, we can all fall down at times, it’s part of life. What makes the difference is what you do when you fall and this team has shown it picks itself up in difficult moments and it will do the same now. It’s another experience we have taken on board, which we have to learn from so that in the future, when the luck is on our side, we will achieve our objectives.”

The game had plenty of similarities to Braga’s 2022/23 Europa League quarter-final exit against Rangers. Leading 1-0 going into the second leg at Ibrox, Vítor Tormena was sent off in the first half as the Warriors held on before going down in extra time.

History for Freiburg

Freiburg took their chances and made history by reaching a first European final. There are few if any clubs that deserve it more.

Much of their modern identity was built by Christian Streich who managed the club from 2011 to 2024. He regularly addressed social issues while in charge, using press conferences to discuss politics, commercialism and the state of humanity.

It was fitting that Streich was in the stands to witness the historic moment for the Black Forest club, now managed by his protégé Julian Schuster.

In a world where many clubs and international teams are hijacked by glory hunter and entitled ‘supporters’, Freiburg continue to operate on a community level that should be the benchmark.

Sporting ended a five-game winless run with a 5-1 thrashing of Vitória at Alvalade tonight. After a series of listless, tired performances, it was the perfect tonic for coach Rui Borges, who signed an extended contract last week.

First-half goals by Gonçalo Inácio, man-of-the-match Daniel Bragança and Maxi Araújo put the hosts in charge at the break.

Luis Suárez and Luís Guilherme got in on the act in the second half as it threatened to get embarrassing for Vitória. A comical own goal by Zeno Debast gave the travelling fans a crumb of comfort. Tom Kundert reports from Alvalade. 

***

Wide open game

A bright start set the tone for an open game. Diogo Sousa and João Mendes tried their luck for Vitória from distance but it was Sporting who took the lead from a well-worked free kick routine in the 8th minute.

Pote’s diagonal delivery was swept across goal by Luis Suárez where captain Gonçalo Inácio was on hand to head in from close range.

Midway through the first half Sporting doubled their lead with a wonderful goal. Francisco Trincão, Suárez, and Hidemasa Morita played some lovely one-touch passing in the middle of the pitch with the Japanese midfielder assisting Daniel Bragança, who produced a deft finish over goalkeeper Charles Silva.

The chances kept coming, Bragança thwarted a great individual goal by Charles and Trincão missing the target when he had only the goalkeeper to beat.

At the other end of the pitch a terrific shot by Miguel Nogueira forced Rui Silva into a fine diving save.

On the stroke of half time Maxi Araújo finished brilliantly after being set up by a long Debast pass. The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but after a VAR check the decision was reversed. Half time and Sporting cruising at 3-0. 

No let-up from the hosts

Sporting continued to pile forward after the break and shortly after the hour the home fans were cheering again as a precise through ball by Pedro Gonçalves allowed Luis Suárez to score goal number four.

Eduardo Quaresma then fired a spectacular volley into the top corner on the turn, but it did not count due to an offside in the buildup.

A rampant Sporting would not be denied though, substitute Luís Guilherme finishing confidently after being released by Suárez.

Suárez seemed determined to consolidate his place at the top of the goal-scoring charts, the Colombian going close to scoring again on three occasions.

But it would be Vitória who scored the last goal of the night, albeit with a big help from Belgian defender Debast, who put far too much weight on a back-pass to Rui Silva with the ball ending up in the net.

Tense season climax in race for runners-up spot

Sporting draw level on points with Benfica in second place, but remain behind their Lisbon rivals on the head-to-head record. Whoever finishes second will have the opportunity to join Liga Portugal winners FC Porto in the Champions League next season. 

To overtake the Eagles, Sporting must gain more points in their two remaining matches (Rio Ave away, Gil Vicente at home) than Benfica do in their two games (Braga at home and Estoril away).

Sporting 5-1 Vitoria highlights

Porto are the 2025-26 Primeira Liga champions after a 1-0 victory against Alverca at Estádio do Dragão.

Gabri Veiga’s corner hit the back post before Froholdt deflected strike hit the bar, Jakub Kiwior handling the ball before tucking it past Matheus Mendes.

Sandro Lima headed Nabil Touaizi’s cross over the bar but it would be Porto who would take the lead in the 40th minute. Gabri Veiga’s corner was met by Jan Bednarek who headed the ball into the net.

The second half began with Sandro Lima firing wide and Figueiredo forcing a save from Diogo Costa.

Borja Sainz came off the bench and headed Alberto Costa’s cross straight at Matheus Mendes.

The supporters were busy celebrating the title with flares and fireworks being unleashed from both ends.

Alverca came close in added time, Alberto Costa doing well to get back and deny Cédric Nuozzi a tap-in.

***

Deserved champions

Porto have climbed back to the summit of Portuguese football, winning their 31st national championship title and first since 2021/22. Much has happened off the pitch since then, the Sérgio Conceição era coming to an end and followed by Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa who was comprehensively defeated by André Villas-Boas in the presidential election.

Villas-Boas needed some time to find his stride, going through Vítor Bruno and Martín Anselmi before hitting the managerial jackpot with Francesco Farioli.

The 37-year-old joined the club in the summer after a spectacular capitulation saw his Ajax side throw away the Eredivisie title.

Villas-Boas recently discussed the decision to hire the Italian manager: “Farioli is a coach who deserved to have succeeded at Ajax, but if he had succeeded at Ajax, he certainly wouldn’t be at Porto right now.

“Therefore, I think that the way that championship ended doesn’t invalidate the coach’s quality, his method, his leadership, the way he fought for that championship until the end.

“But it made him available on the market and we initiated the necessary contacts to bring him to Porto.

“I became more aware of coach Francesco Farioli through his work in France, when he finally established himself as a coach, as someone revolutionary in his ideas, methods, and leadership.”

Ten reasons why FC Porto are 2025/26 champions of Portugal

Fantastic transfer market

Not only did Villas-Boas hire the right manager at the right time, he oversaw a recruitment department that did tremendous work in the transfer market.

Porto brought in Victor Froholdt, Alberto Costa, Gabri Veiga, Borja Sainz, Jan Bednarek, Dominik Prpić, Luuk de Jong, Pablo Rosario, Jakub Kiwior and made Nehuén Pérez’s deal permanent.

The Dragons went back into the market in the winter transfer window, signing Thiago Silva, Oskar Pietuszewski, Seko Fofana and Terem Moffi.

Pérez played just five games before suffering a season-ending injury, but getting Bednarek on loan from Arsenal has proved a masterstroke. His central defensive partnership with Polish international teammate Bednarek has been the foundation for Porto’s success, conceding only 15 goals in 32 Liga matches.

Alberto Costa has done well when fit, midfielders Gabri Veiga and Victor Froholdt quickly becoming permanent fixtures in Farioli’s 4-3-3 formation.

Pablo Rosario cost Porto just €3.75m from Nice, the versatile player getting plenty of game time ahead of Alan Varela and filling in at the back when required.

Farioli hasn’t placed any faith in Dominik Prpić which saw 41-year-old Thiago Silva join on a free transfer and play just under 1000 minutes in 13 appearances. 

🇵🇹⚽️🏆 FT Porto 1-0 Alverca. The Primeira Liga title returns to Estádio do Dragão after Jan Bednarek headed home Gabri Veiga's corner in the first half. Tremendous season from Andre Villas-Boas, Francesco Farioli and the players. Fully dederved! Report coming up for @PortuGoal1. pic.twitter.com/A5nRBmGf0t

— Matthew Marshall (@noobzcorp) May 2, 2026

Borja Sainz has been inconsistent and lost his spot on the left wing to 17-year-old Oskar Pietuszewski. The teenager has already doubled in value since Porto paid Jagiellonia €8m in January and is set to keep increasing.

Signing Seko Fofana on loan was another masterstroke, the experienced midfielder scoring important goals providing plenty of attacking thrust.

One of the most important factors in winning the title has been the ability to overcome season-ending injuries to Samu Aghehowa and Luuk de Jong. De Jong went down with a cruciate ligament injury in November and Samu suffered the same fate in early February.

Deniz Gül scored twice in the recent win at Estrela da Amadora but has hardly looked like producing the same output as Samu. Terem Moffi was an emergency signing and has been far from a crowd favourite at Estádio do Dragão, I would be extremely surprised if he is wearing blue and white next season.

Teams can often get lucky and win Cup competitions, but in long league seasons the cream always rises to the top.

The Dragons fully deserve to win the title and it’s wonderful to see the good times return to Porto after a painful end to Pinto da Costa’s reign.

Jorge Costa tribute

The title celebrations were briefly interrupted for a tribute to Jorge Costa who suffered a heart attack at a pre-season training session and died not long after.

It must have been a traumatic and impactful incident for everyone involved at the club, and this title will be remembered in conjunction with the club legend.

Farioli spoke about Costa after the victory: “Our strength throughout the season was Jorge. One of the things he said at the beginning of the season was that we had a team again. We gave everything we had to win, and his presence was evident in small things. Those two clearances off the line are Jorge Costa’s DNA. He’s not physically with us, but he’s with us in spirit."

2⃣ #ConseguimosJuntos pic.twitter.com/d3BRrUD0JL

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) May 2, 2026

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Diogo Costa spoke to SportTV after the victory against Alverca: "It’s a huge source of pride for this team, a lot of pride for the staff, and we are grateful for all the learning. We did the most important thing, which is to take FC Porto back to its rightful place.

“It’s a very united and young group. We have our core players, it was a very positive mix. This unity gave us the strength to face the difficulties. Above all, it’s the daily work, the dedication and the high standards. That was our best weapon. Our playing style represents exactly that: unity and hard work.

“I want to thank all the club staff, who often go unnoticed. I want to thank the president for all the support they have given us and will continue to give us. There is so much to say and remember. Our Jorge, Diogo Jota and his brother André. It’s a mixture of sadness and happiness.

“I woke up very emotional today and it’s as if I knew something good was going to happen because we deserve it. We are different. We are a different people. It’s true that we are grumpy but we are united at the same time, we welcome everyone.”

Farioli’s future

In January Villas-Boas extended Farioli’s contract to 2028. The manager has seen his stock rise significantly this season and when recently asked about the vacancy at Chelsea, he said: “I am the coach of FC Porto and I am very happy to be here.”

With his 38th birthday coming up this summer, Farioli should be in no hurry to leave Porto any time soon. Villas-Boas is setting into his presidency and all the players have bought into the project.

Gabri Veiga spoke about why Porto won the title: “It was somewhat the mentality of everyone who arrived. The president had a lot to do with it, he took responsibility. We made great signings, the manager was also important. If it weren’t for that, we wouldn’t have been successful.”

Farioli has an opportunity to build a dynasty at Porto and win multiple titles. The Dragons should be able to keep the core of their squad together and they will only get better next season.

LIVE: Conferência de Imprensa de Francesco Farioli
https://t.co/DFo7helL5L

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) May 2, 2026

FC Porto 1-0 Alverca highlights 

FC Porto were crowned Portuguese champions with two games to spare at the Estádio do Dragão this Saturday night. How have the northern club got back to the top of the tree in Portugal after three seasons of flailing a long way behind their Lisbon rivals?

