The weekend action in Portugal sees the leading three with seemingly straightforward missions, while just behind them 4th-placed Vitoria Guimaraes and 5th-placed Nacional lock horns at the Dom Afonso Henriques.
Sporting’s star striker of the last seven years, Liedson, takes his final bow at the Alvalade on Friday night before completing his transfer back to Brazil with Corinthians. The Levezinho will want to bow out by adding at least one more to his incredible goal tally of 171 for the Lisbon club.
Benfica refuse to throw in the towel in the championship race despite an 11-point deficit behind FC Porto at the top of the table (albeit with a game in hand). Eleven is also the number of consecutive victories Benfica have clocked up and Jorge Jesus’ team will expect to extend that run away at struggling Vitoria Setubal.
FC Porto suffered a rare defeat in midweek, precisely against Benfica in the Portuguese Cup. Rio Ave are next up at the Estadio do Dragao, and given the awful run of form of the team from Vila do Conde, Porto should get back on track without too much trouble.
Elsewhere, the pick of the games sees a battle between aspirants for European qualification, Vitoria Guimaraes and Nacional.
Never before and probably never again will a Sporting-Naval match be so highly emotionally charged. Sporting’s iconic striker, Liedson, will pull on the green and white shirt for the last time after more than 300 games and 171 goals for the Lions.
The 33-year-old Brazilian known as Levezinho (the light one), is to return to his homeland and see out his career at Corinthians, and the entire Sporting nation shall be willing him on to score one last goal as the adoring fans say their goodbyes.
Naval coach Carlos Mozer lavished generous praise on his compatriot in the lead-up to the match, but will be doing everything within his power to ruin the love-in. The Figueira da Foz team has improved markedly since Mozer’s arrival over the Christmas break (one defeat in five matches) but need every point they can muster if they want to haul themselves out of the relegation zone.
A plethora of new arrivals at both clubs over the transfer window has generated a lot of interest in a game between two teams who would expect to be far higher up the table than they are at this stage of the season.
Expectations are high regarding Braga’s loan signing of Ukra from FC Porto and Maritimo’s capture of Edinho, also on loan, from Malaga.
Braga can ill afford another defeat as they attempt to get into the mix for a European berth. Maritimo coach Pedro Martins last week intimated that even given their lowly position he still believes qualification for the Europa League for a second successive season is possible. A tricky one to call.
After losing influential pair Jardel and Vinicius in the transfer window, Olhanense will be relieved they managed to capture Cape Verdean striker Dady shortly before the deadline closed. The lanky forward scored plenty of goals in the top flight in his Belenenses days and just 7 goals scored in their last 10 games suggests the Algarve club could do with some help in that department.
Uniao de Leiria are yet to win this calendar year, and failure to pick up three points on Sunday will see their challenge for a European berth start to dwindle.
Paços have been a breath of fresh air all season, but it is since the turn of the year that Rui Vitoria’s team have hit overdrive, winning four and drawing two matches in January, including spectacular wins at both Sporting and Braga.
They will fancy their chances of picking up another victory against a Portimonense side in a sorry state. The Algarve outfit have not won in 14 attempts.
It’s fourth versus fifth at the Dom Afonso Henriques. As well as consolidating their efforts to qualify for next season’s Europa League, both teams will have half on eye on third place in the table given Sporting’s chronic inconsistency this term.
Guimaraes will start favorites given their hot run of form (five wins in last six matches) and the fact they will benefit from home advantage and their always fervent support. But Nacional have been playing well recently, losing only to Benfica and FC Porto in their last nine matches, so an intriguing clash in prospect.
After making a solid start to the season the wheels are threatening to come off at Beira-Mar, with just two wins in their last ten matches in all competitions. Academica’s season has followed a similarly downward spiral after a promising start.
Both clubs are a considerable distance from the drop zone, but Academica especially will be acutely aware that defeat here and they will be in serious danger of getting sucked into a relegation battle.
Porto suffered only their second defeat all season in midweek as they were outfoxed by Benfica in the Portuguese Cup. Andre Villas-Boas will be keen to see his players bounce straight back to winning ways and cast aside the increasingly voiced notion that his side could yet stumble in the championship race.
While the Dragons have continued to clock up positive results, their performance level is significantly lower than the crushing attacking machine of early 2010/11.
Lowly Rio Ave would appear the perfect opponent to get back on track. Carlos Brito’s team are in a terrible rut. Having lost five straight games they are staring down the barrel of a tough relegation battle.
All is rosy in the Benfica garden. The Eagles are on an amazing 11-game winning run and the convincing manner of their Portuguese Cup success against FC Porto has got their fans believing they are still in with a chance of catching the Dragons at the top of the table and renewing their championship title.
