Week 7 was business as usual in many respects as last season’s top 5 all recorded victories, albeit in narrow fashion, each of them winning by a single goal margin.
Benfica edged Vitória Setúbal, Porto held off Rio Ave and Braga overcame Portimonense. Sporting and Vitória Guimarães both needed late penalties to defeat Desportivo Aves and Paços Ferreira respectively.
Elsewhere the story of the season continued as promoted Famalicão stayed top of Liga NOS after coming from behind to defeat Belenenses.
Benfica 1-0 Vitória Setúbal
Benfica went into the match knowing they could go top of the division at least temporarily, although certainly by their standards their recent form had been inconsistent, with 3 wins, 2 defeats and a draw in the 6 matches prior. On Saturday evening at Estádio da Luz they struggled to really get going, Vitória frustrating the hosts. The defending champions only really managed to test Giorgi Makaridze once, forcing the Georgian into a decent save to deny Pizzi in the 35th minute.
Goalless at the break, Vitória threatened to break the deadlock but Braian Mansilla wasted a great chance in the second half when put clean through, but could only find the side netting. Benfica finally broke down their opponents just past the hour mark, substitute Vinícius showing great skill before scrambling the ball home after Makaridze had moments earlier spectacularly denied Ferro. A red card to Adel Taarabt set up a potentially nervy finish but Bruno Lage’s side held on for an important three points.
Famalicão 3-1 Belenenses
Late on Saturday an expectant and boisterous home crowd waited in expectation for Famalicão to continue their magnificent start to the season, and welcoming a Belenenses side that is in disarray this season seemed like the perfect opportunity to regain top spot. However the away side threatened to upset the odds as they were arguably the better side in the first half in particular, deservedly leading at the break through Tiago Esgaio’s close range effort.
The introduction of Brazilian striker Anderson for Famalicão though completely changed the game, he was involved as the promoted side found themselves level when Belenenses keeper Hervé Koffi failed to keep out Pedro Gonçalves header. Anderson himself then won the game in the final ten minutes, a deadly double securing a 3-1 victory and preserving top spot, a 6th win in 7 Liga NOS matches.
Rio Ave 0-1 Porto
Porto arrived at Estádio dos Arcos under the pressure of playing after fellow pace-setters Famalicão and Benfica, as well as this being a fixture in which they dropped points last season to hand the title advantage to Benfica. Rio Ave also represented a dangerous opposition having already beaten Sporting twice this campaign under the guidance of coach Carlos Carvalhal.
Sérgio Conceição’s side prevailed however with a workman-like performance much in the manager’s mould. In defence Pepe and Marcano were impressive throughout, and in attack the high press of the frontline put Rio Ave under a lot of pressure in the first half. The relentless work-rate of Moussa Marega was a notable facet of Porto’s play, and he scored what would prove the only goal early on, an unstoppable header buried from Alex Telles’ corner.
Rio Ave thought they had levelled in the second period through substitute Mehdi Taremi, only for his effort to be ruled out with the aid of VAR due to a marginal offside. This aside, Porto never really looked in too much danger, and their margin of victory could have been larger, Telles hitting the crossbar with a sweetly-struck free kick.
Desportivo Aves - Sporting
The final match of week 7 saw two teams in desperate need of a win for differing reasons. Aves find themselves bottom of the division after a difficult start while Sporting have had an underwhelming start to the campaign resulting in a change of management.
On the latter point, this was former Belenenses manager Silas’ first game in charge of Sporting and his side were sluggish in the first half, Aves nearly taking an early lead from a corner that was flicked onto the woodwork at the near post.
Sporting hit back though and nearly levelled through Eduardo on a couple of occasions, the Brazilian midfielder hitting the crossbar and testing Quentin Beunardeau with long-range efforts. The Lions would have to wait until the final 10 minutes to make the breakthrough with what would prove the winning goal, skipper Bruno Fernandes converting a penalty after Beunardeau had brought down Yannick Bolasie. A vital win for Silas’ side sees Sporting up to 5th place in Liga NOS.
by Jamie Farr
Matchday 7
Boavista 0-0 Tondela
Marítimo 2-1 Moreirense
Benfica 1-0 Vitória Setúbal
Famalicão 3-1 Belenenses
Vitória Guimarães 1-0 Paços Ferreira
Santa Clara 1-0 Gil Vicente
Portimonense 0-1 Braga
Rio Ave 0-1 Porto
Desportivo Aves 0-1 Sporting
