Round two of Liga NOS 2020/21 saw title challengers Porto and Benfica keep up their excellent domestic starts with comfortable victories over Boavista and Moreirense respectively.

Sporting and Gil Vicente actually began their league campaigns at the weekend having had their own contest postponed last week. The Lions overcame Paços Ferreira while Gil Vicente defeated Portimonense.

Contrasting fortunes for the new boys as Farense lost a second match running, losing to fellow promoted side Nacional.

Nacional’s neighbours Marítimo got their first win of the campaign thanks to PortuGOAL Figure of the Week Rodrigo Pinho, their top scorer of the previous season proving deadly in front of goal again in downing Tondela.  

• Benfica
• Manchester City
• Ruben Dias
• Nicolas Otamendi

Benfica have announced the imminent departure of Rubén Dias to Manchester City after agreeing a fee worth €68 million for the Portugal international, in a deal that also sees Nicolas Otamendi come the other way.

As both outfits thrash out personal terms, Dias, 23, looks set to add to City’s growing Portuguese contingent, containing Seixal academy graduates Bernardo Silva and João Cancelo. Meanwhile ex-FC Porto man Otamendi readies himself for a stint with his old foes, costing the Eagles €15 million.

• Boavista
• Benfica
• Moreirense
• Primeira Liga,
• Sporting,
• FC Porto,
• Sporting de Braga,
• Jorge Jesus
• Sergio Conceicao
• Pacos de Ferreira
• Santa Clara
• Ruben Dias

Sporting have commenced their 2020/21 Liga campaign with a 2-0 victory away to Paços de Ferreira following consecutive victories from rivals Benfica and FC Porto on Saturday night.

The Lions, in action on Sunday for the first time in domestic competition after last week’s encounter versus Gil Vicente was postponed because of a Coronavirus outbreak, claimed all three points after a Jovane Cabral penalty and Sebastian Coates finish spearheaded Rubén Amorim’s side to victory.

Benfica took their points tally to six after defeating Moreirense by the same margin at home before Porto, in a much-anticipated Invicta Derby versus free-spending Boavista, starred with a 5-0 thrashing.

Elsewhere, Sporting de Braga registered their second defeat of the season as Santa Clara held onto a 1-0 score-line against Carlos Carvalhal’s men at the Estádio Municipal. Here’s the peak of the action from Matchday 2:

It was a highly positive night for Portuguese football in the Europa League as both Rio Ave and Sporting made it through to the playoffs after ousting Besiktas and Aberdeen respectively.

In Istanbul Rio Ave achieved a spectacular result, knocking out the Turkish giants on penalties after a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes. Back in Lisbon, Sporting’s delayed start to the new campaign and depleted squad due to Covid-19 did not stop them overcoming the Scottish side thanks to an early Tiago Tomás goal.