Benfica held, Sporting lose in Portuguese league

February 7, 2010

It was not the best of Saturday’s for Lisbon’s top clubs as leaders Benfica were held to a draw at Vitoria Setubal while Sporting Lisbon lost their home match with Academica.

Benfica began the day with a two-points lead over Braga but risk having to share the top spot again following a 1-1 draw at Setubal.

The match at the Estadio do Bonfim was entirely decided by own goals. Marco Zoro first hit his own target to put Benfica ahead in the 14th minute, and David Luiz then helped the hosts level in minute 38.

Braga play an away match to Belenenses on Monday, and a win would leave them back in shared first place.

Fourth-placed Sporting Lisbon lost 1-2 to Academica de Coimbra who needed just two minutes for Orlando to score the opening goal.

Joao Moutinho equalised in minute 23 but Joao Ribeiro restored Academica’s lead in the 29th. His goal would turn out to be worth three points.

Tags: Academica, academica de coimbra, benfica, Braga, Coimbra, david luiz, home match, hosts, joao moutinho, joao ribeiro, Lisbon, Marco Zoro, Orlando, portuguese league, setubal, sporting lisbon, target, top clubs, Vitoria Setubal, zoro

Sporting Braga drop points in Portuguese league

December 14, 2009

Sporting Braga failed to take distance of Benfica at the top of the Portuguese league, being held to a goalless draw by Naval 1º de Maio.

As Benfica drew 2-2 at Olhanense a day earlier, Braga had a perfect opportunity to leave their joint-leaders behind and go two points clear.

But the season revelations failed to hit the target in their home game with Naval, and as such have to share their lead for at least another week.

Moreover, the results of Benfica and Braga allowed defending champions Porto to reduce the gap with the top two to just one point.

Porto hosted last-placed Vitoria Setubal and took the lead through Ernesto Farias in the 22nd minute. Three minutes later, it was Silvestre Varela to double the gap.

Tags: 1 de maio, benfica, ernesto farias, gap, home game, PORTO, portuguese league, revelations, setubal, sporting braga, target, three minutes, Varela

Lisbon sides drop points in Portuguese league

December 13, 2009

It was a bad day for Lisbon football in the Portuguese league, as Benfica were held to a 2-2 draw at Olhanense while Sporting lost 0-1 to Uniao de Leiria.

Relegation candidates Olhanense gave Benfica much more trouble than expected, and were very close to even winning the match.

Carlos Fernandes’ opening goal for Olhanense in the 10th minute was cancelled out by Argentinian Javier Saviola in the 29th, but Toy’s goal in minute 33 seemed to be enough for the hosts to secure the three points.

Benfica had the final say though, as Nuno Gomes made it 2-2 in the very last minute.

Olhanense had Djalmir sent off in the 25th minute, and Miguel Garcia followed near the full time whistle. Angel Di Maria was red-carded for Benfica in the 42nd minute.

Sporting Lisbon once again disappointed with a 0-1 defeat by Uniao de Leiria, who scored the only goal of the match through Paulo Vinicius in the 27th minute.

Tags: angel, Angel Di Maria, bad day, benfica, carlos fernandes, full time, gomes, hosts, javier saviola, leiria, Lisbon, match, Miguel Garcia, Paulo, portuguese league, sporting lisbon, uniao de leiria, vinicius, whistle

Benfica back on top in Portugal

December 7, 2009

After spending several weeks in second place, Benfica are back in shared first following a convincing 4-0 win over Academica on Sunday.

Benfica needed a win to move back to the top of the Portuguese league as Sporting Braga dropped two points at Leixoes a day earlier.

And Coimbra-based Academica were no match from the start. Oscar Cardozo was particularly influential for Benfica, scoring in the 6th, 55th and 69th minutes. Argentinian Javiar Saviola found the target in minute 32.

Benfica and Braga share the top spot but the Lisbon outfit have a much better goal record.

Tags: benfica, Braga, Coimbra, Lisbon, match, oscar cardozo, portugal, portuguese league, sporting braga, target

Troubled Sporting fail to beat Maritimo

November 2, 2009

Sporting Lisbon continue to struggle in the Portuguese league. Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Maritimo leaves the Lions in seventh place.

After a goalless first half at Lisbon’s Jose de Alvalade XXI stadium, Mati Fernandez put the home side in the lead in the 54th minute.

But Sporting failed to successfully defend that lead and conceded an equaliser from Maritimo midfielder Manu in minute 62.

With just 13 points from nine games, Sporting are currently in seventh position at no less than 12 points from leaders Braga. Maritimo have just one point less than Sporting, and are to be found in eighth place.

Jonathan Roorda

Tags: alvalade xxi, Braga, eighth place, equaliser, games, jonathan, lions, Lisbon, manu, mati fernandez, midfielder, portuguese league, sporting lisbon

Braga beat Benfica in battle for first place

November 1, 2009

Sporting Braga’s good form in the Portuguese league appears to be no fluke, as the season revelations beat Benfica 2-0 in Saturday’s battle for first place.

Braga and Benfica shared the lead ahead of this game, any many expected Benfica’s experience to be the deciding factor at Braga’s AXA Stadium.

That wasn’t the case however, as Hugo Viana scored the opening goal after just seven minutes, and Paulo Cesar hit the target to make it 2-0 in minute 78.

With 25 points from nine games, Braga are three points ahead of Benfica and five points ahead of Porto. The remaining teams, including Sporting Lisbon, are at a considerable distance.

Jonathan Roorda

Tags: axa, AXA Stadium, benfica, Braga, five points, game, games, hugo viana, jonathan, Lisbon, Paulo, paulo cesar, PORTO, portuguese league, revelations, roorda, sporting braga, sporting lisbon

Late goal earns Braga sixth win in a row

September 26, 2009

Sporting Braga maintain their perfect record in the Portuguese league, having beaten Olhanense 0-1 on Friday.

