How have Benfica, Porto and Sporting performed?

Matchday Three saw Sporting lose 4-3 in an incredible match in Germany against Schalke 04, while FC Porto continue to sit pretty at the top of Group H following a 2-1 win over Athletic Bilbao, substitute Ricardo Quaresma (pictured) scoring the winner. Benfica played out a goalless draw at Monaco on Wednesday night.

PortuGOAL runs the rule over how the Portuguese trio have performed so far and what their prospects are for the rest of the tournament.

We also look at the major tactical issues facing each of Portugal's three main teams at this stage of the season.

FC Porto, Sporting and Benfica are all in action over the next couple of days as the group stage of the 2014/15 Champions League reaches the halfway stage.

The two Lisbon clubs are in need of a positive result in tough away matches. Defeat for Sporting in Germany tomorrow against Schalke 04, or Benfica in France against Monaco on Wednesday, would make progress to the knockout stage extremely unlikely.

Porto are in a far more comfortable position and will look to continue to dominate Group H as they host Athletic Bilbao.

FC Porto 1-3 Sporting

Sporting beat Porto at the Estádio do Dragão for the first time since 2007 this afternoon to make progress to the fourth round of the Portuguese Cup and knock the northerners out of the competition.

In an entertaining match Sporting scored from a Marcano own goal, Nani and Carrillo, while Jackson Martínez netted for the Dragons, although the Colombian also missed a penalty.

Benfica four points clear at table top going into international break

FC Porto edged past Braga in the match of the weekend at the Estádio do Dragão, winning an exciting encounter 2-1.

Sporting and Benfica both won 4-0 against Penafiel and Arouca respectively, thanks to a late flurry of goals in both matches.

On Friday Vitória Guimarães continued their superb start to the season, a 3-0 win over Boavista leaving Rui Vitória's men in third place in the table.