PortuGOAL lists 10 reasons why celebrations will be ongoing long into the night on the Avenida dos Aliados.

André Villas-Boas grows into his new role

André Villas-Boas was elected president two years ago, defeating Pinto da Costa after the octogenarian had been at the helm for more than four success-strewn decades. AVB’s first season at the helm was little short of disastrous. Both of his managerial choices, Vítor Bruno and Martín Anselmi, flunked badly.

It proved third time lucky with the appointment of Francesco Farioli. Other sound decisions were made by Villas-Boas and the Porto board, especially in relation to the club’s transfer activity, as detailed below, but his most important move was undoubtedly the hiring of a manager who seems a perfect fit for the Porto identity.

Farioli banishes his demons and restores his reputation

Italian coach Francesco Farioli has confirmed his status as one of Europe’s top up-and-coming coaches, recovering from his trauma at Ajax one year ago. In 2024/25, with the Dutch team way out in front and on the cusp of winning the Eredivisie, an incredible end-of-season collapse allowed PSV Eindhoven to snatch the title from the Amsterdam giants.

Charged with a similar job in Portugal – that of restoring a fallen colossus to the domestic dominance of yesteryear – Farioli guided his team to a strong position thanks to a near faultless first half of the campaign, and this time it was his rivals who faltered along the home run. 

Farioli deserves praise for the intelligent way he rotated his squad, perhaps drawing on his experience one year ago, mitigating the effects of fixture pile-up and injuries to important players. Indeed, many of his key players got a “second wind” in the final weeks of the Primeira Liga schedule, Alberto Costa, Victor Froholdt and Alan Varela especially showing their best form of the whole campaign at the business end of the season.

Porto may not have been brilliant all year, but none of their title rivals could live with their consistency in terms of getting the results on the board.

Transfer business masterclass – in summer and winter

Big changes were inevitable after last season’s debacle. When a high player turnover takes place, a significant element of risk is always involved. Will the team gel? Will the new recruits settle quickly into their new environment? Will promising youngsters develop into polished performers? In Porto’s case the answer to all three questions was a resounding “sim!”

Listing Porto’s new players who have been a hit this season is practically the same thing as listing all their signings. With the effervescent Victor Froholdt at the front of the queue, Alberto Costa, Gabri Veiga, Jan Bednarek and Jakub Kiwior also all hit the ground running, helping explain Porto’s stupendous start to their league campaign. Come the winter window and Oskar Pietuszewski, Pablo Rosario and Seko Fofana were three more precious additions who played key roles at different stages of the season.

Porto broke their transfer spend record for a window last summer, but the value of young gems like Froholdt, Alberto Costa, Veiga and Pietuszewski is sure to sky rocket, meaning it has been money well invested that will more than be recuperated, in addition to helping bring sporting success. An authentic object lesson in how to work the transfer market for a club of Porto’s size.

Sensational first half of the season

In Portugal, given the gap in quality between the top teams and the rest, it is not uncommon for teams to go on long winning runs rarely seen in other top European leagues. But Porto’s stunning start to 2025/26 was unheard of. Literally. 16 victories in 17 matches – the only dropped points the home draw against Benfica – saw Porto accumulate a barely believable 49 points out of a possible 51 in the primeira volta. Unsurprisingly, it set a new record.

Naturally, the Dragons could not sustain that pace for the entire season, but the points buffer it gave them at the top of the table piled pressure on their rivals ahead of every match, months before the end of the season.

Non-stop physicality and energy

Porto may not have played as aesthetically pleasing football as many of their previous championship-winning sides, but the team recovered an attribute typically associated with the Dragons that had been conspicuously missing in recent seasons. The energy and effort on display, individually and collectively, more often than not ended up grinding down the opposition, such was the exertion required by the opposition just to match Farioli’s team in terms of physicality.

Perfect examples of this are Porto’s two games against Braga. Both home and away, the Warriors were arguably the more composed team playing the neater football, but ultimately Porto’s sheer will to win the three points, come what may, proved the defining factor in the results.

Victor Froholdt and Oskar Pietuszewski: superstars in the making?

Among the brilliant transfer business alluded to above, Porto picked up two particularly scintillating talents. Judging by what they have shown this season, and injury permitting, Danish midfield dynamo Victor Froholdt and Polish winger Oskar Pietuszewski are set for glittering careers. Froholdt’s frankly ridiculous energy levels allow him to cover every blade of grass for the whole 90 minutes, and although his usefulness goes far beyond his goal-threat, he noticeably improved in terms of hitting the net and providing assists as the season progressed.

At just 17, Pietuszewski is an exciting, fearless winger, and he was often the key to opening up opposition defences after his January signing. If he improves his decision making, he has every chance of becoming a household name. 

Speaking with one voice amid the usual backdrop of noise and controversy

Football in Portugal is fiercely tribal, especially when it comes to the enmity felt between Porto and their two major rivals from the capital. This season the war of words was as belligerent as ever, with heated accusations of favouritism in relation to the officiating often verging on outright allegations of corruption. However much “evidence” any club puts forward backing up these claims, they can easily be rebutted with similar “proof” to the contrary of incorrect refereeing.

What is important in this parallel sport is not winning arguments that can never be won. It is showing a united front. And Farioli, AVB and captain Jan Bednarek spoke in perfect unison, the same messaging coming out in all circumstances and on all platforms. Whether they believe in conspiracy theories or not is not important. Speaking with a united voice is. 

Diogo Costa – the human wall

Another season, another magnificent campaign by Porto and Portugal’s No1. Porto rarely blew away opponents and won a lot of games by a single-goal margin, heightening the crucial nature of many of Diogo Costa’s contributions, be it miraculous saves or vital sweeper-keeper interceptions. He was also the first line of construction of Porto’s attacking play thanks to his exceptionally accurate passing, long or short. 

Rock solid defence

Just because it’s a cliché does not make it any less true: “Attacks win matches, defences win championships.” Porto have conceded a miserly 15 goals in 32 Liga Portugal matches this season. In the first half of the season especially, as soon as the Blue and Whites took a lead, it was virtually game over, so difficult was it to breach the Porto back line. This despite several injuries meaning the back four was far from stable, although the outstanding Diogo Costa and Jan Bednarek were two constants all season long. 

The spirit of Jorge Costa fuels an emotional push to the title

The sudden and untimely death of former Porto captain Jorge Costa sparked an ocean of tributes, not only from football personalities associated with the northern club but from the Portuguese football community as a whole.

Back working at the club to whom he gave such extraordinary service, Costa was hugely respected and revered by all the current staff, even those who had a relatively short acquaintance with him.

Francesco Farioli frequently alluded to the need to bring the Portuguese title back to Porto as the only fitting tribute for the legendary No2. His passing undoubtedly helped forge an emotional bond among the entire group as they strived to reach their main goal – becoming champions of Portugal once again.

At half time there appeared only one winner of this match. Benfica were good value for their two-goal lead constructed early on through strikes by man-of-the-match Andreas Schjelderup, from the penalty spot, and Richard Ríos.

In an opening 45 minutes completely dominated by the visitors, Franjo Ivanovic also had a goal ruled out for offside. Another effort by the lively Serbian was cleared off the line by Justin de Haas, and Ivanovic – preferred over the usual starting striker Pavlidis – again came desperately close to scoring on the stroke of half time but his shot whistled inches past the post. 

Benfica were also denied what looked like a clear penalty for a handball in the box by Rodrigo Pinheiro, when leading 2-0. At the time the controversial decision seemed to have little importance. 

Otamendi sees red

The game turned on a red card shown to Benfica captain Nicolás Otamendi in the 55th minute for a violent foul on Mathias de Amorim. Moments later Famalicão captain Gustavo Sá missed a header from point-blank range when it seemed easier to score.

The hosts were now well on top and a fine goal by Portugal U21 midfielder Mathias de Amorim further energised the home supporters.

It was no surprise when substitute Umar Abubakar levelled the scores in the 78th minute.

With plenty of injury time on the cards after a long stoppage as one of the officials had to be replaced due to injury, Famalicão sensed victory and a chance to boost their chances of finishing fifth to earn a slot in the UEFA Conference League was there for the taking.

Rodrigo Pinheiro was nearly the hero for Fama when his spectacular long-range effort crashed off the underside of the bar, but Benfica held on for the draw.

Mourinho lashes out at officiating

José Mourinho expressed his fury at what he perceived as erroneous officiating in the flash interview. “This game is a good reflection of what has happened in this championship,” said the visibly irritated manager.

“I want to give my congratulations to FC Porto. They are just champions. I want to give congratulations to my players for the bravery this showed up until today. And especially today.

“We will give everything we’ve got to achieve a miracle of finishing in second place ahead of Sporting. We will try to make this miracle happen.”

Consequences

The draw means FC Porto will be crowned champions of Portugal tonight provided they do not lose their home match against Alverca.

Benfica move three points ahead of Sporting. The Lions have a game in hand, against Vitória on Monday, but José Mourinho’s team have the head-to-head advantage over their Lisbon rivals so still depend only on themselves to finish second.

In the race for the last European berth, Famalicão are three points clear of Gil Vicente but have played a game more with Gil holding the head-to-head advantage.

Famalicão 2-2 Benfica highlights

Braga got on top early at the Quarry, Pau Victor latching onto Rodrigo Zalazar’s pass and firing wide. The Warriors took the lead in the 8th minute.

Jordy Makengo cleared Zalazar’s deep cross straight to Víctor Gómez who sent the ball back into the box, Demir Ege Tiknaz reacting first and steering it into the bottom corner.

Freiburg got into the game, their first chance falling for Johan Manzambi who missed the top corner. The German side took advantage of a defensive blunder to equalise in the 16th minute.

Paulo Oliveira collided into Gustaf Lagerbielke and Vitor Carvalho was too slow to react, Igor Matanovic getting to the ball first and sending Jan-Niklas Beste clear. The winger burst into the box and squared to an unmarked Vincenzo Grifo who slotted the ball past Lukas Hornicek.

Ricardo Horta picked up an injury and briefly remained on the pitch before being replaced by Mario Dorgeles. Braga overcame the loss of their captain and got back on top.

A free flowing move ended in Dorgeles missing the target before João Moutinho’s grass cutter was collected by Noah Atubolu. The hosts persisted and were awarded a penalty in added time.

It came from a corner, Philipp Lienhart wrestling Gustaf Lagerbielke to the ground which resulted in the VAR summoning referee Anthony Taylor to the touchline. He eventually pointed to the spot where Zalazar stepped up and was denied by Noah Atubolu who made a great save.

Zalazar was heavily involved at the start of the second half, Freiburg threatening down the left wing through Jordy Makengo and Johan Manzambi. Matanovic headed a corner wide and Max Eggestein tested Hornicek.

Zalazar ran out of gas and made way for Fran Navarro. Julian Schuster went to his bench for the first time in the 81st minute, bringing on Derry Scherhant and Lucas Holer for Yuito Suzuki and Vincenzo Grifo.

The contest swing back into Braga’s favour and they took advantage in added time.

João Moutinho’s pass over the top released Gómez, his cross picking out Carvalho who shot straight at Atubolu. The goalkeeper didn’t do enough to clear the danger, the ball sitting up perfectly for Dorgeles who pounced and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.

