Sporting came from behind to beat relegation threatened SC Portimonense whilst SC Braga dropped their first points under new boss Rúben Amorim. Early season pace setters Famalicão, who have dropped away recently, were thrashed 7-0 at home by V.Guimarães.
Benfica travelled to Porto hoping to avenge their only league defeat of the season at the hands of their bitter rivals. In a frenetic first-half the home side took the lead through Sérgio Oliveira after ten minutes only to see Carlos Vinícius level the score eight minutes later. Seven minutes before the break Alex Telles restored Porto’s lead from the penalty spot after a controversial VAR handball decision.
Matters got worse for the visitors just prior to the interval when Rúben Dias turned the ball into his own net as he desperately endeavoured to deny Soares a simple tap in.
Shortly after the break Carlos Vinicus reduced the arrears but Benfica failed to pierce the Porto rearguard again and the Dragons held on for all three points.
The Alvalade Stadium was just over half-full as Sporting entertained relegation candidates SC Portimonense who were searching for victory after eight games without success. The Lions started brightly but it was Portimonense who took the lead on twenty-six minutes through Jackson Martinez. Four minutes later Sporting were level from a well judged Jeremy Mathieu free-kick.
Midway through the second-half the Sporting faithful finally had something to cheer when Jovane Cabral’s back-post header across goal was turned into his own net by Jadson as he attempted to stop Andraz Šporar getting the final touch.
SC Braga had won all their seven games under new coach Rúben Amorim and it looked like it would become eight as they struck twice in the first-half against Gil Vicente through Horta (12’) and Esgaio (22’). Gil Vicente bided their time and pulled a goal back through Vitor twenty minutes after interval. The same player made it 2-2 five minutes from time to leave Os Arsenalistas adrift of the top three as Sporting moved into third place.
V.Guimarães 7-0 demolition of Famalicão saw them join a select group of eight clubs who have recorded seven goal victories - away from home - in the 86 years of the top flight of Portuguese football.
Previously only Benfica, Sporting, FC Porto, Belenenses, Estoril-Praia, SC Braga, SC Olhanense and Lusitano de Évora had achieved this feat.