Portuguese Liga Sagres Review

Leixoes were left mired in a relegation battle after they squandered a one-goal lead against Maritimo in a stormy match in the Liga Sagres.

Hugo Morais put the hosts ahead after just five minutes but Maritimo were level only five minutes later through Mourtala Diakite.

Leixoes were then reduced to 10 men with less than a quarter of an hour gone when da Silva Caue was shown a straight red card.

Maritimo took advantage with what turned out to be the winning goal by Pinheiro Kleber after 19 minutes.

They too, though, went down to 10 men when Diakite was sent off for a second bookable offence after an hour but they held out to establish themselves in mid-table and leave their opponents second from bottom.

Liga Sagres Saturday Review

Benfica moved level with Braga at the top of the Liga Sagres after a 1-0 win at Rio Ave.

Javier Saviola scored the only goal two minutes into the second half as Benfica clinched an 11th win from 15 games this season to join Braga on 36 points at the top of the standings.

Sporting are fourth after a 1-0 home win over Leixoes, with Antonio Leonel Tonel on target and the visitors finishing the match with 10 men after Bruno Gallo was sent off for two bookable offences.

In the day's other clash, Henrique Sereno scored the only goal as sixth-placed Guimaraes claimed a 1-0 win at Maritimo, who had Marcelo Bruno sent off.

Portuguese Liga Review

Liga basement boys Olhanense earned a rare point tonight with a 2-2 draw at fellow strugglers Leixoes.

Liga basement boys Olhanense earned a rare point tonight with a 2-2 draw at fellow strugglers Leixoes.

Leixoes twice took the lead, through Christian Pouga in the 29th minute and Tiago Cintra four minutes after the hour mark.

Olhanense's levellers came through Tiago Rabiola (31) and Andre Castro 15 minutes before the end.

Portuguese Liga Review

A second-half goal by substitute Roberto saw Guimaraes edge out Belenenses in the Portuguese Liga.

The Brazilian struck just a minute after replacing Melo Rui Miguel to score the only goal of the game as the visitors claimed their fourth win of the season and condemned their hosts to their fifth defeat.

Belenenses' night deteriorated further when Andre Almeida was sent off 10 minutes from time.

The result sees Guimaraes climb to ninth in the table but Belenenses are deep in trouble, just two points off the bottom.

Portuguese Liga Review

Oscar Cardozo hit a hat-trick as Benfica joined Braga at the top of the Liga tonight with a 4-0 thrashing of Academica. Benfica

Cardozo opened the scoring at the Estadio da Luz after six minutes and netted again after 55 and 69 minutes to complete his treble. Javier Saviola also scored for Benfica, in the 32nd minute.

Braga's surprise draw against Leixoes last night had given Benfica the opportunity to join them on 29 points after 12 games, and the Lisbon giants ruthlessly carried out their task.

Maritimo moved up to third place with a 5-2 drubbing of second-bottom side Olhanense, thanks to goals from Djalma, Bruno, Alonso and Baba Diawara, who scored twice.

Olhanense twice drew level, with goals from Djalmir and Tengarrinha, before being overpowered.

Portuguese Liga Friday Review

Guimaraes eased their relegation fears with a 2-0 win away to Olhanense which left their hosts in the bottom four of the Portuguese Liga.

Lopes Nuno Assis opened the scoring for the visitors after 21 minutes before Felipe Tigrao wrapped up the win with 23 minutes to go.

The win moved Guimaraes five points clear of their opponents.

Portuguese Liga Review

Braga slipped to their first defeat of the Liga season at Guimaraes.

Yves Desmarets' 30th-minute goal condemned the leaders to a 1-0 defeat and kept them just three points ahead of second-placed Benfica, who have a game in hand.

Elsewhere, Olhanense had Miguel Garcia sent off in the last minute as they drew 0-0 at fellow strugglers Vitoria Setubal.

Portuguese Liga Review

Porto moved three points behind Portuguese Liga leaders Braga with a 3-2 defeat of Academica.

The defending champions went ahead through Mariano Gonzalez's 65th-minute strike and three minutes later they were 2-0 up when substitute Ernesto Farias scored.

Miguel Pedro pulled one back for the visitors, but Farias added his second eight minutes from time and Moudou Sougou's goal proved too late for Academica, who remain without a win at the bottom of the table.

Elsewhere, seventh-placed Maritimo claimed a 3-1 win over Pacos Ferreira, with Campos Djalma scoring twice.

An own goal from Maciel Ozeia put Maritimo on their way and Djalma added a second before Manuel Jose was sent off at the end of the first half to make the visitors' task more difficult.

Djalma scored his second two minutes into the second half and Olimpio Leonel scored a consolation for the visitors after 80 minutes.

Ladji Keita scored the only goal as Vitoria Setubal claimed a 1-0 win over Leixoes.

Vitoria are 12th after a second win of the season, while Leixoes suffered a fourth loss and are ninth.

Portuguese Liga Saturday Review

Braga moved three points clear at the top of the Portuguese Liga with a 1-1 draw at Rio Ave.