Huge win

Braga got off to a fast start at the Quarry before bad luck threatened to ruin their evening. Freiburg were gifted the equaliser before Ricardo Horta went off injured and Rodrigo Zalazar’s penalty was saved.

The second half was a war of attrition until a moment of magic from João Moutinho who instigated a dramatic winner.

The Warriors travel to the Black Forest with a narrow advantage that could prove crucial as they attempt to reach their second Europa League final.

Carlos Vicens will be desperate to get some reinforcements back following Horta’s injury. Bright Arrey-Mbi, Florian Grillitsch and Gabri Martínez could return for the crucial clash.

(Photos: Diogo Cardoso/Getty Images)

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Vicens spoke after the victory: "The support from the fans was noticeable, they were motivated. The entire second half of this tie is still to come, 90 minutes of football in Germany next week. Freiburg will want to turn this around, and we have to be prepared.

"We have to keep fighting to prevail, to impose our game, and try to play a great match to reach the final. The advantage we have is minimal, but the team wants to be in the final and fought to be in the final.

"They fought against adversity, conceding a goal which was bad luck, Horta's injury, missing a penalty. There are many aspects that were important, especially the team having an exceptional mentality, facing the game, the adversities, without ever ceasing to believe and to persevere. We were a team, it all came down to that, for the performance we delivered. These are players who never stop persevering, who never stop fighting for victory."

Lineups

Braga (3-5-2) Lukas Hornicek; Gustaf Lagerbielke, Paulo Oliveira, Vitor Carvalho; Víctor Gómez, Demir Ege Tiknaz, João Moutinho, Gorby Baptiste, Rodrigo Zalazar (Fran Navarro 72’); Ricardo Horta (Mario Dorgeles 26’), Pau Victor

Unused substitutes: Tiago Sá, Alaa Bellaarouch, Jónatas Noro, Leonardo Lelo, Afonso Sousa, Yanis da Rocha, Luisinho, Rodrigo Silva, João Vasconcelos, Amine El Ouazzani

Coach: Carlos Vicens

Freiburg (4-2-3-1) Noah Atubolu; Philipp Treu, Matthias Ginter, Philipp Lienhart, Jordy Makengo; Max Eggestein, Johan Manzambi; Jan-Niklas Beste, Yuito Suzuki (Lucas Holer 81’), Vincenzo Grifo (Derry Scherhant 81’); Igor Matanovic

Unused substitutes: Florian Muller, Jannik Huth, Lukas Kubler , Anthony Jung, Christian Günter, Bruno Ogbus, Nicolas Hofler, Rouven Tarnutzer, Cyriaque Irié, Maximilian Philipp

Coach: Julian Schuster

Goals:

[1-0] Demir Ege Tiknaz 8'
[1-1] Vincenzo Grifo 16’
[2-1] Mario Dorgeles 90+1’

An incredible end to tonight’s Liga Portugal match at Alvalade saw Tondela score two injury time goals to snatch a draw against Sporting.

The Lions dominated the match but had to wait more than an hour to take the lead, largely thanks to another impressive display by Tondela goalkeeper Bernardo Fontes.

The Brazilian could do nothing however when Luis Suárez showed his predatory instincts by smartly turning in substitute Salvador Blopa’s cross on 62 minutes. And when João Silva deflected Geny Catamo’s shot into his own net to double Sporting’s lead it appeared game over.

Late drama

Tondela were seemingly given a lifeline in stoppage time when they won a penalty but Rui Silva saved Makan Aïko’s spot kick.

But from the resulting corner Blopa scored the second own goal of the match to make it 2-1 with a couple of minutes of stoppage time still remaining.

Incredibly, it was time enough for Cícero to power home a header from a corner to take a share of the spoils and keep Tondela’s hopes of avoiding the drop alive.

Gonçalo Feio’s side face a crunch match at Casa Pia on Sunday, where victory will give them real hope of at least avoiding automatic relegation and fighting for the promotion/relegation playoff spot.

Sporting have dropped four points against the bottom two clubs in Liga Portugal in the last four days, which will likely condemn them to a third-place finish in the standings.

Sporting 2-2 Tondela highlights

For the second season running Sporting drew in Vila das Aves. Rafael Nel gave the Lisbon outfit the lead at the start of the second half, but Pedro Lima equalised from the spot for AFS and that was how it ended.

Last year’s draw put a dent in Sporting’s title charge but ultimately did not make the difference as the Lions lifted their second successive championship. Tonight’s 1-1 draw could be more costly. As well as virtually ending Sporting’s slim hopes of catching Porto at the top of the table, the two dropped points mean Rui Borges’ men no longer depend on themselves to finish in second place, with city rivals Benfica now in the box seat to capture the last Champions League slot.

AFS were officially relegated last week, but tonight’s result shows João Henriques side have not thrown in the towel on 2025/26.

***

Both teams with patched up lineups

Injuries, the fixture pile-up and tiredness saw Borges make wholesale changes to Sporting’s lineup, with six different starters compared to their match in Porto on Wednesday.

AFS were also badly affected by injuries and suspensions with star players Kiki Afonso and Tomané among those missing.

Sporting started strongly, swamping the home defence in the opening 15 minutes and creating several chances to open the scoring, the best of which fell to Zeno Debast and Pedro Gonçalves whose shots were superbly saved by AFS’s Brazilian goalkeeper Adriel Ramos.

Having weathered the early storm AFS managed to stem Sporting’s attacking impetus. The referee was summoned to the pitch-side monitor on the stroke of half time for a possible foul on Rafael Nel by Devenish, but the official decided against a spot kick.

Youngster Nel hits the net

As in the first half, Sporting started the second half strongly, and took the lead in the 47th minute when Greek defender Georgios Vagiannidis burst forward and crossed for Nel to poke home from point-blank range.

The Lions almost doubled their lead soon afterwards as Pote steered a shot from the top of the box out of Adriel’s reach but it crashed back into play off the crossbar.

The Brazilian goalkeeper was in sparkling form, two more fantastic saves denying Hidemasa Morita and Giorgi Kochorashvili in quick succession.

Out of the blue, AFS were handed a golden opportunity to draw level when the referee was again summoned to check on a possible Morita handball in the box. This time the referee agreed with the VAR team and Pedro Lima made no mistake, converting the resulting penalty. 66 minutes on the clock and a 1-1 scoreline.

Chaotically open end to match

A draw was no good for Sporting who committed plenty of men forward, the game opening up with chances appearing at both ends.

On 75 minutes Diego Duarte swivelled and shot, forcing Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva into a sharp save.

Sporting were desperately unlucky not to retake the lead in the 82nd minute as substitute Maxi Araújo forced Adriel into another impressive save, the ball eventually falling to Geny Catamo who smacked a shot against the post.

There was still time for more drama in stoppage time as first a swift breakaway from AFS resulted in Óscar Perea bursting clean through, but his shot hit the post.

Man-of-the-match Adriel has the last laugh

Play immediately switched to the other end and it needed yet another impressive save by AFS’s overworked goalkeeper Adriel to deny Luis Suárez from scoring a last-gasp winner for Sporting.

AFS 1-1 Sporting highlights

Deniz Gül scored twice at Estadio José Gomes where Porto beat Estrela da Amadora 2-1 to get another step closer to the Liga Portugal title.

The hosts began with plenty of aggression, but it was Porto who threatened to score and took an early lead from the penalty spot.

Oskar Pietuszewski went past Stefan Lekovic and Max Scholze before being brought down by Kevin Höög Jansson. Deniz Gül took responsibility and sent the ball straight down the middle.

The Turkish striker scored again in the 37th minute, getting onto the end of Alberto Costa’ cross at the back post and heading past David Grilo.

Amadora got into the contest on the hour mark, Abraham Marcus getting away from Jakub Kiwior and shaving the outside of the post. Ianis Stoica then hit the post to provide Marcus with a glorious opportunity, the Nigerian hitting the same post when it looked easier to score.

William Gomes hit the bar at the other end before Rodrigo Mora came off the bench and fired over the bar.

Marcus wasn’t done however and demanded the spotlight. He latched onto Bruno Langa’s deep cross, once again appearing certain to score but unable to connect cleanly and denied by Diogo Costa.

Amadora wouldn’t go away and got a goal back in the 79th minute. Langa won a free kick that Sydney van Hooijdonk whipped into the box, Jovane Cabral producing a deft header to steer the ball past Costa.

There would be one last chance for a dramatic equaliser, Van Hooijdonk heading Langa’s cross straight at Costa.

With three matches to play, the victory takes Porto seven points above Benfica and 11 clear of Sporting CP who have two games in hand.

Estrela da Amadora 1-2 Porto highlights

SL Benfica 4-1 Moreirense 

 SL Benfica put on a professional display at the Estádio da Luz with a brace from Franjo Ivanović guiding the Lisbon club to a comfortable 4-1 victory over Moreirense F.C. on Saturday evening. The verdes e brancos had their moments, and if they could have been a bit more clinical on the evening, may have been able to steal something from this affair. In the end, José Mourinho’s men were too strong, overpowering Moreirense with an efficient, businesslike display that saw them score four goals on the night.

Benfica solidify second-place position, hold four-point lead over Sporting

Despite their thrilling last-minute victory over Sporting in the previous round of matches, Benfica remained seven points adrift of league leaders FC Porto going into this contest. While mathematically, the Eagles remain in the hunt for their 39th Primeira Liga, it would take a bold man to bet against Porto conquering the championship this season. The Dragons, who added some stellar signings over the summer, have been effective from the opening round, and Mourinho’s appointment, while effective, may have come too late for a Benfica team that has dropped points at critical stages.

Still, there was plenty to play for in this tie, with the second-place side coming out of Portugal earning a spot in the Champions League. Benfica had the chance to gain a healthy four-point lead over city rivals Sporting, and didn’t waste the opportunity. Their win on Saturday puts all the pressure on the Lions, who will look to climb back towards the top beginning with their game against AVS on Sunday.

Leandro Barreiro gets Benfica off to quick start

It didn’t take long for Benfica to get going, just two minutes in fact. Following a driving run from António Silva into the box, the defender was able to cut the ball back into the box. His pass dropped to Leandro Barreiro, who kept his composure to tap home from close range.

The chants of “Força Benfica,” which had rung around the stadium leading up to the match, grew even louder, and the crowd seemed confident this was three points Benfica would not let slip.

Moreirense level in the 26th minute

But Moreirense responded a few minutes later. A well-worked corner ended with Kiko Bondoso rocketing a shot that was pushed away. The resulting corner led to a golden opportunity for defender Gilberto Batista, whose header from inside the 6-yard box was somehow brushed aside by Trubin. The keeper was forced into action again seconds later when Alan shot on goal before the danger was finally cleared.

In the 17th minute, it was Dodi Lukebakio, who produced a brilliant piece of skill, gliding through two defenders down the right wing before curling his effort just wide. A reminder as to why Mourinho rates the 28-year-old Belgian winger so highly.

