Nacional 2-2 Sporting

A terrific Portuguese Cup semi-final 1st leg in Madeira last night ended all square as Nacional and Sporting played out an exciting 2-2 draw.

The result gives Sporting the advantage (on away goals) going into the second leg at the Alvalade on 8 April. But on this showing, Nacional proved they are still in with a chance of making their first ever final. 

In-form Braga set to play key role in title race

For FC Porto fans things are almost back to normal. The Dragons overpowered Sporting with ease last weekend, they are Portugal's last remaining representatives in Europe and a number of their players are being linked with multi-million euro transfers to Europe's richest clubs.

Almost. One thing has to change for the northerners to reassume their mantle as Portugal's dominant team, a position Portistas have considered a God-given right for most of the last three decades. They need to rein in current leaders of the Primeira Liga, Benfica. 

FC Porto and Sporting entered this match with five points separating them and with both teams needing a win. On one hand, Benfica had destroyed Estoril the day before and put a seven-point distance between themselves and the Dragons. On the other hand, Sporting were just one point ahead of Braga in the fight for the next season's last Champions League place. The promise was of an entertaining match in the making. 

But the game played out somewhat differently from what might have been expected. Having yet to lose against either FC Porto or Benfica this season, the Lions' coach Marco Silva chose not to replicate the successful strategy that had granted the Verde e Brancos an impressive 3-1 win at the Dragão in the Portuguese Cup last October. 

Sporting 0-0 Wolfsburg (aggregate score: 0-2)

Sporting threw everything they had at German outfit Wolfsburg at the Alvalade tonight, but a mixture of inspirational goalkeeping from former Nacional stopper Diego Benaglio, some wasteful finishing and the woodwork prevented the Lions from staging a comeback. 

Despite more than matching the Bundesliga high fliers for three quarters of the Europa Liga tie, a poor second half in Germany ultimately made the difference as the goalless final scoreline brings the Portuguese side's European adventures to an end for the 2014/15 season.