Joao Tomas opened the scoring after nine minutes for the hosts but Evaldo netted on the half-hour to earn Braga a share of the spoils.

Elsewhere, Uniao Leiria beat Naval 2-0 with first-half goals from Silva Carlao and Vargas Barbosa Cassio.

Portuguese Liga Friday Review

Belenenses and Olhanense battled out a goalless draw in the only match in the Portuguese Liga.

Bernardo Tengarrinha was sent off for the visitors nine minutes from time but hosts Belenenses could not take advantage of their extra man.

The result saw Olhanense and Belenenses each climb two places to 11th and 12th respectively in the standings.

Portuguese Liga Friday Review

Two goals from Papa Baba Diawara helped Maritimo post a 4-2 victory over winless Academica in the Portuguese Liga.

Marcinho opened the scoring for the visitors on the quarter hour with Baba Diawara making it 2-0 in the 36th minute.

Substitute Nuno Miguel Fidalgo halved the deficit at the start of the second half, but Baba Diawara grabbed his second after 68 minutes before Marcelo Bruno put further space between the two teams.

Moudou Sougou pulled another goal back for Academica soon after but it was too little to late for the basement club, who fell to their fourth defeat of the season.

Liga Sagres Saturday Review

An early goal from Radamel Falcao settled the big game in the Liga Sagres as FC Porto defeated nine-man Sporting 1-0.

Falcao netted in the third minute while the Lisbon side's hopes of a comeback were hit by the sendings off of Correa Anderson Polga and Miguel Veloso in the second half.

The result moved third-placed Porto three points ahead of their rivals.

Benfica closed to within two points of leaders Braga with a 5-0 thrashing of Leixoes.

David Luiz scored the opener on the stroke of half-time and second-half efforts from Oscar Cardozo (penalty), Nascimento Ramires, Victorio Maxi Pereira and Cardozo again wrapped up a comprehensive victory.

Leixoes also finished the match with nine men, Christian Pouga seeing red in the 28th minute and Miguel Nuno Silva following 10 minutes after half-time in the penalty incident.

Naval claimed their first victory of the campaign, a double from substitute Mehdi Kerrouche earning a 2-1 victory over Maritimo.

Pacos Ferreira were 1-0 winners over Vitoria Setubal thanks to Araujo Maykon's early goal while Rio Ave and Academica drew 0-0.

Portuguese Liga Sunday Review

Benfica needed a late penalty from Oscar Cardoza to beat Uniao Leiria 2-1 as they closed the gap at the top of the Portuguese Liga to two points.

Benfica led through Javier Saviola's fourth minute strike, but gifted the hosts an equaliser when David Luiz scored an 18th minute own goal.

The win gives Benfica 13 points, with Braga on 15 after beating Porto 1-0 last night.

Nacional played 45 minutes with only 10 men but nevertheless picked up their first win of the season in beating Maritimo 2-1 thanks to Edgar's brace.

The Brazilian but Nacional ahead in the 35th minute, but they were reduced to 10 men when Luis Alberto saw red on the stroke of half-time.

Substitute Campos Djalma levelled for Maritimo just after the hour mark, but Edgar's second won it 13 minutes from time.

Struggling Vitoria Setubal also picked up their first win as Przemyslaw Kazmierczak's 27th minute strike was enough to win 1-0 at Naval.

Academica and Belenenses shared the spoils from a 1-1 draw after Mourtala Diakite cancelled out Miguel Pedro's early strike.

Portuguese Liga Saturday Review

FC Porto went top of the Portuguese Liga as they beat Leixoes 4-1.

Porto went top of the Liga this evening as they beat Leixoes 4-1.

All four home goals came in the first half, with Silvestre Varela opening the scoring after 20 minutes and Hulk doubling the lead from the spot three minutes later.

Goals from Rolando (33) and Falcao (42) killed the game off, though substitute Christian Pouga pulled one back 14 minutes from time.

Porto's time at the top could be under 24 hours depending on results from other matches.

Elsewhere, Rio Ave claimed their second win of the campaign - 2-0 over Nacional - to go fourth.

The goals came from Joao Tomas (33) and Vitor Gomes (63), but it was not all good news as they finished the game with 10 men after Andre Vilas Boas was sent off (73).

Portuguese Liga Review

Olhanense and Uniao Leiria played out an uninspiring goalless draw in the Portuguese Liga.

The teams lie second and third respectively behind Braga in the fledgling standings after what for each side was their second match, with the rest of the sides having played just once.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men by the 89th-minute dismissal of Mamadou Tall.

Portuguese Liga Sagres Review

Braga claimed a 1-0 win over Academica on the opening weekend of the Liga Sagres season.

Albert Ze Meyong scored the winner with just three minutes to go.

Academica's frustration boiled over late on with Paulo Sergio seeing red in the 89th minute.

In today's other game, Nacional drew 1-1 with last season's runners-up Sporting Lisbon.

Francisco Jairo scored at both ends, his opener putting Nacional ahead after 26 minutes but his own goal with 15 minutes to go denying his side a memorable win.