Moreirense were rewarded for their persistence in the 26th minute. The goal came in a highly unusual fashion, with keeper André Ferreira recording the assist. The stopper recovered the ball in his box and was quick to spot the opportunity to counter. With Diogo Travassos high up the pitch, Ferreira launched a lopping ball into the Benfica half. Samuel Dahl seemed to be in line with the Moreirense player as they tracked down the long ball, but when the Swedish defender stumbled to the ground, Travassos was left staring down Trubin. The Sporting loanee composed himself and coolly placed the ball into the bottom left side of the goal. A smart finish to level the match.

Ríos takes advantage of poor defending

Minutes later, it was an error on the other end of the pitch that saw Richard Ríos take advantage. After some sloppy defending, the Colombian gathered the ball at the edge of the penalty box and powered home with his right foot to record his sixth goal of the campaign. It was a shot Ferreira will be kicking himself for letting through. Although hit with power, the shot was straight at him and one he would have expected to save.

Just before the half, there was a late shout for a penalty when Otamendi was barged to the ground, but the referee deemed there was not enough contact to warrant a spot kick.

Mourinho turns to substitutes 

Benfica returned to the pitch knowing they needed to be better if they hoped to take maximum points for this fixture. Moreirense had shown poise, resilience, and tremendous effort to keep this game within touching distance. The visitors brought on former Tottenham academy prospect, Nile John, tasking the 23-year-old midfielder with a defensive role just in front of the back four.

In the 58th minute, a triple substitution from Mourinho as he looked to jumpstart his side following a lacklustre start to the second half. Amar Dedić, Andreas Schjelderup and Gianluca Prestianni were all brought on.

There were few chances for either team over the next 15 minutes. Moreirense did well to frustrate the home side, and despite some vocal encouragement from the supporters that made it out, Benfica were unable to unlock their opponents. Perhaps the best chance during that period fell to Dedić in the 74th minute. The full-back’s header looped over the keeper but bounced off the crossbar for a goal kick.

Pavlidis, Benfica’s leading goalscorer who has recorded 29 goals in all competitions this season, was almost non-existent in this one. The striker was left to rue another disappointing outing. In the 75th minute, Mourinho seemed to lose patience with the Greek striker, opting to bring on Franjo Ivanović in his place.

Ivanović adds finishing touches to secure 3 points

Ivanović repaid the boss in the perfect way, with a late goal to ensure all three points. With Moreirense pushing up the pitch, there were plenty of gaps in the back. When Maracás gave the ball away in the middle of the park, Benfica rushed the ball forward with Ivanović finding himself one-on-one with Maracás. The forward shifted his weight to move the ball onto his right foot and hammered home a perfectly placed shot across the goal into the bottom right corner.

A moment later, he had his second of the night. The buildup came from Prestianni and Dedić down the right side, with the latter providing a low cross. Ivanović was once again at the right place at the right time, tapping home from inside the 6-yard box to make it four. A final exclamation point from the Eagles, and a goal that confirmed a healthy four-point cushion in the table over their rivals Sporting.

Mourinho’s Benfica remain undefeated in the league

Benfica’s invincible dream remains alive and well. They have now won 22 and drawn 9 of their 31 matches so far. The Lisbon club may be stuck in second in the table, but finishing the entire season without losing a game would be a noteworthy achievement, and one that would surely make headlines across Europe. 

Mourinho’s future remains in doubt with the legendary manager rumoured to be linked with Real Madrid, Newcastle, and even the Portuguese national team job. If there is any hope of the manager returning to Benfica, a spot in the CL may be a fine incentive to convince the 62-year-old to stick around for another go at it.

Benfica 4-1 Moreirense highlights

Lineups: 

Benfica: Anatoliy Trubin, Alexander Bah (Amar Dedić, 58’), António Silva, Nicolás Otamendi, Samuel Dahl, Richard Ríos (Manu Silva, 90’), Leandro Barreiro, Fredrik Aursnes, Dodi Lukebakio (Gianluca Prestianni, 58’), Rafa Silva (Andreas Schjelderup, 58’), Vangelis Pavlidis (Franjo Ivanović, 75’)

Moreirense: André Ferreira, Fabiano Souza, Maracás, Gilberto Batista, Diogo Travassos, Mateja Stjepanović (Luís Hemir, 79’), Afonso Assis (Nile John, 46’), Rodrigo Alonso, Kiko Bondoso, Landerson, Alan (Yan Lincon, 79’)

Goals:

[1-0] Leandro Barreiro, 2’

[1-1] Diogo Travassos, 26’

[2-1]  Richard Ríos 29’

[3-1] Franjo Ivanovic, 89’

[4-1] Franjo Ivanović, 90’

As we approach Gameweek 31 in Liga Portugal, you would be forgiven for looking at Gameweek 30 as a distant memory after the Taça de Portugal semi-final fixtures – so let’s see if any of these events jog your memory.

Post-injury Gustavo Silva seems to be picking up where he left off with a beautiful finish as Vitória SC scraped by Gil Vicente.

Fellow European football contenders Famalicão squandered a 1-2 lead as the inevitable Ricardo Horta cemented a Minho stalemate in the 99th minute.

Despite Tomané’s best efforts, AFS drew 2-2 with Rio Ave confirming their relegation to Liga Portugal 2.

Rafa Silva rolled back the years, effectively killing Sporting’s hopes of securing a third consecutive league title in a fierce Dérbi de Lisboa.

And of course, Chuchu Ramírez scored again for Nacional.

Nacional currently sit two points above the dreaded relegation play-off zone – survival would be largely attributed to their Venezuelan talisman who has scored 15 of their 32 league goals.

PortuGOAL are aboard the Chuchu train as Ramirez becomes the latest Figure of the Week. Kevin Fernandes reports.

***

The Venezuela-Madeira connection

Born in Tovar of the Mérida state in Venezuela, Jesús Andrés Ramírez Díaz is a 27-year-old journeyman who finally found his home in the mountains of Madeira.

The Madeira and Venezuela connection is far from uncommon – between 2016 and 2019 alone, 12 thousand Venezuelans decided to permanently call the archipelago their home – there are more Venezuelans in Madeira than English, Spanish and Brazilians.

Storms make trees take deeper roots

Having come through the ranks at local side Estudiantes de Mérida, where he made his professional debut in 2016, Jesús also played between Mexico and Chile for four different clubs.

Before reaching Nacional, Chuchu’s most productive season came for Mexican second division side Atlético Morelia, where he contributed with 11 goals in 40 appearances in their unsuccessful bid for promotion. Before that? Eight goals as a senior footballer across multiple seasons, although this may have an explanation – more on that later.

Even at Madeiran rivals Marítimo, Chuchu had very little success – showing signs of quality, including a goal against Estrela da Amadora which had kept their hopes of survival alive in a relegation play-off. The problem? That was one of only two goals in 26 appearances, the norm as a low-key poacher who was more familiar with the drought than the rain.

After 23 goal contributions in 39 appearances, helping Nacional to secure promotion back to the promised land of top-flight Portuguese football, Chucho could not refuse European football with Vitória SC.

However, no Madeira, no party seems to be the theme of Chuchu’s career – 7 goal contributions in 40 appearances as a bit-part player in Guimarães, which disappointed Nacional’s president Rui Alves at the time.

After Mérida, Madeira is home

“We actually had a mandatory buy-back clause. The problem isn’t that Vitória want the player; the problem is that the player wants Vitória. From the moment Vitória enter the ‘bidding war’, they obviously have other financial means, as well as a certain standing, and will put other figures on the table.

“All it takes is his agent ‘doing some good mental work’ with the player, regardless of whether he likes Nacional and Nacional’s coach.”

The reconciliation was clearly worth the hurt, as Chuchu only needs 4 goals in 9 matches to match his Liga Portugal 2 tally. Only Luis Suárez, Vangelis Pavlidis, Yanis Begraoui and Rodrigo Zalazar have scored more league goals than Chuchu, with Ramírez scoring a higher percentage of goals for his club and having direct influence in 26 of Nacional’s 28 points.

Nacional depend on their talisman more than any other Liga Portugal side, while Chuchu clearly depends on Nacional for the success of his career.

The best of both worlds?

‘Ele marca da cabeça aos pés…’ 🎶 𝗝𝗘𝗦𝗨𝗦 𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗭 🥳 e já o fez três vezes nos últimos quatro jogos! ✨

Vai seguir para o ‘hat-trick’ na próxima jornada?

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— Liga Portugal (@ligaportugal) October 1, 2025

“He scores from head to toe”

Chuchu has an impressive goal catalogue for Nacional, from set-pieces to headers to incredibly composed strikes.

No player has lost more aerial duels than Chuchu, however, only one player has won more, and disputed more – Nacional’s first port of call when escaping pressure, exploding forward, and looking to make the difference in the final third.

This impressive duelling ability and combative style has an explanation - the 6'2" forward has experience as a more defensive midfielder in his formative years – perhaps even justifying his unremarkable record in previous years as his goalscoring instinct was still being honed.

Regardless, Chuchu is the dream for a side of lesser conditions and ambitions, happy to spend the majority of matches fighting and maximising every duel and loose ball, capable of supplying simple lay-offs to more creative counterparts, even carrying the ball forward as a one-man destruction team, and he does it all in relatively dominant fashion.

New horizons?

However, FC Porto may come knocking: “Clearly, Porto would be a good club for me. I have a dream of playing for a big club, but I’m staying calm; I have my family, I have two sons and now I’m going to have a new daughter, and I want the best for them too,” Chuchu told Portuguese publication Record.

With another year on his contract, Nacional will certainly look to charge a substantial fee with makes a significant difference to the reality of most Portuguese clubs.

Only two questions are left to be answered for Chuchu: Will PortuGOAL’s latest Figure of the Week remain in the first division? If so, will he stay in Madeira or move to the north of the mainland next season?

Torreense 2-0 Fafe (aggregate 3-1)

It’s going to be some party in Torres Vedras, the town located in the west region of Portugal, tonight.

After a tense and hard-fought Portuguese Cup semi-final second leg, two late goals propelled the Liga 2 outfit into the final of the competition, matching a feat achieved once before in the club’s history, in 1956, when they lost the final to FC Porto.

It would be a fantastic story whoever made it to Jamor, given that Torreense’s opponents were third-tier Fafe, whose own incredible cup run had seen them knock out the Primeira Liga trio of Moreirense, Arouca and Braga in previous rounds.

And the visitors were not about to pass up the chance of making it to Jamor without a fight, matching their higher ranked opponents in a feisty first half in which chances were almost non-existent.

After the break the hosts, who are right in the mix for promotion to the top flight, stepped up a gear and started to dominate the match.

Nevertheless, neither team were able to carve out clear chances and with time running out, extra time looked inevitable.

Late goals trigger ecstasy in the stands  

In the 84th minute a bad mistake by Fafe goalkeeper Tiago Martins presented Kévin Zohi with a golden opportunity to score, but two retreating defenders just managed to hack the ball off the line as it was about to drop into the net.

The danger was not over though, and when the ball was recycled into the box, right-back David Bruno’s well struck shot was too hot for Martins to keep out. 1-0 to Torreense and the majority of the capacity crowd went wild.

To their immense credit, Fafe refused to give up, finding a second wind and applying heavy pressure on Torreense, and the visitors were further buoyed when the electronic board held up showed the referee had awarded 10 minutes of stoppage time.

