Porto’s road woes continued in Barcelos where the Dragons suffered a 3-1 defeat against Gil Vicente. The hosts took the lead in the 11th minute when Kanya Fujimoto’s cross got past Otávio, Pablo’s shot deflecting off Diogo Costa and rolling into the net.
Tidjany Touré missed a great chance to double the Gilistas lead before half-time, Vítor Bruno making one change at the break when Galeno made way for Gonçalo Borges. It proved to be an inspired decision, three minutes after the restart the ball fell perfectly for the winger made no mistake.
Gil Vicente restored their lead in the 53rd minute, Rúben Fernandes heading Félix Correia’s corner to the back post where Josué Sá found the net. Porto’s chances were dented in the 85th minute when Nico González caught Zé Carlos on the ankle, referee Fábio Veríssimo reviewing the tackle and upgrading the second yellow to a straight red card.
There was plenty more drama in added time when Borges scored what appeared to be another equaliser. The VAR asked Veríssimo to review an incident at the other end of the pitch where Otávio had fouled Santi García, Veríssimo ruling out Borges goal and pointing to the spot where Correia converted with confidence.
Credit must go to Gil Vicente who made it seven games unbeaten, the run including a 0-0 draw against Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Porto have now won just one of their last eight road games with pressure mounting on Vítor Bruno. The manager was dealt another blow after the final whistle when Samu Aghehowa was sent off. The similarities with the 1-1 draw at Famalicão will be part of the Dragons’ narrative, but the main issue is their frailty away from Estádio do Dragão.
Portuguese champions Sporting put in their strongest performance since the Ruben Amorim era with a 3-0 victory at Rio Ave tonight, the home side only averting a thrashing thanks to the outstanding display of Polish goalkeeper Cezary Miszta.
The feel-good factor continues for Benfica. After last weekend’s Taça da Liga triumph, the Eagles saw off Famalicão with ease tonight at the Estádio da Luz, running out 4-0 winners against the northerners who are now nine matches without a victory.
Sporting CP will travel to Vila do Conde to take on Rio Ave FC this weekend as they look to preserve their slender lead at the top of the table. With FC Porto and SL Benfica within striking distance, Saturday’s encounter takes on added significance for a Lions side that has managed just five points from their last three Primeira Liga matches, and recently lost the Taça da Liga final in agonising fashion.
Whether you’re talking about population, land size, or footballing impact, Brazil is a global colossus. It’s the world's fifth-largest country by area and the seventh-largest by population, boasting more than 210 million people, and it’s also the only country to have won five World Cups.