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Portuguese Liga Sagres: Weekend Round-Up

FC Porto win with a late goal, and put pressure on rivals Braga and Benfica at the top of the table…

Nov 30, 2009 8:24:57 AM

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Radamel Falcao, Porto (Peace Cup)

The current league champions opened the game strongly in front of a disappointingly sized crowd on a cold and blustery night at the Estadio do Dragao, with Fernando Belluschi testing Carlos with a shot from distance in the second minute. The home side then opened the scoring in the 23rd minute, with Hulk picking the ball up in the midfield, playing a one-two with Falcao, and finishing coolly from eight yards out. However, Rio Ave were quick to silence the home crowd, with Ze Gomes crossing from the right, and Joao Tomas towering above full-back Jorge Fucile to grab an equaliser in the 25th minute.

Porto reacted strongly, with Carlos being forced into several fabulous saves, including a brilliant stop from a Falcao header from eight yards out, after Alvaro Pereira had crossed from the left. In the 54th minute, Porto were handed a gift, as Fucile fell in the area, and the seemingly innocuous challenge was deemed a foul, granting the home-side a penalty. However, Falcao smashed the underside of the bar with the spot-kick, and failed to reconnect with the loose ball. Jesualdo Ferreira introduced the attacking duo of Varela and Ernesto Farias, with Porto changing from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-4 in an attempt to grab a goal. With the home crowd beginning to audibly sound frustrated, Porto found the winner late in the game, with a Meireles corner met by Farias, who headed the ball towards goal, with substitute Varela guiding the ball home. Os Dragoes held out for the victory, in what was another unconvincing display, and now sit three points behind Benfica, and two below Braga – who face Leiria at the Estadio Axa tonight.

Academica 3-0 V. Setubal

Academica de Coimbra secured an important three points this weekend with a 3-0 victory over fellow relegation candidates V.Setubal. Academica have been in fine form since hiring new manager Andre Villas-Boas in mid-October, registering their second win in four games. The young manager has been dubbed the ‘new-Mourinho’ by sections of the Portuguese media, and his side cruised to a deserved victory played on a tricky surface at the Estadio Cidade de Coimbra. Sougou opened the scoring in the first half with a low shot inside the area, whilst Tiero killed the game off with a second-half brace, with both goals coming from dead-balls. The first of Tieros double came from a direct free-kick from just outside the box, whilst his second – and Academica's third - came from a spot-kick following a foul on Sougou, which Tiero converted calmly. This victory lifts Academica from the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone, leap-frogging Setubal, whose limp performance has left them bottom of the table.

P. Ferreira 1-1 Leixoes

Pacos de Ferreira and Leixoes battled out at 1-1 draw at the Mata Real, leaving both sides hovering precariously above the relegation spaces, in 11th and 13th place respectively. The game was played out in difficult conditions, with heavy downpours battering the pitch, and leaving both sides struggling to cope with the adverse weather. The home-side opened the scoring in the 51st minute, with Maykon crossing brilliantly for William who finished coolly from point blank range. The home side controlled large parts of the game, and were unlucky not to bag all three points. The equaliser came deep into the second-half, with Danielson handling needlessly, and Morais making no mistake from the penalty spot for the visitors, providing Leixoes with a valuable point away from home

Belenenses 2-2 Maritimo

Belenenses scuppered a two goal lead against Maritimo in an entertaining game that finished level at the Estadio do Restelo. Belenenses have had a weak season up until this point, and were in desperate need of a victory against European-chasing Maritimo. Following a goalless first half, the visitors' goalkeeper Pecanha was sent-off after bringing down Belenenses Lima in the area, who then converted the ensuing penalty in the 55th minute. Belenenses doubled their lead in the 68th minute, when the in-form Lima took the ball from the half-way line in a speedy counter-attack and ran the ball into the area, before slotting the ball past substitute goalkeeper Marcelo. As 10-man Maritimo struggled to react, they were handed a lifeline in the 77th minute when Kleber crossed into the area, only for Belenenses’ centre-back Beto to deflect the ball into his own net. Maritimo then completed their fight-back with three minutes to spare, when a Bruno free-kick caused a scramble on the goal-line, resulting in Manu grabbing an equaliser. This result leaves Belenenses one point above the relegation zone in 14th place, and keeps Maritimo in the fight for a European spot with 16 points in fifth place.

Manuel Carvalho, Goal.com

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