Taca de Portugal preview: Porto gearing up for all-Primeira Liga showdown in fourth round

November 22, 2019 By Ali M.

Topics: TV Schedules, Benfica, Porto, Braga, Rio Ave, Alverca, Taca de Portugal

Elsewhere, Benfica will take on Vizela while Rio Ave will battle it out with Alverca, the team that knocked out reigning champions Sporting CP.

The Taca de Portugal returns to action on Saturday, with round four ushering in back club football after taking a short hiatus for the international break. Everything kicks off today on Friday with Santa Clara's trip to Leixões but fans will have to wait until Saturday to catch the country's top sides in action.

Four of the Primeira Liga's top 10 sides will take to the field on Saturday, with two locking horns. They are ninth-placed Braga and tenth-placed Gil Vicente. This will be their first encounter since playing out a 1-1 draw in the league in late August.

A few hours after that game, Benfica will kick off their fourth-round tie, taking on Vizela. The Eagles, who currently lead the Portuguese top-flight, booked their ticket to this round courtesy of a 4-0 win over Cova Piedade and are aiming to make the next round. Lifting the title will be their objective and given the surprise exit of titleholders Sporting CP, one big rival no longer stands in their path. Third-placed Famalicão take Académica on Saturday as well.

On Sunday, the likes of Porto, Rio Ave, and Belenenses will be in action. The Dragons will be involved in an all-Primeira Liga affair, taking on Setubal. Porto have lost only twice in their last 16 games in all competitions and both those defeats were in Europe, not domestic games. Their opposition, meanwhile, boast only three wins from their last 13.

Rio Ave, who sit sixth in the standings and are not far off a European spot, take on Alverca, the very team that eliminated Sporting CP in the previous round. Will the Portuguese 3rd division side take out another heavyweight? Tune in to find out.

Friday, November 22, 2019