A surperbly contolled performance by Braga resulted in a shock 2-1 victory away at Benfica as the Lisbon club missed out on the chance to make up ground at the top of the table.
First-half goals by new signing Fran Navarro and Robson Bambu gave the visitors a 2-0 lead at the break against an inexplicably apathetic Benfica team.
The hosts improved slightly in the second half but did not work Braga goalkeeper Matheus Magalhães enough and a goal by substitute Arthur Cabral proved to be only a consolation. The monumental calm of Vítor Carvalho and Bruma - the two best players on the pitch - personified a memorable all-round performance by Braga.
Benfica stay in third place three points off the summit, failing to take advantage of Sporting’s draw and Porto’s postponed match yesterday, while Braga move up to fourth in the standings.
It was an explosive resumption to Primeira Liga action after the Christmas and New Year festivities as Vitória drew 4-4 against leaders Sporting at the Estádio Dom Afonso Henriques tonight.
SC Braga will travel to the Estádio da Luz this weekend to take on SL Benfica in what promises to be an exciting Primeira Liga fixture between two of Portugal’s biggest clubs. Saturday’s encounter sees third-place Benfica host fifth-place Braga, with plenty to play for as we hit the halfway point of the season.
Porto became the latest team to see their trip to Madeira wasted after their Primeira Liga clash against Nacional was suspended after 17 minutes of play.
On 13 June 2010, Cristiano Ronaldo was fielding questions from a crowd of journalists in Magaliesburg, South Africa. Portugal were getting ready to kick off the 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign vs. the Ivory Coast, and Ronaldo, their attacking talisman, had not scored for his country in 16 months. However, the world’s most expensive player was far from concerned: “Goals, as a football legend once told me, are like ketchup. Sometimes as much as you try, they don’t come out, and when they come, many come all at same time.”