The weekend action in Portugal is dominated by the clash of the titans on Sunday night between Benfica and champions elect FC Porto.
Victory for Porto will mathematically clinch the title in, of all places, the stadium of their hated rivals. As Jesualdo Ferreira, the former coach of the two giants of Portuguese football succinctly put it: “For FC Porto it’s a match where the title is at stake, for Benfica it’s a match where pride is at stake.”
Elsewhere Sporting face a tough challenge to snap out of their poor run of form as they travel to Vitoria Guimaraes, while at the bottom of the table a crucial six-pointer sees Academica host Portimonense.
Leiria go into the match in a terrible state, having won only once and scored just two goals in the ten matches they have played in 2011. Maritimo, on the other hand, have found their scoring touch with two big wins in their last two matches to definitively kick their relegation concerns into touch. Indeed, another win on Friday and the Madeira team may even feel a late run for Europe is on the cards.
Academica have little time to dwell on the disappointment of their Portuguese Cup semi-final defeat against Vitoria Guimaraes last weekend. The Estudantes are uncomfortably near the relegation zone, and defeat on Saturday will leave them just three points above the drop zone.
Portimonense will look at this match as a must-win game. The Algarve outfit seemed dead and buried a few short weeks ago, but a five-game unbeaten run has breathed fire into Carlos Azenha’s team. Portimonense know they must overtake either Academica or Vitoria Setubal (who they also play before the end of the season) to remain in the top flight. Without doubt this is a genuine six-pointer in Coimbra.
Braga go into the match riding the crest of the wave after a memorable March. As well as knocking the mighty Liverpool out of the Europa League, the Arsenalistas won three straight games in the league to move to within striking distance of third-placed Sporting. Safely positioned in mid-table, Beira-Mar have little to play for but coach Rui Bento will want to continue the promising start to his tenure at the Aveiro club.
In the last round of matches Rio Ave’s impressive run of form was brought to a halt with a narrow defeat at Braga, while Vitoria gave their survival chances a huge boost with a rare victory against Nacional. Neither team usually scores or concedes many goals, although when they met in the reverse fixture earlier in the season a cracking 3-3 draw ensued.
It’s difficult not to feel sympathy for Naval coach Carlos Mozer. The Brazilian took over a club in complete disarray in early January and brought about an immediate improvement. Yet despite losing only two games out of twelve, an upturn in results of the other clubs around them at the foot of the table and the fact they had so much ground to make up, has combined to leave them still rooted to the bottom of the standings seven points adrift of safety.
Olhanense have hit a rough run of form, but are difficult to beat on their home patch. A draw looks a likely outcome.
Vitoria Guimaraes were given a huge fillip last weekend as they made it to the Portuguese Cup final for the first time in 23 years. Although inconsistent in the league, the hosts, who are know guaranteed European football next season, will be looking to finish as high as possible and to maintain their form ahead of the showpiece final that brings down the curtain on the domestic season in Portugal.
As for Sporting, “we no longer have the excuse of instability,” says Joao Pereira, after the Lisbon club’s presidential election last weekend voted in the new backroom team, led by Godinho Lopes. With wholesale changes already announced by the new regime, many of the squad now they have between now and the end of the season to impress enough to remain at the Alvalade.
Furthermore, with Braga breathing down their necks, Sporting will be striving to avoid dropped points which will jeopardize their third-placed standing in the table.
The classico dominates the weekend action in Portugal. A Benfica-Porto match is always a fiercely contested affair, and this has all the ingredients to be an especially fiery clash. Although Benfica have no chance of preventing Porto from lifting the 2010/11 championship crown, they will be desperate to avoid the ignominy of relinquishing their title in their own stadium against their hated northern rivals.
The Dragons have been astonishingly consistent this season, winning 22 and drawing 2 of their 24 games thus far. Although coach Andre Villas-Boas and players alike have downplayed the significance of clinching the league at the Estadio da Luz, privately they would surely love to start the party in the capital on Sunday.
Both teams have a clean bill of health, paving the way for fascinating battles all over the pitch, not least the match-up between Porto’s roving right-sided forward Hulk and Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao – probably the finest two footballers playing in Portugal at this moment in time.
Tune in for the kick-off at 8.30pm local time on Sunday night for what promises to be a memorable encounter.
