Liga ZON Sagres - Week 8 Preview. The Liga ZON Sagres kicks back into action this weekend after taking a back seat for what seems an eternity because of the international break and the Portuguese Cup.
by Tom Kundert
After dropping their first points of the season in the 1-1 draw at Vitoria Guimaraes three weeks ago, leaders FC Porto will be striving to get back to winning ways as they welcome Uniao de Leiria to the Estadio do Dragao.
Benfica face a tricky trip to the Algarve to take on Portimonense in the knowledge that they cannot afford to let Porto increase their 7-point lead at the summit of the table, while Sporting and Braga will be gunning for home wins to get among the leading pack.
Academica will be looking to maintain their solid start to the season on the newly laid pitch in the wake of U2’s concert at the Estadio Cidade de Coimbra. Flying Senegalese winger Sougou, scorer of four goals so far in 2010/11, is the home side’s most potent threat.
Nacional have arrested a poor run with two straight victories, scoring seven goals in the process, and this is the sort of fixture the Madeira club will look to take points from if they are to mount a challenge for a European berth.
Paços will start strong favourites. Sitting comfortably in mid-table the Castores are unbeaten at home whereas Beira-Mar are yet to win away. The newly promoted side from Aveiro have been further rocked in recent days by news that financial problems may force the club out of their stadium.
Guimaraes have enjoyed a wonderful start to the season. A run of just one defeat in seven matches, including a win and a draw against Benfica and FC Porto respectively, sees Manuel Machado’s side sitting pretty in second place in the table.
Setubal, on the other hand, find themselves near the wrong end of the table and must quickly address a chronic lack of goals if they are not to get sucked into a relegation battle. The Sadinos have scored a paltry 3 goals in their 7 Liga matches to date.
Perhaps the stand-out match of the weekend, Braga will be desperate to clock up three points against the surprise package of the season so far. The Arsenalistas gave themselves a much needed shot in the arm in midweek with a crucial Champions League victory over Partizan Belgrade – the first ever win the competition proper for Domingos Paciencia’s men.
But they face an Olhanense team transformed by coach Dauto Faquira. The Algarve club have lost only one game all season, away at runaway leaders FC Porto, and Braga will be hard pressed to breach a defence that has conceded only four goals in seven games.
A proverbial six-pointer if ever there was one. Maritimo have been hugely disappointing this season and sit rock bottom of the table – deservedly so. Naval have been little better and even at this embryonic stage of the season this game has the feel of a relegation dogfight. Both clubs have sacked and hired new coaches in recent weeks without any noticeable upturn in fortunes. Don’t expect a classic.
If Sporting are to mount any kind of title challenge this season they must use Sunday’s match against strugglers Rio Ave to shake off their bipolar behaviour when it comes to the Liga ZON Sagres and other competitions. Seven wins in eight European and Portuguese Cup games, in which they have scored 20 goals, contrasts starkly with a record of just two victories and six goals in seven league matches.
A home game against struggling Rio Ave – joint bottom of the standings and yet to win in the Liga this season – appears a good launch pad to get their domestic season back on track.
Rio Ave have had a wretched start to the 2010/11 and with Sporting’s strike partners Postiga and Liedson back on the goal trail, it is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Modest outfit Portimonense are making a brave fist of their first campaign in the Portuguese top flight for two decades, but the Algarvians will have their work cut out against the reigning champions Benfica.
Not that Jorge Jesus’ side have hit anywhere near the heights of the exhilarating football they showed last season. A dispiriting defeat in Lyon in the Champions League on Wednesday will have done little to help Benfica’s confidence levels.
But the Eagles are acutely aware that they cannot afford any more dropped points before they travel to leaders FC Porto in Round 10. Benfica will continue to do without last season’s top scorer in Portugal, Oscar Cardozo, who is out with a knee injury. However, the gulf in class between the two squads points towards an away win.
Porto have been in awesome form this season, winning 13 of 14 games in all competitions in 2010/11 as they aim to swiftly regain their hegemony of Portuguese football that was rudely interrupted last year by Benfica.
Powerful front man Hulk has been unstoppable this season, and already has 10 goals to his name in all competitions. He forms a lethal partnership with Colombian striker Falcao – one or the other or both have scored in all but two of Porto’s matches this season.
Uniao de Leiria are doing better than expected in the league, but took a body blow last weekend as they were knocked out of the Portuguese Cup at the hands of lower-league side Uniao da Madeira. Difficult to see beyond a routine home win in this one.