Fafe’s resistance was finally broken in the final minute as a counter-attack led to a clear penalty for Leandro Teixeira’s foul on Drammeh.

Captain Stopira stepped up, the 37-year-old club captain dispatching the spot kick into the corner of the net to seal the win.

Torreense will be at Jamor on 24 May to try and prevent Sporting from retaining their Portuguese Cup crown.

Torreense 2-0 Fafe highlights

Braga are a step closer to finishing fourth in Liga Portugal following a 1-0 victory over Casa Pia.

The Warriors bossed the ball in Rio Maior but neither goalkeeper was seriously tested. The breakthrough came in the 37th minute.

Ricardo Horta’s corner was headed back into the danger area by Demir Tiknaz, Pau Victor doing well to send a looping header over Patrick Sequeira who was caught out.

Casa Pia’s first shot came in added time, Gaizka Larrazabal getting the ball to Clau Mendes who couldn't connect cleanly. The hosts ended the first half with 25% possession.

Álvaro Pacheco’s side improved in the second half and went close to equalising in the 70th minute. Larrazabal unleashed a left footed volley that forced a fine save from Lukas Hornicek.

Rafael Brito provided Pedro Rosas with a chance but he couldn’t steer it on target, the Geese defeated at home for the first time under Pacheco.

Casa Pia remain in the relegation play-off position, five points above Tondela and narrowly behind Estrela da Amadora, Nacional and Santa Clara.

It wasn’t pretty but Braga did enough to take all three points. The sooner they secure fourth spot, the more focus can be placed on Freiburg in the Europa League semi-finals.

Gabri Martinez was carried off the pitch in the second half but Rodrigo Zalazar came off the bench, his first appearance in just over a month.

Casa Pia 0-1 Braga highlights

Sporting Clube de Portugal are into the 2026 Portuguese Cup final after earning a 0-0 hard fought draw in Porto. The point was enough to get through after a 1-0 first leg win in Lisboa.

William Gomes was heavily involved at Estádio do Dragão, the winger fortunate to avoid an early booking for a late challenge on Maxi Araújo.

The winger then got to the ball ahead of Gonçalo Inácio on the edge of the box, both players going down but no foul or card forthcoming. Francesco Farioli was booked for arguing with referee Miguel Nogueira.

Inácio was unable to continue and replaced by Zeno Debast. Geny Catamo was causing Porto’s defence plenty of problems down the right wing, his cross narrowly evading Geovany Quenda before an effort that was cleared by Jan Bednarek.

Hjulmand was booked for taking out Oskar Pietuszewski as the contest increasingly became slowed down by fouls and free kicks.

Porto went close on the stroke of half-time when Pietuszewski played a 1-2 with Gabri Veiga and teeed up the Spaniard who shot straight into Debast who had gone to ground. Lucho González was not as diplomatic as Farioli, the assistant manager sent off as the Dragons’ frustrations continued.

Pablo Rosario fired over the bar in added time and Morten Hjulmand lasted six minutes into the second half before he was forced off injured and replaced by Daniel Bragança. Thiago Silva then made way for Alan Varela which saw Rosario move into central defence.

Porto piled on the pressure with Victor Froholdt firing at Rui Silva. Ousmane Diomande and Hidemasa Morita produced vital blocks as Sporting held firm.

Farioli brought on Rodrigo Mora, Pepê and Terem Moffi for Veiga, Pietuszewski and Deniz Gül. Ricardo Mangas, Pote and Luís Guilherme came on for Araújo, Trincão and Quenda before Alberto Costa made way for Seko Fofana.

Varela was given a yellow card for an ankle breaker on Luis Suárez, the midfielder eventually shown a straight red following a VAR intervention.

Sporting had a great chance to end the contest in added time when Suárez released Guilherme, the Brazilian unable to beat Diogo Costa who kept the tie alive. Porto would get one final chance.

Moffi headed Pepê’s corner at Silva who made a fine save, Rosario set to pounce before Morita made a crucial clearance. The ball sat up for Froholt who got ahead of Eduardo Quaresma and headed a glorious opportunity over the bar.

Rui Borges’ side now have a great chance to claim the consolation prize in Jamor after falling out of contention in the Liga, Sporting to face Torreense or Fafe in the Portuguese Cup final on Sunday 24 May.

Reaction

Francesco Farioli didn’t have much praise for Sporting or the officials: "I’m proud of our performance. I think it was clear who played today and what the others did. We deserved the goal we didn’t get. We dominated at all times and they came here not to lose. We crushed the opponent on the pitch. FC Porto are back.

“We tried everything, and the last play of the game says a lot. It wasn’t enough. Some images were clear, and the story has been the same since the beginning of the season. I barely have the energy to comment on what has been happening. 

“I didn’t see a better team than us, either here in the Cup or in the Europa League. We have to accept the result, although I think we deserved more. We have to finish the job in the League and that has to be the mentality. Today we played with the spirit of the Dragon. Our fans also celebrated Sporting’s return from the locker room, which in this game took 22 minutes to happen.”

Rui Borges had a different perspective: “We wanted to win the game. We knew we were going to break down a bit, that’s natural. We were clearly better in the first half, FC Porto were better in the second half. We lost energy. It was another great demonstration of spirit from this group.

“Only a great team could win this game. They’ve been giving their all, they’ve played some beautiful games. We were going to have to fight and be very united. We had a lot of quality in possession, we were calm, and showed our football most of the time.

“In the second half our game broke up. It wouldn’t have been possible to do much more, it’s clear that the team was tired. We had to manage the misfortunes, with Inácio’s sprain and Morten’s sprain.”

Porto 0-0 Sporting CP highlights

Porto’s procession towards the Liga Portugal title continued at Estádio do Dragão where they registered a comprehensive 2-0 victory against Tondela.

Francesco Farioli’s side piled on the pressure from the opening whistle, Alan Varela forcing a save from Bernardo Fontes before a penalty decision was overturned.

Deniz Gül had two chances as Tondela continued to live on borrowed time. Porto were awarded a penalty when Rodrigo Mora's shot was handled by Joe Hodge, referee Cláudio Pereira requiring some VAR assistance before pointing to the spot.

Alan Varela assumed responsibility but Fontes dived the right way and turned the ball wide. The goalkeeper was called into action again before the break, making a fantastic save to deny Oskar Pietuszewski.

Farioli made two substitutions at half-time, Pablo Rosario and Gabri Veiga coming on for Jakub Kiwior and Rodrigo Mora. The manager struck gold with both substitutes playing a role in the opening goal three minutes after the restart.

Rosario's pass found a way to Gül who did well to spin and get the ball to Veiga, the midfielder taking advantage of open space to sweep the ball home.

Froholdt fired wide but would put the result beyond doubt in the 65th minute. He picked up the ball after Gül’s challenge, the midfielder driving into the box and finishing from a tight angle,.

Fontes denied Froholdt and Alberto Costa before Diogo Costa was called into action for the first time, making a comfortable save from Rodrigo Conceiçao’s tame effort.

Jan Bednarek headed a corner wide before Veiga pounced on a loose touch from Brayan Medina in added time, he looked certain to score before being denied by Fontes who came off his line.

Finish line in sight

The result was never in doubt against an outmatched Tondela side set for relgation. The Dragons ended with 22-5 shots and 2.95-0.12 xG, making it 16 straight wina against the promoted club.

The victory came hours after Benfica beat Sporting Clube de Portugal 2-1 at Estádio José Alvalade. Porto are now seven points clear of the Eagles and eight in front of Sporting who have a game in hand.

With home games against Alverca and Santa Clara alongside trips to Estrela da Amadora and AVS to come, it’s surely an impossibility the Dragons could let the title slip from here.

Farioli is not taking anything for granted with Porto still to face Sporting in the Taça de Portugal semi-final second leg: "In reality, it's just three more points and one game less, nothing more than that.

"Our focus has to shift to the Portuguese Cup, especially since I'll be looking at the derby as a way to best prepare for the second leg of the semi-finals. Everything has to be the same; we know where the finish line is, and there are many steps to get there.

"We have to maintain the same approach, with maximum concentration and focus. There are no easy games."

Porto 2-0 Tondela highlights

Sporting 1-2 Benfica

The buildup and excitement were warranted for this highly anticipated Lisbon derby that promised so much. Both sides have had strong campaigns, putting together deep runs in the European Champions League and still had hopes of fighting for the coveted Primeira Liga title. One thing was certain going into Sunday’s battle at the Alvalade — a draw would suit neither side.

As the game sailed towards a 1-1 draw that would have done little for either club, it was a Benfica veteran that emerged with a crucial goal in the final minutes. Rafa Silva’s goal will go a long way towards taking the pressure off José Mourinho and giving the Benfiquistas hope going into the final stage of the season, at least of securing second place and the chance of Champions League football next season.

It was hard to separate these two sides over the 90 minutes in a match that could’ve fallen either way. After Luis Suárez missed a penalty early on, Andreas Schjelderup converted his opportunity from the spot to give Benfica the early advantage. The Eagles were organised defensively and held on to their lead well into the second half before Hidemasa Morita connected with Zeno Debast’s pinpoint cross to head in an equaliser in the 72nd minute.

Both sides had their chances to snatch the three points, but it was the experienced Rafa who would have the last laugh, converting a close-range effort to stun the Sporting supporters late into added time. 

The result places Benfica within four points of leaders FC Porto ahead of their match later tonight at home to Tondela, but the momentum now seems firmly with the Northern Portuguese club as we approach the business end of the season. Sporting’s chances of a third consecutive league title were all but quashed today. Unless the Dragons slip up badly, the main battle will be between Rui Borges’ team and Benfica for the runners-up spot. 

Early chances for Catamo and Ríos

The first chance of the match fell to Geny Catamo in the 5th minute with the Mozambican winger turning to face the goal and angling a low shot that was clumsily fumbled by Trubin. The ball seemed destined for the back of the net, but somehow bounced off the crossbar for a corner.

Richard Ríos responded shortly after with a left-footed rocket that was deflected out in the 8th minute. The resulting corner was curled in by Fredrik Aursnes, and if not for a fine save from Silva, who was quick to latch on to Rios’ header, it could’ve easily been 1-0 to the visiting side.

Referee awards two penalties within 10 minutes

Aside from the early exchanges, this edition of the derby remained relatively calm. That was until a decisive moment involving the officials. Trincão, a former Barcelona phenom and one of Sporting’s top performers this season, was balancing the ball in the box before he was clipped by Aursnes in the box, a miscued attempt at the ball from the Scandinavian who appeared to stomp on the Portuguese star’s foot. At first glance, play resumed, and it seemed to have gone unnoticed. Within a minute, however, the referee paused the match to walk over to the VAR screen and, after a brief review, deemed that it was indeed a penalty.

Instead of smashing it home, Suarez chose to open his right foot in an attempt to place the ball into the right corner of the goal. Trubin guessed correctly and was able to palm the ball away in what would turn out to be a pivotal moment. 

The penalty seemed to revive the spectators, and the Benfica players as well. Benfica sprang to life with some hard tacks and daring runs down the pitch.

A few moments later, another controversial penalty decision that would divide the supporters, this time the ruling fell in favour of Benfica. There was no question that the ball hit Morita’s dangling hand. Whether it was intentional or not, the referee was left with little option but to award the penalty.

