With ten games to go, Porto are stepping on the gas and have found the back of the net eight times in just over two hours of football.
Five of those goals came in a comprehensive win at Portimonense where Moussa Marega was in scintillating form. It took the Mali international only ten minutes to stroke home the first goal after good work by Otávio and Tiquinho Soares. Scorer then turned provider six minutes later as Marega setup Otávio to slam home number two.
Just before the interval it was game over as Maxi Pereira was on hand to lay on a second goal for Marega. Second-half goals from Tiquinho Soares and Yacine Brahimi completed the rout for the Dragons before Lucas Possignolo’s consolation strike for the home side in stoppage time. P.Ferreira have had some impressive home results of late and when Luiz Phellype slotted home Xavier’s cutback inside the first ten minutes, the home fans were hoping they could add Benfica to the list.
Short of inspiration, the Eagles took until just before the interval before producing genuine danger, with the hosts requiring a Miguel Vieira goal-line clearance to deny Jonas and keep his side ahead at half-time.
The Brazilian goal scorer finally got on the score sheet in the seventy-second minute to level the score. Jonas was again on hand two minutes from the end of normal time to convert a Haris Seferovisc pass, much to the relief of the visiting Benfiquistas. Rafa killed off, what had threatened to be a frustrating game for Rui Vitória’s men with a third in the fifth minute of stoppage time to conclude a flattering 3-1 victory. Sporting, the only Portuguese team left in Europe after their 6-4 aggregate win against Kazakhstan outfit Astana, were hit by an outbreak of flu prior to the visit of Moreirense. William Carvalho, Stefan Ristovski and Fábio Coentrão succumbed to the bug and Jorge Jesus was also without the injured Bas Dost and Cristiano Piccini plus the suspended Jeremy Mathieu. Bryan Ruiz was presented with the chance to ease a few of those worries on the half-hour mark as the ball fell for the Costa Rican in front of goal before a tame effort into the goalkeeper’s arms left the masses disappointed. Sporting were then tasked with finding all three points without Radosav Petrovic who paid the price for a poor refereeing decision as he picked up a second yellow card after an hour. The Lions eventually found a late winner in the third minute of stoppage time through Gelson Martins, but the winger also picked up a second yellow as he took off his shirt to celebrate the 1-0 win at full-time. Gelson Martins dedicated the goal to his friend and former team-mate, Ruben Semedo currently residing in a Spanish jail. Semedo, was arrested a week ago for allegedly tying up and assaulting a man in his home and was placed in preventive detention after being charged with attempted murder. Suspension for Gelson means he will miss the highly anticipated derby against FC Porto tonight (Friday) at the Estádio do Dragão.