After dropping their first points of the season in the 1-1 draw at Vitoria Guimaraes three weeks ago, leaders FC Porto will be striving to get back to winning ways as they welcome Uniao de Leiria to the Estadio do Dragao.
Benfica face a tricky trip to the Algarve to take on Portimonense in the knowledge that they cannot afford to let Porto increase their 7-point lead at the summit of the table, while Sporting and Braga will be gunning for home wins to get among the leading pack.
Academica will be looking to maintain their solid start to the season on the newly laid pitch in the wake of U2’s concert at the Estadio Cidade de Coimbra. Flying Senegalese winger Sougou, scorer of four goals so far in 2010/11, is the home side’s most potent threat.
Nacional have arrested a poor run with two straight victories, scoring seven goals in the process, and this is the sort of fixture the Madeira club will look to take points from if they are to mount a challenge for a European berth.
Paços will start strong favourites. Sitting comfortably in mid-table the Castores are unbeaten at home whereas Beira-Mar are yet to win away. The newly promoted side from Aveiro have been further rocked in recent days by news that financial problems may force the club out of their stadium.
Guimaraes have enjoyed a wonderful start to the season. A run of just one defeat in seven matches, including a win and a draw against Benfica and FC Porto respectively, sees Manuel Machado’s side sitting pretty in second place in the table.
Setubal, on the other hand, find themselves near the wrong end of the table and must quickly address a chronic lack of goals if they are not to get sucked into a relegation battle. The Sadinos have scored a paltry 3 goals in their 7 Liga matches to date.
Perhaps the stand-out match of the weekend, Braga will be desperate to clock up three points against the surprise package of the season so far. The Arsenalistas gave themselves a much needed shot in the arm in midweek with a crucial Champions League victory over Partizan Belgrade – the first ever win the competition proper for Domingos Paciencia’s men.
But they face an Olhanense team transformed by coach Dauto Faquira. The Algarve club have lost only one game all season, away at runaway leaders FC Porto, and Braga will be hard pressed to breach a defence that has conceded only four goals in seven games.
A proverbial six-pointer if ever there was one. Maritimo have been hugely disappointing this season and sit rock bottom of the table – deservedly so. Naval have been little better and even at this embryonic stage of the season this game has the feel of a relegation dogfight. Both clubs have sacked and hired new coaches in recent weeks without any noticeable upturn in fortunes. Don’t expect a classic.
If Sporting are to mount any kind of title challenge this season they must use Sunday’s match against strugglers Rio Ave to shake off their bipolar behaviour when it comes to the Liga ZON Sagres and other competitions. Seven wins in eight European and Portuguese Cup games, in which they have scored 20 goals, contrasts starkly with a record of just two victories and six goals in seven league matches.
A home game against struggling Rio Ave – joint bottom of the standings and yet to win in the Liga this season – appears a good launch pad to get their domestic season back on track.
Rio Ave have had a wretched start to the 2010/11 and with Sporting’s strike partners Postiga and Liedson back on the goal trail, it is likely to get worse before it gets better.
Modest outfit Portimonense are making a brave fist of their first campaign in the Portuguese top flight for two decades, but the Algarvians will have their work cut out against the reigning champions Benfica.
Not that Jorge Jesus’ side have hit anywhere near the heights of the exhilarating football they showed last season. A dispiriting defeat in Lyon in the Champions League on Wednesday will have done little to help Benfica’s confidence levels.
But the Eagles are acutely aware that they cannot afford any more dropped points before they travel to leaders FC Porto in Round 10. Benfica will continue to do without last season’s top scorer in Portugal, Oscar Cardozo, who is out with a knee injury. However, the gulf in class between the two squads points towards an away win.
Porto have been in awesome form this season, winning 13 of 14 games in all competitions in 2010/11 as they aim to swiftly regain their hegemony of Portuguese football that was rudely interrupted last year by Benfica.
Powerful front man Hulk has been unstoppable this season, and already has 10 goals to his name in all competitions. He forms a lethal partnership with Colombian striker Falcao – one or the other or both have scored in all but two of Porto’s matches this season.
Uniao de Leiria are doing better than expected in the league, but took a body blow last weekend as they were knocked out of the Portuguese Cup at the hands of lower-league side Uniao da Madeira. Difficult to see beyond a routine home win in this one.