With no Pavlidis in the lineup, it was the young Norwegian who stepped. Schjelderup, unlike his counterpart Suarez, made no mistake, lashing a low shot into the left side of the goal as Rui Silva could only watch.

A series of hard tackles followed, with Hjulmand receiving the first yellow card of the match for what seemed to be talking back to the referee. A very harsh decision considering what was at stake in this fiery affair.

Second half littered with chances

With a vital one-goal lead to hang on to, Benfica ensured they had plenty of men behind the ball to begin the second spell. Mourinho was well aware that at this stage of the contest, the pressure was on Sporting to take the initiative.

Sporting, however, were not backing down. In the 50th minute, it was Pedro Gonçalves who was able to carve out a chance, turning onto his right foot and placing a low shot that, unfortunately for Sporting, ricochet right back off the post. 

As the game opened up, Schjelderup nearly recorded his second of the night. It was another brilliant save from Portuguese international keeper Silva that kept Sporting within touching distance of their Lisbon rivals.

Catamo and Hjulmand both attempted long-range efforts to little avail. In the 59th minute, Gonçalves nearly connected with a cross from the right side of the pitch. His half volley, however, dribbled into the keeper's hands

Perhaps Sporting's best chance, though, came in the 64th minute. Araújo deserves the bulk of the credit after his relentless pressure down the left wing saw him strip Gianluca Prestianni and regain possession for the Lions. The ball eventually ended up with Morita, who produced a gorgeous curler towards the right post. His attempt, though, sailed just wide.

Morita responds for Sporting

Morita kept his focus, though, and it didn’t take long for another chance to fall his way. This time, the Japanese midfielder did not flinch, calmly heading the ball across the goal to equalise in the 72nd minute. A fitting finish to a quality ball that was launched into the box from Zeno Debast.

Everything seemed to be falling Sporting’s way, but it was the visitors who nearly stole this one in the final minutes. Mourinho’s changes seemed to have injected some life into his players, with substitute Lukebakio finding some space down the right wing and providing a dangerous cross into the box. This time, it was Leandro Barreiro at the end of the cross who was inches away from putting Benfica ahead.

Sporting, however, had chances of their own and even had the ball in the back of the net after some brilliant approach play by Francisco Trincão. Unfortunately for Rafael Nel, who had done well to round the keeper at the tap in, he was ruled to be just offside.

Rafa Silva applies finishing touches to memorable derby

As previously mentioned, a draw did little to appease either side, and that led to a tense finish where both sides pressed up the pitch. Sporting were unable to take their chances, but there was enough time for Benfica to make them pay. Three minutes into added time, it was a familiar face that left his mark on the derby. Aursnes and Ríos were both involved in the build-up, but it was Barreira’s pass that unlocked Rafa. The crafty midfielder doesn’t need much space to operate, and when he found himself  driving into the box with just the keeper to beat, he kept his cool to slot the ball down the left side. 

***

Sporting 1-2 Benfica highlights 

Lineups: 

Sporting CP: Rui Silva, Eduardo Quaresma (Georgios Vagiannidis, 60’), Ousmane Diomande (Zeno Debast, 60’), Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo, Hidemasa Morita (Daniel Bragança, 88), Morten Hjulmand, Geny Catamo (Rafael Nel, 88’), Pedro Gonçalves (Geovany Quenda, 67’), Francisco Trincão, Luis Suárez

SL Benfica: Anatoliy Trubin, Amar Dedi, Nicolás Otamendi, Tomás Araújo (António Silva, 77’), Samuel Dahl, Leandro Barreiro, Fredrik Aursnes, Richard Ríos, Gianluca Prestianni (Dodi Lukebakio, 78), Andreas Schjelderup (Rafa Silva, 77’), Franjo Ivanovic (Vangelis Pavlidis, 77’)

Goals:

[1-0] Andreas Schjelderup, 27’

[1-1] Hidemasa Morita, 72’

[2-1] Rafa Silva, 90’

FC Porto’s European aspirations this season are over after the Dragons were beaten 1-0 by Nottingham Forest at a vibrant City Ground to lose the tie 2-1 on aggregate.

A nightmare start saw Porto a man down and a goal down by the 12th minute.

Jan Bednarek received a straight red card for a badly mistimed tackle on Chris Wood and soon afterwards Morgan Gibbs-White’s shot took a wicked deflection and flew into the net.

The hosts completely dominated the rest of the first half but Porto fought back bravely after the break and were clean out of luck as both William Gomes and Alan Varela saw efforts beat the goalkeeper but crash back into play off the bar. Tom Kundert reports from Nottingham.

***

Former European champions lock horns

The famous old ground was a fitting setting for two two-time European champions nowadays on a quest to recapture former glories.  

As has happened throughout the season, Porto coach Francesco Farioli was not afraid to heavily rotate his team, six different starters selected in comparison to the 3-1 victory over Estoril on Sunday evening.

The hosts were dealt a blow before kick-off with the news of the passing of star player Elliot Anderson’s mother, the midfielder out of the matchday squad.

Porto started brightly, an excellent pass by Alberto Costa presenting Terem Moffi with an early sighter at goal but the striker could not put enough purchase on his effort to dink the ball over goalkeeper Stefan Ortega.

Bednarek sees red

Porto’s confident start was stopped in its tracks when Bednarek clattered into Chris Wood’s leg with his studs and when the referee was called to the monitor to view the incident the outcome was inevitable. A straight red card for the Polish defender.

Things quickly went from bad to worse for Porto. Alberto Costa lost the ball in midfield, Gibbs-White raced through the middle and his shot took a deflection off the now makeshift centre-back Pablo Rosário, leaving Diogo Costa completely wrong-footed and the ball in the back of the net.

The home fans packed into the stadium had been boisterous from the off and the double whammy for the visitors had them bouncing in the stands as a tremendous atmosphere reverberated around the stadium.

The rest of the first half was one-way traffic as Forest looked to hammer home the advantage against a Porto side struggling to reorganise themselves.

Nicolás Domínguez, Igor Jesus (who had meantime replaced the injured Woods), and Murillo twice all went close.

All change at half time

Farioli recognised drastic action was required if Porto were to get back into the game and he duly made four changes at the break. Jakub Kiwior, Francisco Moura, Alan Varela and Victor Froholdt entered the fray with Gabri Veiga, Zaidu, Alberto Costa and Borja Sainz making way.

Porto immediately improved, the Portuguese side enjoying longer spells of possession and at last making inroads into Forest’s defensive third.

Nevertheless, the home team were always dangerous on the break, and a fine team move resulted in Aina pulling the ball back for Igor Jesus, with Diogo Costa making a brilliant save to keep his side in the tie.

Bar denies Porto – twice!

Porto’s sizeable contingent of fans refused to give up hope, helping maintain an exhilarating atmosphere, and they so nearly were celebrating in the 57th minute. Fofana picked out William Gomes with an inviting cross and the Brazilian adjusted his feet well to hit a first-time volley from a tight angle onto the underside of the bar and out.

Forest continued to look the more likely to score though, Igor Jesus denied by another superb Diogo Costa save, but Porto refused to throw in the towel.

In the 84th minute the Blue and Whites were left cursing their luck again as a sustained spell of pressure saw the ball played to Alan Varela, who hit a spectacular shot from 25 yards out that smashed against the bar.

To Forest’s and Vítor Pereira’s credit, the home team never reverted to solely defence and ended the game strongly, almost scoring a second deflected goal as Igor Jesus’ effort looped off a Porto defender and onto the top of the bar.

The home team ended up the game winding down the clock near the corner flag, with the referee’s final whistle triggering huge celebrations for Vítor Pereira and his team and the local fans.

Analysis: freakish incidents prove decisive

After watching the first 12 minutes of the first leg of this Europa League quarter-final it appeared there would only be one winner. Porto could have scored three goals in that period at the Estádio do Dragão and duly took the lead, and appeared the vastly superior team.

But their momentum was firmly stopped in its tracks by Martim Fernandes’ crazy own goal.

In the second leg Porto again started brightly, but Bednarek’s challenge – reckless rather than malicious – was undoubtedly worthy of a red card, and with the Forest goal coming shortly afterwards, it was a double blow that Porto could not recover from.

“I’m so proud of my players for the spirit they showed,” said Fariolo post-match.

The Dragons will feel it is a missed opportunity but the Primeira Liga leaders will now focus on trying to get over the line to win their first Portuguese championship in four years.

Nottingham Forest: Stefan Ortega, Jair Cunha, Murillo (Morato, 71’), Neco Williams, Ola Aina, Ibrahim Sangaré, Morgan Gibbs-White, Nicolás Domínguez, Dan Ndoye (Nikola Milenkovic, 65’), Omari Hutchinson (Callum Hudson-Odoi, 46’ (Dilane Bakwa, 71’)), Chris Wood (Igor Jesus, 16’)

FC Porto: Diogo Costa, Alberto Costa (Jakub Kiwior, 46’), Thiago Silva, Jan Bednarek, Zaidu Sanusi (Francisco Moura, 46’), Pablo Rosario, Gabri Veiga (Alan Varela, 46’), Seko Fofana, William Gomes, Terem Moffi (Deniz Gül, 65’), Borja Sainz (Victor Froholdt, 46’)

Goals:

[1-0] Morgan Gibbs-White, 12’

Braga staged an incredible comeback in Sevilla, overturning an early 2-0 deficit to beat Real Betis 4-2 and reach the Europa League semi-finals.

Real Betis began brightly in front of a packed house, the home crowd painting Estadio de La Cartuja green and making plenty of noise. Manuel Pellegrini’s side responded, Antony’s shot tipped wide by Lukas Hornicek before Chuco Hernández went close.

The breakthrough came in the 13th minute when Abde Ezzalzouli’s deflected cross hung in the air, Braga’s defence nowhere to be seen which allowed Antony to head the ball in off the post.

Bright Arrey-Mbi picked up an injury and was replaced by Gabriel Moscardo who joined Vitor Carvalho and Gustaf Lagerbielke in the back three.

Braga’s backline were exposed again in the 26th minute. Pablo Fornals played a 1-2 with Antony before sending a cross into Abde Ezzalzouli, the winger executing an easy finish.

Real Betis put the ball into the net again not long after. Antony raced into the box where he lost his feet, doing enough to get to the ball to Ezzalzouli who beat Hornicek. The goal was ruled out due to Antony being narrowly offside.

Vitor Carvalho was booked for a comical foul on Ezzalzouli as Braga’s struggles continued. Just when it appeared that Betis would run away with it, Braga got a goal back in the 38th minute.

The hosts botched two attempts to clear a cross, Víctor Gómez eventually heading the ball over to Pau Víctor who saw his volley squeeze past Pau López.

The second half began with Gabri Martínez winning two free kicks down the left wing. The second would result in Braga squaring the game and the tie.

Ricardo Horta delivered a perfect free kick into the danger area, Carvalho rising highest and heading the ball into the net.

The game turned completely upside down in the 53rd minute when Braga took the lead. Gómez released Demir Ege Tiknaz who got ahead of Sofyan Amrabat and was brought down. Referee Davide Massa immediately pointed to the spot where Horta sent López the wrong way.