After looking well placed to fight for a European place Nacional have slipped badly in recent weeks, winning only one of their last 8 matches in the league. Pacos have exceeded all expectations this season, and will be looking to repeat their triumph of one month ago against the same team at the same venue in the Bwin Cup semi-final.
Elsewhere Sporting face a tough challenge to snap out of their poor run of form as they travel to Vitoria Guimaraes, while at the bottom of the table a crucial six-pointer sees Academica host Portimonense.
Leiria go into the match in a terrible state, having won only once and scored just two goals in the ten matches they have played in 2011. Maritimo, on the other hand, have found their scoring touch with two big wins in their last two matches to definitively kick their relegation concerns into touch. Indeed, another win on Friday and the Madeira team may even feel a late run for Europe is on the cards.
Academica have little time to dwell on the disappointment of their Portuguese Cup semi-final defeat against Vitoria Guimaraes last weekend. The Estudantes are uncomfortably near the relegation zone, and defeat on Saturday will leave them just three points above the drop zone.
Portimonense will look at this match as a must-win game. The Algarve outfit seemed dead and buried a few short weeks ago, but a five-game unbeaten run has breathed fire into Carlos Azenha’s team. Portimonense know they must overtake either Academica or Vitoria Setubal (who they also play before the end of the season) to remain in the top flight. Without doubt this is a genuine six-pointer in Coimbra.
Braga go into the match riding the crest of the wave after a memorable March. As well as knocking the mighty Liverpool out of the Europa League, the Arsenalistas won three straight games in the league to move to within striking distance of third-placed Sporting. Safely positioned in mid-table, Beira-Mar have little to play for but coach Rui Bento will want to continue the promising start to his tenure at the Aveiro club.
In the last round of matches Rio Ave’s impressive run of form was brought to a halt with a narrow defeat at Braga, while Vitoria gave their survival chances a huge boost with a rare victory against Nacional. Neither team usually scores or concedes many goals, although when they met in the reverse fixture earlier in the season a cracking 3-3 draw ensued.
It’s difficult not to feel sympathy for Naval coach Carlos Mozer. The Brazilian took over a club in complete disarray in early January and brought about an immediate improvement. Yet despite losing only two games out of twelve, an upturn in results of the other clubs around them at the foot of the table and the fact they had so much ground to make up, has combined to leave them still rooted to the bottom of the standings seven points adrift of safety.
Olhanense have hit a rough run of form, but are difficult to beat on their home patch. A draw looks a likely outcome.
Vitoria Guimaraes were given a huge fillip last weekend as they made it to the Portuguese Cup final for the first time in 23 years. Although inconsistent in the league, the hosts, who are know guaranteed European football next season, will be looking to finish as high as possible and to maintain their form ahead of the showpiece final that brings down the curtain on the domestic season in Portugal.
As for Sporting, “we no longer have the excuse of instability,” says Joao Pereira, after the Lisbon club’s presidential election last weekend voted in the new backroom team, led by Godinho Lopes. With wholesale changes already announced by the new regime, many of the squad now they have between now and the end of the season to impress enough to remain at the Alvalade.
Furthermore, with Braga breathing down their necks, Sporting will be striving to avoid dropped points which will jeopardize their third-placed standing in the table.
The classico dominates the weekend action in Portugal. A Benfica-Porto match is always a fiercely contested affair, and this has all the ingredients to be an especially fiery clash. Although Benfica have no chance of preventing Porto from lifting the 2010/11 championship crown, they will be desperate to avoid the ignominy of relinquishing their title in their own stadium against their hated northern rivals.
The Dragons have been astonishingly consistent this season, winning 22 and drawing 2 of their 24 games thus far. Although coach Andre Villas-Boas and players alike have downplayed the significance of clinching the league at the Estadio da Luz, privately they would surely love to start the party in the capital on Sunday.
Both teams have a clean bill of health, paving the way for fascinating battles all over the pitch, not least the match-up between Porto’s roving right-sided forward Hulk and Benfica left-back Fabio Coentrao – probably the finest two footballers playing in Portugal at this moment in time.
Tune in for the kick-off at 8.30pm local time on Sunday night for what promises to be a memorable encounter.
After looking well placed to fight for a European place Nacional have slipped badly in recent weeks, winning only one of their last 8 matches in the league. Pacos have exceeded all expectations this season, and will be looking to repeat their triumph of one month ago against the same team at the same venue in the Bwin Cup semi-final.