The current league leaders could have taken the lead at the end of the first half but Meyong failed to convert a penalty that had been caused by Ventura. The latter was sent off for his offense.

But Braga would escape with three points as Alan finally broke the deadlock in the 89th minute.

Braga have 18 points from six games. Only Benfica may bring the gap back to two points when the Lisbon outfit host Leixoes on Saturday.

Jonathan Roorda

Tags: deadlock, gap, league leaders, Leixoes, Lisbon, portuguese league, six games

Braga beat Porto to keep perfect record

September 20, 2009

Sporting Braga kept their perfect record in the Portuguese league to remain in first place, in the process beating defending champions FC Porto 1-0.

Just one goal was needed for Sporting to earn three points from the match with Porto, as Alan’s effort found its way past the opposing goalkeeper in the 69th minute.

Sporting have won all of their first five games and are consequently in first place. Porto could have taken the lead by winning this game, but are instead left in third place.

On Sunday, Benfica have a chance to reduce their gap with Braga to two points, with an away match to Uniao de Leiria.

Jonathan Roorda

Tags: Alan, benfica, border, Braga, five games, game, gap, Goalkeeper, jonathan, leiria, match, PORTO, portuguese, portuguese league, sporting braga

Champions League Play-offs: Fiorentina and Sporting set for a decider

August 25, 2009

Arsenal, Lyon and Stuttgart may already have one foot in the lucrative group phase of the Champions League with Atletico Madrid, who hold a useful 3-2 lead over Panathinaikos, but Fiorentina and Sporting Lisbon, level at 2-2 from the first leg in Portugal, have everything to play when they meet for the 2nd leg of the play-offs on Wednesday.

Both sides , who last won a European competition back in the early 1960s, are set for a decider when they meet in Florence.

Fourth in last season’s Italian championship, Fiorentina has struggled to keep pace with the traditional Serie A title contenders such as Juventus, Inter and AC Milan and last won the title in 1969. It was runner up in the old European Cup in 1957 and its only European triumph was in the 1961 Cup Winners Cup.

Sporting Club is an 18-time winner of the Portuguese league but its only European success was the 1964 Cup Winners Cup. Now these two underachievers have a chance to make a mark in European football’s most prestigious club competition but only one can get there.

The playoff losers have the consolation of dropping into the next round of the Europa League, while the winners will be in Thursday’s draw for the group phase in Monte Carlo.

Among those already there are the likes of defending champion Barcelona, big-spending Real Madrid, powerhouse English teams, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, Italy’s Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan and Bayern Munich of Germany, all of them among the favorites to win the coveted title.

Getting to the group phase, however, guarantees at least six matches with the ticket sales and TV revenue that comes with them, and with the tantalizing possibility of reaching the knockout phase and dreams of a place in the May 22 final in Madrid.

After beating Celtic 2-0 in Glasgow, Arsenal will be confident of reaching the group phase for the 12th time in a row.

Manager Arsene Wenger is already certain he won’t have team captain Cesc Fabregas for the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday because of a hamstring injury he picked up in Saturday’s 4-1 victory over Portsmouth.

Celtic’s 5-2 victory over St. Johnstone on Saturday lifted the team to the top of the Scottish Premier League standings and midfielder Shaun Maloney is confident the team can overcome the home leg deficit in the same way it knocked out Dynamo Moscow in the previous round.

“If we can nick the first goal as we did in Moscow, that would give us a chance to get the tie back, and start to put Arsenal under a bit of pressure,” Maloney said. “We know we need a great result.

“We’ve not given up the tie yet. We’ve not settled for playing in the Europa League, we cannot do that. “We know how difficult it is going to be to be able to go through and that the odds are massively against us, but we have to believe that we can win at the Emirates.”

Lyon goes to Anderlecht on Tuesday with a 5-1 advantage from the home leg but left behind striker Sidney Govou, midfielder Ederson and right-back Cleber Anderson who are injured. Rightback Francois Clerc is back while striker Lisandro Lopez, who was rested during Saturday’s 3-0 win at Auxerre, is expected to play in Brussels.

Atletico Madrid has home advantage and a narrow lead over Panathinaikos in a meeting of two clubs who have never won the competition but were runners up in the early 1970s.

Holding a 3-0 lead over Ventspils from the away leg in Latvia, FC Zurich looks like making it to the group phase for the first time, even though it reached the semifinal of the old European Cup in 1964 and ‘77.

Likewise Maccabi Haifa holds a 2-1 advantage over Salzburg and has home advantage when they meet again on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Stuttgart is at home to Romania’s Politehnica Timisoara and is already 2-0 ahead and Greek champion Olympiakos is 2-0 up on Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova and just needs to avoid losing by more than 1-0 at home.

Apoel Nicosia bids to overcome a 1-0 deficit at home to FC Copenhagen.

Abhimanyu Rajput

Tags: ac milan, atletico madrid, bayern munich, cup winners cup, defending champion, fabregas, group phase, inter milan, italian championship, milan juventus, portuguese league, prestigious club, real madrid, return leg, sporting club, sporting lisbon, title contenders, tv revenue

Argentine striker Lopez in Lyon to finalise Porto deal

July 11, 2009

Argentine striker Lisandro Lopez arrived in Lyon on Saturday to finalise his 24-million-euro move from FC Porto, club officials said.

The 26-year-old centre forward was the Portuguese league’s top scorer in the 2007/08 season, finding the net 24 times. Last season he garnered a more modest 10 goals.

The deal, costing 24 million euros with a further 4 million payable in goal-related bonuses, is the highest ever player fee paid by the deposed French champions.

LYON, France (AFP)