Carvalho was fortunate to avoid a second booking which saw Carlos Vicens make a double switch in the 62nd minute, Carvalho and Tiknaz replaced by Paulo Oliveira and Fran Navarro. Manuel Pellegrini went to his bench and brought on Aitor Ruibal for Álvaro Fidalgo.

Betis began to get back into the game before Marc Bartra was booked for a foul on Victor. The striker stayed down which allowed Vicens to gather his players on the touchline for a drink and to discuss tactics.

The home crowd were completely shocked in the 74th minute when Braga took a 4-2 lead. Gabri’s cross was cleared straight to Jean-Baptiste Gorby who decided to have a crack, his shot taking two deflections and getting past López.

Pellegrini threw on Valentín Gómez, Nelson Deossa and Cédric Bakambu, Vicens introducing Leonardo Lelo and João Moutinho.

Betis supporters began to give up on their team and vacate their seats as Braga controlled the remainder of the contest.

Bakaumbu and Pablo Garcia tested Hornicek in added time but it was Braga who should have iced the cake. Gustaf Lagerbielke’s long header found Horta behind enemy lines, but he went for power instead of placement and smashed the ball straight into López.

Braga will now face Freiburg in the semi-finals, the Warriors aiming to replicate their Europa League final appearance in 2011.

A night to remember

There haven't been many more unlikely turnarounds in such an important game of football for Sporting Clube de Braga. With Real Betis going 2-0 up and a whisker away from taking a 3-0 lead before the half hour mark, almost everyone inside the stadium, including Braga supporters, must have been anticipating a comfortable win for the Spanish side.

The atmosphere was electric and the 71 374 capacity at Estadio de La Cartuja was close to complete. The home side were completely dominating the game.

Braga's back three was already depleted without the injured Sikou Niakaté and Adrian Barisic and was further handicapped when Bright Arrey-Mbi was replaced by Gabriel Moscardo in the 20th minute. Top scorer Rodrigo Zalazar was on the bench in case of an emergency.

In the end Zalazar wasn't required, such was the incredible transition as Braga scored four unanswered goals in less than 40 minutes.

A lot of thre credit has to go to Carlos Vicens. The manager worked some minor miracles at half-time and his counterpart Manuel Pellegrini might never understand how his team threw away such a decisive advantage.

Vicens took some time to celebrate but is already focusing on achieving more: "I'm very happy for the players. We're a family of good people, and good people deserve happy things. I'm very happy for them and for the club.

"It's a historic moment for us to return to the semi-finals of a European competition. Now, we have to get the team back on track because on Sunday we have a home game that will be difficult. My mind is already on the next match."

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Braga president António Salvador spoke after the victory: "Today was a great victory, a great comeback. In the other round, we overturned a 2-0 deficit. Today we were losing 2-0. I already congratulated everyone in the locker room: the players, the coach, our staff. It was a team with character, humility, that never gave up.

"They believed, they stayed united, and this is the path that brought us here, and it started on July 24th. We've been following a very quiet path – many times people don't even realize we exist, but the truth is we're in the Europa League semi-finals and sometimes I find myself wondering why we don't value Portuguese football enough.

"What Braga did today, what Sporting, FC Porto and even Benfica did in European competitions. I think Portuguese football should be valued much more. This was a demonstration of how much quality we have, and that our football deserves more respect."

Lineups

Real Betis (4-3-3) Pau López; Héctor Bellerín (Nelson Deossa 77’), Marc Bartra, Diego Llorente, Ricardo Rodríguez (Valentín Gómez 78’); Pablo Fornals (Cédric Bakambu 77’), Sofyan Amrabat, Álvaro Fidalgo (Aitor Ruibal 66’); Antony (Pablo García 83’), Cucho Hernández, Abde Ezzalzouli

Unused substitutes: Álvaro Valles, Adrián, Sergi Altimira, Marc Roca, Isco, Rodrigo Riquelme, Chimy Ávila

Coach: Manuel Pellegrini

Braga (3-5-2) Lukas Hornicek; Gustaf Lagerbielke, Vitor Carvalho (Paulo Oliveira 62’), Bright Arrey-Mbi (Gabriel Moscardo 20’); Víctor Gómez, Demir Ege Tiknaz (Fran Navarro 62’), Jean-Baptiste Gorby, Florian Grillitsch, Gabri Martínez (Leonardo Lelo 81’); Ricardo Horta, Pau Victor (João Moutinho 81’)

Unused substitutes: Tiago Sá, João Carvalho, Yanis da Rocha, Mario Dorgeles, Luisinho, Rodrigo Zalazar, Amine El Ouazzani

Coach: Carlos Vicens

Goals:

[1-0] Antony 13'
[2-0] Abde Ezzalzouli 26’
[2-1] Pau Víctor 38’
[2-2] Vítor Carvalho 49’
[2-3] Ricardo Horta 53’ P
[2-4] Jean-Baptiste Gorby 74’

The journey is over but Sporting can be proud of their best ever Champions League campaign. The Portuguese team matched Arsenal throughout the 180 minutes of a tightly contested quarter-final tie, with Kai Havertz’s late goal in the first leg proving the difference.

Tonight at the Emirates Stadium, just like in the first leg, the Lions were far from overawed taking on one of the favourites to win the competition and particularly in the first half caused the hosts problems.

Geny Catamo’s angled shot hit the post after a well-worked move, but that was as close as the visitors came with the Lisbon club running out of energy and attacking ideas in the second half.

***

The match in Lisbon resembled a chess game for long periods and it was similar in London tonight.

Arsenal bossed most of the possession but were wary of overcommitting too many men forward, while Sporting looked to keep it tight to stay in the tie and hit the English team on the break.

And after the first 45 minutes it appeared the Portuguese side were benefiting most from the highly tactical nature of the game. Arsenal failed to seriously threaten Sporting while the Green and Whites twice came close to taking the lead.

In the 19th minute Francisco Trincão received a pass from the excellent Morten Hjulmand, cut into the box and curled a shot wide with David Raya scrambling across his goal.

Sporting denied by the woodwork

In the 43rd minute the visitors came even closer. Maxi Araújo’s cross landed at the Geny Catamo’s feet, the Mozambican hitting a first-time volley that hit the post.

Early the second half it was Sporting who once again threatened, Maxi shimmying past his marker and smashing an angled shot towards goal but it flew wide.

At this point the large contingent of Sporting fans were making themselves heard loud and clear at the Emirates.

Unfortunately for the Portuguese team, that was as good as it got.

Sporting’s attacking momentum fades

Arsenal remained edgy, but instead of turning up the pressure, Sporting began to run out of energy and attacking ideas as the clock ticked down, Arsenal’s substitutes having more impact than the players Rui Borges was able to bring off the bench.

Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus came close to putting Arsenal’s fraught fans out of their misery, but when the referee signalled four minutes of stoppage there was still just one goal separating the two teams.

And it was Sporting who had the final chance, young midfielder João Simões firing a chance just wide.

Arsenal will play Atletico Madrid in the semi-finals, while Sporting will have to regroup quickly ahead of their crunch match against city rivals Benfica on Sunday.

Arsenal: David Raya, Cristhian Mosquera, Gabriel Magalhães, William Saliba, Piero Hincapié, Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Noni Madueke (Max Dowman, 63’), Eberechi Eze (Gabriel Jesus, 78’), Gabriel Martinelli (Leandro Trossard, 78’), Viktor Gyökeres (Kai Havertz, 56’)

Sporting: Rui Silva, Eduardo Quaresma (Georgios Vagiannidis, 85’), Ousmane Diomande, Gonçalo Inácio, Maxi Araújo, Morten Hjulmand, Hidemasa Morita (João Simões, 77’), Francisco Trincão (Rafael Nel, 85’), Geny Catamo (Geovany Quenda, 70’), Luis Suárez, Pedro Gonçalves (Daniel Bragança, 70’)

Estoril 1-3 FC Porto

Porto showed little sign of pressure or nerves as they restored their 5-point lead at the top of the table with a comfortable 3-1 win over Estoril at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota.

A dominant first half saw the Dragons go into the break two up thanks to and early Pepê strike and a Xeka own goal. Deniz Gül also had the ball in the net but his header was ruled out owing to a narrow offside.

The second half saw Porto take their foot off the accelerator and Estoril began to ask more questions of the visitors’ defence, but the Blue and Whites continued to be the more dangerous side.

The game was seemingly put to bed when the ever-excellent Victor Froholdt tapped in an Alberto Costa cross to make it 3-0.

A neat move and fine finish by Yanis Begraoui briefly gave the hosts hope of an unlikely comeback, but Porto closed out the game without undue alarm to stay on course for a first championship triumph in four seasons.

Estoril 1-3 FC Porto highlights

Benfica bounce back

Meanwhile, earlier on Sunday Benfica put a difficult week behind them and made light work of beating Nacional da Madeira in the Portuguese capital.

José Mourinho and his team had been subjected to a barrage of criticism following the 1-1 draw at Casa Pia last Monday.

However, goals by Andreas Schjelderup and Rafa Silva in the opening 14 minutes made it a routine win for the Eagles which pulls them back to within two points of city rivals Sporting – albeit having played a game more – ahead of next weekend’s Lisbon derby at Alvalade.

Benfica 2-0 Nacional da Madeira highlights

These are exciting times to be a fan of Estoril Praia. The historical Portuguese club have firmly established themselves as one of the strongest teams in the Primeira Liga, and have won plenty of friends with their entertaining and courageous style of football under Scottish coach Ian Cathro.

Off the pitch Estoril are equally making a splash. The same audacious spirit that is on display whenever the side step out at the Estádio António Coimbra da Mota is evident in the club’s innovative marketing department.

Specifically in relation to kit design, Estoril have put themselves at the vanguard in Portugal of what has become an important niche in the fashion world.  

The Lisbon coast club produced home and away kits that quickly became iconic for the 2024/25 season, but not satisfied with the beautiful Kappa designs, Estoril went a step further with their one-off kit designed in homage to the late, great Ayrton Senna, worn in the clash against Braga one year ago.

It was a nod to the region’s legacy as home to a famous motor-racing circuit, and at the same time a tribute to one of the best ever Formula One drivers, who had a strong connection to Portugal.

This season, Estoril have again come up with a new kit that will be worn on a one-off occasion: in this evening’s encounter against current league leaders FC Porto.

A press release explains the thinking behind the kit:

The desire to link the history of Estoril Praia to today’s local community was at the root of the creation of this kit.

Therefore, the graphism includes several symbols linked to the town and the council of Cascais, namely the statue of our founder, Fausto de Figueiredo, which stands in the gardens of Estoril Casino, the Santa Marta lighthouse, the palm trees, the train, the coastal walkway, as well as several words associated with the vocabulary of the club and also the old Estoril Praia badge.

“We continue our incessant quest to create left-field items that establish a connection between a club dripping with history and stories to tell, and an urban and youthful side that attracts the younger generations of estorilistas, many of whom regularly go to the stadium to watch our matches,” says Estoril Praia’s marketing manager António Nobre. “We can reveal that this is a taster of what we are preparing for next season.” 

