With a greater or lesser degree of difficulty Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting won their weekend games to leave the top of the Primeira Liga table unchanged with 11 games remaining. 

The round of matches was notable, however, for the bright displays shown by a trio of brilliant young talents who served notice they have a big future in the game. Diogo Jota (Paços), Iuri Medeiros (Moreirense) and Otávio (Vitória Guimarães) were all on the score-sheet and all put in displays full of zest for their respective teams, suggesting that next year they will not look out of place playing at their expected destinations: Benfica, Sporting and Porto respectively.

Braga continued their excellent season with a 2-1 victory against Sion in Switzerland to take a big step towards the last 16 of the Europa League. 

The Arsenalistas may well be the only Portuguese representative left at that stage of the competition, as FC Porto and Sporting both lost to German opposition. 

Porto fell to a 2-0 defeat at Borussia Dortmund while Sporting also lost, 1-0 at home to Bayer Leverkusen at Alvalade. 

Sporting, Porto & Braga carry Portuguese hopes

Portugal have three represenatives in the knockout stage of the Europa League.

Sporting and FC Porto face German opponents in the shape of Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund respectively, while Braga play Swiss outfit Sion.

With the aid of experts on each club PortuGOAL profiles what the Portuguese trio can expect on Thursday.

Benfica 1-0 Zenit

An injury-time goal gave Benfica a precious lead to take to Russia in three weeks' time as the Eagles continue their impressive Champions League campaign.

A cagey match of few chances seemed to be drifting to a goalless draw, but with Zenit reduced to ten men Jonas headed in Gaitán's pinpoint free kick to trigger wild celebrations among the home players and fans in Lisbon tonight. 

Having kept a clean sheet, Benfica have given themselves a good shot at reaching the quarter-finals of the world's greatest club competition.