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Another week in Liga NOS, another trio of wins for Portugal’s Big Three, although Lisbon sides Benfica and Sporting were run very closely in their victories over Feirense and Rio Ave respectively.
Porto made lighter work of their Invicta derby opponents Boavista to maintain their two-point lead at the top of the division.
One of the main architects of the win, as has so often been the case over the past few seasons, was Algerian winger Yacine Brahimi, who is PortuGOAL’s Figure of the Week.
It isn’t uncommon for the bigger teams in the league to take their eye off the ball at this stage of the season, as the likes of FC Porto, Sporting, among others, readied themselves for a decisive week of continental football.
Benfica were able to allay such fears through Jonas’s sole goal in a 1-0 win at home to Feirense, with Sporting also matching the same score-line through Bas Dost’s late winner against Rio Ave on the road.
Porto would go on to conclude their business in a far more convincing fashion, despite also encountering their struggles in a 3-0 victory versus Boavista in the Invictus Derby to maintain the scenario at the top of the Liga NOS table. As always, PortuGoal takes you through this weekend’s action.
It’s been a largely disappointing Champions League campaign for Portuguese clubs this season.
While Benfica’s chances of remaining in the competition beyond Christmas are close to zero after three defeats in three matches ahead Tuesday’s trip to Manchester United, Porto and Sporting still have a chance of making the knockout stages… provided they get a win this week.
PortuGOAL looks at the situation of all three clubs and assesses their chances of making progress.
Week 9 of Liga NOS saw a barrage of goals as top two sides Porto and Sporting blasted their way to emphatic victories, winning 6-1 and 5-1 against Paços Ferreira and Chaves respectively.
Porto stay top of the division with their win, which saw two goals from Moussa Marega, who is PortuGOAL’s Figure of the Week. Jamie Farr explains how the Malian striker has transformed himself from a figure of fun to a vital cog in Porto’s ultra-attacking team.
Following the international break and the early rounds of the Taça de Portugal, Primeira Liga football has taken somewhat of a backseat role in recent weeks, but a grand comeback saw no less than 14 goals being shared between the traditional ‘Big Three’.
League leaders FC Porto were the first to take to the stage, dispatching Paços de Ferreira with ease in a 6-1 victory at the Estádio do Dragão.
Benfica followed suit with an important 3-1 win away to Desportivo das Aves before Sporting bagged five goals to Chaves’ one on Sunday night, concluding an untouched picture at the top of the Liga NOS table. As always, PortuGOAL brings you all the top action.
