Liga Sagres wrap: Porto ease, but Benfica still in chase

Porto had to sweat but were able to maintain their eight-point buffer at the top of Portugal’s Liga Sagres, thanks to a 1-0 win over Beira-Mar on Saturday.

Brazilian striker Hulk converted a 35th-minute penalty at Estadio Municipal de Aveiro to record Porto’s 15th win in 17 games and preserve their unbeaten record in the league this campaign.

Second-placed Benfica – who loom as the only realistic threat to Porto’s title chase – beat Nacional 4-2 at Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica.

The hosts went ahead in the eighth minute when Argentine midfielder Nicolas Gaitan scored, before Brazilian defender Sidnei doubled their lead after 20 minutes to give Benfica a 2-0 buffer at half-time.

Paraguayan striker Oscar Cardozo seemingly put the game out of reach when he scored six minutes after the break, but two goals within the space of ten minutes gave Nacional hope of nabbing a point.

Luis Alberto and Rene Mihelic scored in the 76th and 85th minutes respectively, only for Benfica’s Franco Jara to make sure of the result for the home side with his 89th-minute goal.

Vitoria Guimaraes won 3-2 at Rio Ave when Edgar Silva converted a 90th-minute penalty – his second goal of the game – to move his side to fourth place on the table.

Sporting Braga fought back from two goals down to draw with 10-man Vitoria Setubal 2-2.

Naval de Maio’s Robin Previtali broke Portimonense hearts with a 90th-minute equaliser in their bottom-of-the-table clash, which finished 1-1.

Olhanense accounted for Academica 2-1 in a come-from-behind win, while Uniao de Leiria equalised in the final stages to force a 1-1 draw with Pacos de Ferreira.