Founded in 1939, the club is 86 years old, a number that inspired the production of 86 samples of the limited edition short-sleeved version of the kit and 86 of the long-sleeved version that will be on sale at the official club shop.

Related: Talk of the Town – Estoril Praia

Related: Estoril Praia history / club fact file

A second-half strike from Daniel Bragança was enough for Sporting to beat Estrela da Amadora on Saturday night and cut the gap to leaders Porto to just two points.

From the moment Rui Borges took the reins at Sporting one of his catchphrases has been: “when the team lacks inspiration, it can never lack attitude.”

He repeated the mantra in his post-match comments, admitting that his charges had not put in a great performance, but the crucial objective of obtaining the three points had been achieved.

In a game of few chances, Francisco Trincão and Pedro Gonçalves missed presentable opportunities for the visitors in a low-key first half.

Quality goal decides it

The match was decided by one moment of real quality as Geny Catamo found Trincão in the box with a superb pass, the Portugal international turning and feeding Bragança at the top of the box who produced a crisp low shot into the corner of the net.

It was Bragança’s fifth goal since returning from the second long-term injury of his career at the start of the calendar year.

Defences continued on top with little goalmouth action. Sporting substitute Geovany Quenda, making his return from four months out of action, had a sight at goal but showed his rustiness as he hesitated and was crowded out, while Catamo was unlucky to see a spectacular long-range shot crash off the bar.

Estrela ended strongly with Rui Silva producing a sharp save from a deflected Max Scholze shot and the hosts also complaining about a possible penalty for a Max Araújo handball that the referee ignored.

Langa and Marcus impress

The Amadora outfit remain just three points above the relegation playoff spot, but showed enough about them in this match to suggest they will avoid the drop, defender Bruno Langa and midfielder Abraham Marcus putting in eye-catching displays.

For Sporting, the team now enters a decisive phase of the season with the next three matches against Arsenal (Champions League), Benfica (Primeira Liga) and Porto (Portuguese Cup) likely to define the Lions’ season.

Estrela da Amadora 0-1 Sporting 

Porto were held to a 1-1 draw by Nottingham Forest in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg Estádio do Dragão.

The Dragons should have scored in the opening minute. Borja Sainz released Sekou Fofana who squared the ball to Terem Moffi, his shot saved by Stefan Ortega who collected a tame follow up effort from Sainz.

Sainz had another chance soon after following some nice build up play between Pablo Rosario and Gabri Veiga, the Spaniard lacking power and placement once again.

It was third time lucky for Porto who took the lead in the 11th minute. Rosario played a neat 1-2 with Sainz before sending Veiga through, the midfielder sending a cross to the back post where William Gomes executed an easy finish.

The lead would last just two minutes with Nottingham Forest’s equaliser coming in bizarre fashion. Martim Fernandes hit a back pass to Diogo Costa with too much power, the goalkeeper helplessly watching the ball roll into his own net.

If you thought that was strange, what happened to Fernandes next was extraordinary. Veiga’s dumb foul on Dan Ndoye saw the Forest player fall and injure Fernandes’ ankle, the teenager forced off with Alberto Costa entering the fray.

The intensity of the first 20 minutes could not be maintained with both teams getting sloppy. Moffi had a chance in added time, heading Fofana’s cross at Ortega.

Vítor Pereira made two changes at the break with Murillo and Chris Wood making way for Nikola Milenkovic and Igor Jesus.

Gomes went on a long run and dragged his shot wide as the Dragons dominated the contest, a succession of corners getting the home crowd into the game.

James McAtee stung Costa’s hands with a long range effort but the goalkeeper was not being tested.

Francesco Farioli made a triple substitution in the 59th minute when Gabri Veiga, Borja Sainz and Terem Moffi were replaced by Victor Froholdt, Pepê and Deniz Gül.

Pereira brought on Neco Williams and Omari Hutchinson for Dilane Bakwa and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Igor Jesus put the ball into the net but had fouled Costa in the lead up. That was as close as the visitors would go for the remainder of the game.

Gomes forced a save from Ortega, Gül and Froholdt went close before Alan Varela’s deflected shot was no problem for at Ortega. The goalkeeper collected another easy save from Thiago Silva who got onto the end of Varela’s free kick.

Missed opportunity

Porto fully deserved their early lead but it lasted only two minutes before Martim Fernandes’ unlucky own goal.

Nottingham Forest hardly looked like scoring themselves and proved why they are battling against relegation in the Premier League.

Francesco Farioli’s side ended with 16-6 shots, 8-2 on target and 2.17-0.45 expected goals. Poor finishing was their downfall but the tie is far from over.

The Dragons have already played at the City Ground this season and there is no reason they can’t win to reach the semi-finals. Farioli will be hoping Rodrigo Mora has recovered to play a part, his guile and creativiy sorely missed.

Vítor Pereira received a touching ovation before kickoff, the manager returning to the club where he was assistant under André Villas-Boas before winning Primeira Liga titles in 2012 and 2013.

O aplauso do Dragão para Vítor Pereira, antes do #FCPNFFC ⚽💙 pic.twitter.com/a7XRPYBhJm

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) April 9, 2026

Lineups

Porto (4-3-3) Diogo Costa; Martim Fernandes (Alberto Costa 19’), Thiago Silva, Jan Bednarek, Zaidu Sanusi; Gabri Veiga (Victor Froholdt 59’), Pablo Rosario, Sekou Fofana (Alan Varela 74’); William Gomes, Terem Moffi (Deniz Gül 59’), Borja Sainz (Pepê 59’)

Unused substitutes: Cláudio Ramos, João Costa, Dominik Prpić, Jakub Kiwior, Francisco Moura, Rodrigo Mora, Tiago Silva

Coach: Francesco Farioli

Nottingham Forest (3-4-2-1) Stefan Ortega; Zach Abbott, Murillo (Nikola Milenkovic 46’), Morato; Dilane Bakwa (Neco Williams 60’), Ryan Yates, Nicolás Domínguez, Dan Ndoye; Morgan Gibbs-White (Omari Hutchinson 60’), James McAtee (Ibrahim Sangaré 74’); Chris Wood (Igor Jesus 46’)

Unused substitutes: Matz Sels, Neco Williams, Ola Aina, Jimmy Sinclair, Justin Hanks, Archie Whitehall, Lorenzo Lucca, Omari Hutchinson, Callum Hudson-Odoi

Coach: Vítor Pereira

Goals:

[1-0] William Gomes 11'
[1-1] Martim Fernandes 13' OG

Braga and Real Betis played their part in an entertaining 1-1 draw in the UEFA Europa League quarter-final first leg at the Quarry.

Grillitsch scores early

The Warriors got off to a flying start, Gabri Martínez and Pau Victor combining to create a chance for Ricardo Horta who fired a tame effort at Pau López.

Braga remained on top and opened the scoring in the 5th minute. Diego Rodrigues’ low corner was met by Florian Grillitsch at the near post, the German doing well to guide the ball past López.

Que finalização de Grillitsch 🔥

🤩 @EuropaLeague | @SCBragaOficial 1 x 0 @RealBetis #DAZNEuropa #DAZNBetano pic.twitter.com/lqaxD9w6fv

— DAZN Portugal (@DAZNPortugal) April 8, 2026

Marc Bartra immediately scored from an offside position before Sofyan Amrabat was booked for a late challenge on Diego Rodrigues. The midfielder didn’t last much longer and was replaced by João Moutinho.

Betis take control

Real Betis got on top with a well worked free kick resulting in Bartra heading the ball against the post. Abde Ezzalzouli and Hernández forced saves from Hornicek who was becoming increasingly busy.

The goalkeeper collected more efforts from Fornals, Hernández and Álvaro Fidalgo before Braga gained some confidence in added time. Moutinho’s shot was blocked and Pau Victor missed the target after a fine pass from Víctor Gómez.

Manuel Pellegrini brought on Antony for Sofyan Amrabat at the break which saw Pablo Fornals drop into midfield. Grillitsch forced a diving save from López but it was the visitors who regained control once again.

Hernández equalises from the spot

Antony was targeting Bright Arrey-Mbi and it was from that avenue that Real Betis were awarded a penalty in the 60th minute.

Hernández sent Abde Ezzalzouli into the box and Jean-Baptiste Gorby made a rash challenge that gave referee Felix Zwayer an easy decision to make. Hernández stepped up and finished with confidence.

Pellegrini immediately made two changes in midfield with Álvaro Fidalgo and Marc Roca making way for Sergi Altimira and Nelson Deossa. The significant travelling support were now in full voice and contributing to an awesome atmosphere.

Natan and Grillitsch were booked as both managers got busy, emptying their benches betweek the 77th and 84th minutes.

The patterns of play continued, Braga enjoying plenty of ball but doing very little with it and not creating any clear chances.

Antony went close to stealing it in added time when he cut inside and narrowly missed the top corner. Sikou Niakaté went down with a foot injury in the final minute and hobbled off the pitch.

Braga travel to Spain next week where they have a tough task to replicate their 2010/11 Europa League quarter-final success when they beat Dynamo Kyiv on their way to the final.

Vicens will be desperate for Rodrigo Zalazar to be available, the playmaker sorely missed with Ricardo Horta unable to carry the creative load by himself.

The manager discussed the difficulties in the final third: "At halftime we talked, you could see a bit of a lack of composure in the first phase of build-up, which is related to this Europa League quarter-final scenario. In the second half, you could see they were more relaxed, more confident in themselves.

"After transmitting composure and confidence, the team made fewer mistakes in passing. Then comes the moment when you notice the lack of energy in the final third.

"We tried to find solutions, by changing players in midfield, to get the second goal. We conceded a goal at a good moment. It was a play where we were unlucky, we have to learn from our mistakes and go to Sevilla to fight for the tie."

Manuel Pellegrini’s side proved they are superior and the home crowd advantage could be a significant factor in Sevilla.

Lineups

Braga (3-4-2-1) Lukas Hornicek; Gustaf Lagerbielke, Sikou Niakaté, Bright Arrey-Mbi; Víctor Gómez, Gorby Baptiste, Florian Grillitsch (Gabriel Moscardo 84’), Gabri Martínez (Mario Dorgeles 77’), Diego Rodrigues (João Moutinho 18’); Ricardo Horta (Fran Navarro 77’); Pau Victor (Demir Tiknaz 84’)

Unused substitutes: Tiago Sá, João Carvalho, Paulo Oliveira, Leonardo Lelo, Yanis da Rocha, Vitor Carvalho, Amine El Ouazzani

Coach: Carlos Vicens

Real Betis (4-3-3) Pau López; Aitor Ruibal, Marc Bartra, Natan, Ricardo Rodríguez; Álvaro Fidalgo (Sergi Altimira 63’), Sofyan Amrabat (Antony 46’), Marc Roca (Nelson Deossa (63’); Pablo Fornals, Cucho Hernández (Chimy Ávila 82’), Abde Ezzalzouli (Rodrigo Riquelme 78’)

Unused substitutes: Álvaro Valles, Adrián San Miguel, Héctor Bellerín, Valentín Gómez, Diego Llorente, Pablo García

Coach: Manuel Pellegrini

Goals:

[1-0] Florian Grillitsch 5'
[1-1] Cucho Hernández 61' P