• Benfica
• Maritimo
• Primeira Liga,
• Liga NOS,
• Sporting,
• Sporting de Braga,
• Vitória de Guimarães,
• Pedro Goncalves

Sporting have increased their lead at the top of the Primeira Liga table after FC Porto’s Thursday night draw to Belenenses was met with a 2-0 victory away to Marítimo, this Friday.

The Dragons took on the outfit from Belém in Jamor in hopes of ramping up the pressure on the Lions but would succumb to a goalless draw instead, enabling the table-toppers to take advantage.

Travelling to the isle of Madeira, with new signing Paulinho spearheading the attack, Sporting were sure in their hunt for three points, defeating Marítimo by two goals. Elsewhere, Braga moved a couple of points clear of a stuttering Benfica side, defeating Portimonense 2-1 before the Eagles’ home draw against Vitória on Friday prolonged their poor form.

Another “clássico” weekend in Portugal saw Sporting dramatically continue their title tilt with a late victory over fierce Lisbon rivals Benfica. Porto kept up the pace with triumph over Rio Ave whilst Braga battered Moreirense.

Further down the table there were vital wins for Tondela, Nacional and Boavista to boost their respective hopes of staying in Liga NOS. Paços Ferreira and Vitória Guimarães also continued fine campaigns in overcoming Gil Vicente and Marítimo respectively.

One side who is quietly going about their business is Santa Clara. The islanders recorded back-to-back victories in defeating Belenenses SAD and under the management of PortuGOAL Figure of the Week Daniel Ramos they are progressively establishing themselves as top flight mainstays.

• Benfica
• Sporting,
• Sporting de Braga,
• Pepe
• Rio Ave
• Andraz Sporar
• FC Famalicao
• Paulinho
• Jean-Clair Todibo
• Cristian Borja
• Ferro

Sporting have signed out of the January transfer window with a record deal for Sporting de Braga forward Paulinho for €16 million.

The Portuguese forward is reunited with Rúben Amorim after three-and-a-half fruitful years with Braga, swapping the northern outfit for the capital on a four-and-a-half-year-deal.

After topping the Arsenalistas’ score-board with 23 goals in the 2019/20 season, Paulinho had been linked with a switch to Sporting for some time, finally sealing a deal with the current Primeira Liga leaders for €16 million.

• Benfica
• Primeira Liga,
• Sporting,
• Matheus Nunes
• Joao Palhinha

Sporting 1-0 Benfica

Sporting have strengthened their hold of first place with a dramatic 1-0 victory against Benfica in the Lisbon Derby, secured late on at the Alvalade by a Matheus Nunes header.

The two outfits went head-to-head in the capital in an important night in the tussle for the Primeira Liga title, following on from FC Porto’s 2-0 victory against Rio Ave, earlier in the night.

As the Lisbon pair wore each other out en route to an anticipated 0-0 score-line, an 11th-hour header from Matheus Nunes, starting ahead of the ever-present João Palhinha in the Derby, pinched all three points for Sporting and Rúben Amorim, triumphant against his former club and creating a nine-point-gap between the two sides.