Round 10 of the Liga ZON Sagres sees the great classic of Portuguese football between FC Porto and Benfica, with the Monday night game between Sporting and Guimaraes also providing a mouth-watering second course.
A resplendent 2010/11 version of FC Porto know that if they beat bitter rivals Benfica at home on Sunday evening they will create a 10-gap at the top of the table. Given the form of Porto and all their title rivals this season, it is no exaggeration to say the title will be practically wrapped up by the start of November.
Guimaraes and Sporting (3rd and 4th in the table respectively) will be looking to take advantage of the fact that at least one of the top two must drop points.
Elsewhere Braga will strive to take their good recent European form into domestic play, while Maritimo will look to continue their steady climb away from the basement.
Rio Ave produced the performance of the previous round by beating Braga to record their first League win of the season. Carlos Brito’s men need to build on that excellent result if they want to pull away from the relegation zone. Vitoria Setubal continue to struggle for goals (only 5 scored in 9 league matches) and will be hoping to put that right so as not to get sucked into a relegation dogfight themselves.
These two mid-table teams are separated by two points and two places and both will see this match as an opportunity to approach the European qualification places. Paços have won many friends in Portugal with their attacking style of play but will need to be at their best to overcome a Nacional side that has won three of their last four matches in all competitions.
These are worrying times for Portimonense, who have lost three on the bounce and look to be fulfilling many people’s expectations as one of the relegation favourites. With fellow strugglers Rio Ave and Maritimo starting to show signs of recuperation, the Algarve side need to get something out of this weekend’s clash but it won’t be easy against Jorge Costa’s well organised Academica.
Naval’s season has been an unmitigated disaster, with 8 defeats in 10 games thus far and a measly five goals scored. Olhanense will view this fixture as a chance to get back on track after falling away in recent weeks.
After a disastrous start to their domestic season Maritimo are showing signs of picking up with two draws and two wins in their last four matches. Leiria are going in the opposite direction and come into the match on the back of four straight defeats. If that becomes five on Sunday Pedro Caixinha’s side will be hovering dangerously close to the drop zone.
Inconsistency has been the major problem for Braga this season, as exemplified by their shock defeat to struggling Rio Ave last weekend, followed up by an excellent win in Serbia against Partizan Belgrade in the Champions League.
Braga’s flying forward Matheus is expected to play despite fracturing a bone in his hand and Domingos Paciencia’s side will fancy their chances against a Beira-Mar team that has only picked up two points from a possible twelve away from home.
The match-up between Portugal’s two biggest clubs is always a keenly anticipated fixture in the Portuguese soccer calendar and this Sunday’s clash is no different.
FC Porto will view the game as an opportunity to virtually seal the title after only a third of the season. The Dragons have been in awesome form in 2010/11, and victory against the old enemy will put them 10 points clear at the top the table. Considering the fact that Porto have dropped only two points all season, such a lead would appear to be decisive.
Therefore Benfica know they must grab at the very least a draw at the Estadio do Dragao if they are to harbour hopes of holding on to their status as Portuguese champions.
There are injury problems on both sides. Porto are sweating on the fitness of their key holding midfielder Fernando, while Benfica are still without their number one striker Oscar Cardozo. Expect fireworks on Sunday night.
The Monday night game is a fascinating encounter as 4th-placed Sporting host 3rd-placed Vitoria Guimaraes. In the knowledge that one or both of the top two must necessarily lost points this weekend, both teams will be keen to take advantage to edge closer to the top of the standings.
Sporting’s recent resurgence was rudely interrupted in midweek as they went down to Gent in the Europa League, albeit with a largely second-string team.
Jaime Valdes produced a masterclass in his new position sitting just behind lone striker Helder Postiga in last weekend’s victory at Leiria, and coach Paulo Sergio is likely to stick to a formula that worked so well.
As usual, one of Portugal’s most consistent coaches, Manuel Machado, has been quietly going about his business in an efficient manner, and in beanpole striker Edgar Silva, Guimaraes possess one of the most dangerous marksmen in the country. All in all an enticing match in prospect and one that is too close to call.
Guimaraes and Sporting (3rd and 4th in the table respectively) will be looking to take advantage of the fact that at least one of the top two must drop points.
Elsewhere Braga will strive to take their good recent European form into domestic play, while Maritimo will look to continue their steady climb away from the basement.
Rio Ave produced the performance of the previous round by beating Braga to record their first League win of the season. Carlos Brito’s men need to build on that excellent result if they want to pull away from the relegation zone. Vitoria Setubal continue to struggle for goals (only 5 scored in 9 league matches) and will be hoping to put that right so as not to get sucked into a relegation dogfight themselves.
These two mid-table teams are separated by two points and two places and both will see this match as an opportunity to approach the European qualification places. Paços have won many friends in Portugal with their attacking style of play but will need to be at their best to overcome a Nacional side that has won three of their last four matches in all competitions.
These are worrying times for Portimonense, who have lost three on the bounce and look to be fulfilling many people’s expectations as one of the relegation favourites. With fellow strugglers Rio Ave and Maritimo starting to show signs of recuperation, the Algarve side need to get something out of this weekend’s clash but it won’t be easy against Jorge Costa’s well organised Academica.
Naval’s season has been an unmitigated disaster, with 8 defeats in 10 games thus far and a measly five goals scored. Olhanense will view this fixture as a chance to get back on track after falling away in recent weeks.
After a disastrous start to their domestic season Maritimo are showing signs of picking up with two draws and two wins in their last four matches. Leiria are going in the opposite direction and come into the match on the back of four straight defeats. If that becomes five on Sunday Pedro Caixinha’s side will be hovering dangerously close to the drop zone.
Inconsistency has been the major problem for Braga this season, as exemplified by their shock defeat to struggling Rio Ave last weekend, followed up by an excellent win in Serbia against Partizan Belgrade in the Champions League.
Braga’s flying forward Matheus is expected to play despite fracturing a bone in his hand and Domingos Paciencia’s side will fancy their chances against a Beira-Mar team that has only picked up two points from a possible twelve away from home.
The match-up between Portugal’s two biggest clubs is always a keenly anticipated fixture in the Portuguese soccer calendar and this Sunday’s clash is no different.
FC Porto will view the game as an opportunity to virtually seal the title after only a third of the season. The Dragons have been in awesome form in 2010/11, and victory against the old enemy will put them 10 points clear at the top the table. Considering the fact that Porto have dropped only two points all season, such a lead would appear to be decisive.
Therefore Benfica know they must grab at the very least a draw at the Estadio do Dragao if they are to harbour hopes of holding on to their status as Portuguese champions.
There are injury problems on both sides. Porto are sweating on the fitness of their key holding midfielder Fernando, while Benfica are still without their number one striker Oscar Cardozo. Expect fireworks on Sunday night.
The Monday night game is a fascinating encounter as 4th-placed Sporting host 3rd-placed Vitoria Guimaraes. In the knowledge that one or both of the top two must necessarily lost points this weekend, both teams will be keen to take advantage to edge closer to the top of the standings.
Sporting’s recent resurgence was rudely interrupted in midweek as they went down to Gent in the Europa League, albeit with a largely second-string team.
Jaime Valdes produced a masterclass in his new position sitting just behind lone striker Helder Postiga in last weekend’s victory at Leiria, and coach Paulo Sergio is likely to stick to a formula that worked so well.
As usual, one of Portugal’s most consistent coaches, Manuel Machado, has been quietly going about his business in an efficient manner, and in beanpole striker Edgar Silva, Guimaraes possess one of the most dangerous marksmen in the country. All in all an enticing match in prospect and one that is too close to call.