In stark contrast, Vitoria come into the match having won just one of their last 9 league matches and confrontations between some of their players and a group of disgruntled fans during a training session earlier this week will have done nothing to raise the team’s ebbing morale.
Anything other than an away win will constitute a major surprise.
Benfica refuse to throw in the towel in the championship race despite an 11-point deficit behind FC Porto at the top of the table (albeit with a game in hand). Eleven is also the number of consecutive victories Benfica have clocked up and Jorge Jesus’ team will expect to extend that run away at struggling Vitoria Setubal.
FC Porto suffered a rare defeat in midweek, precisely against Benfica in the Portuguese Cup. Rio Ave are next up at the Estadio do Dragao, and given the awful run of form of the team from Vila do Conde, Porto should get back on track without too much trouble.
Elsewhere, the pick of the games sees a battle between aspirants for European qualification, Vitoria Guimaraes and Nacional.
Never before and probably never again will a Sporting-Naval match be so highly emotionally charged. Sporting’s iconic striker, Liedson, will pull on the green and white shirt for the last time after more than 300 games and 171 goals for the Lions.
The 33-year-old Brazilian known as Levezinho (the light one), is to return to his homeland and see out his career at Corinthians, and the entire Sporting nation shall be willing him on to score one last goal as the adoring fans say their goodbyes.
Naval coach Carlos Mozer lavished generous praise on his compatriot in the lead-up to the match, but will be doing everything within his power to ruin the love-in. The Figueira da Foz team has improved markedly since Mozer’s arrival over the Christmas break (one defeat in five matches) but need every point they can muster if they want to haul themselves out of the relegation zone.
A plethora of new arrivals at both clubs over the transfer window has generated a lot of interest in a game between two teams who would expect to be far higher up the table than they are at this stage of the season.
Expectations are high regarding Braga’s loan signing of Ukra from FC Porto and Maritimo’s capture of Edinho, also on loan, from Malaga.
Braga can ill afford another defeat as they attempt to get into the mix for a European berth. Maritimo coach Pedro Martins last week intimated that even given their lowly position he still believes qualification for the Europa League for a second successive season is possible. A tricky one to call.
After losing influential pair Jardel and Vinicius in the transfer window, Olhanense will be relieved they managed to capture Cape Verdean striker Dady shortly before the deadline closed. The lanky forward scored plenty of goals in the top flight in his Belenenses days and just 7 goals scored in their last 10 games suggests the Algarve club could do with some help in that department.
Uniao de Leiria are yet to win this calendar year, and failure to pick up three points on Sunday will see their challenge for a European berth start to dwindle.
Paços have been a breath of fresh air all season, but it is since the turn of the year that Rui Vitoria’s team have hit overdrive, winning four and drawing two matches in January, including spectacular wins at both Sporting and Braga.
They will fancy their chances of picking up another victory against a Portimonense side in a sorry state. The Algarve outfit have not won in 14 attempts.
It’s fourth versus fifth at the Dom Afonso Henriques. As well as consolidating their efforts to qualify for next season’s Europa League, both teams will have half on eye on third place in the table given Sporting’s chronic inconsistency this term.
Guimaraes will start favorites given their hot run of form (five wins in last six matches) and the fact they will benefit from home advantage and their always fervent support. But Nacional have been playing well recently, losing only to Benfica and FC Porto in their last nine matches, so an intriguing clash in prospect.
After making a solid start to the season the wheels are threatening to come off at Beira-Mar, with just two wins in their last ten matches in all competitions. Academica’s season has followed a similarly downward spiral after a promising start.
Both clubs are a considerable distance from the drop zone, but Academica especially will be acutely aware that defeat here and they will be in serious danger of getting sucked into a relegation battle.
Porto suffered only their second defeat all season in midweek as they were outfoxed by Benfica in the Portuguese Cup. Andre Villas-Boas will be keen to see his players bounce straight back to winning ways and cast aside the increasingly voiced notion that his side could yet stumble in the championship race.
While the Dragons have continued to clock up positive results, their performance level is significantly lower than the crushing attacking machine of early 2010/11.
Lowly Rio Ave would appear the perfect opponent to get back on track. Carlos Brito’s team are in a terrible rut. Having lost five straight games they are staring down the barrel of a tough relegation battle.
All is rosy in the Benfica garden. The Eagles are on an amazing 11-game winning run and the convincing manner of their Portuguese Cup success against FC Porto has got their fans believing they are still in with a chance of catching the Dragons at the top of the table and renewing their championship title.
In stark contrast, Vitoria come into the match having won just one of their last 9 league matches and confrontations between some of their players and a group of disgruntled fans during a training session earlier this week will have done nothing to raise the team’s ebbing morale.
Anything other than an away win will constitute a major surprise.
