The Vítor Pereira era in Porto got underway with a positive step forward as the defending Portuguese champions defeated host Vitória de Guimarães 1-0 at Estádio D. Afonso Henriques.

Coming off their emphatic undefeated run under then manager André Villas-Boas that saw them claim the Liga Portuguesa crown as well as Europa League and Taça de Portugal, all eyes were on the Dragões with Vítor Pereira promoted to lead the side.

Wasting little time, Porto began to meticulously carve out openings with Silvestre Varela flirting with the goal with a dipping drive on the left just wide of the far post. Continuing the press at the twenty-seventh minute Kléber got on the end of a perfectly weighted through ball on the right side of the area but host ‘keeper Nilson stretched out to deny. Moments later Jean Barrientos was the architect of Guimarães most notable advance, as he surged down the left before sending the ball to Marcelo Toscano parked twelve metres in front of the goal but his drive was stopped by Helton in a stunning reflex save. Jean Barrientos had his own chance to break the deadlock from point blank range but with Helton directly in front of him he misplayed the ball and the golden chance was thrown away. Just shy of the break Kléber, recently signed from Atlético Mineiro, was played in alone on the ‘keeper but his first touched disappointed with Nilson denying his effort. However moments later Porto got the break they were looking for as coming via a corner on the left match day referee Olegário Benquerença adjudged Leonel Olímpio for bringing down Cristian Săpunaru in the area. In the ensuing effort, Hulk drilled a low effort to the right that the host ‘keeper got a hand on but could not control it as it rasped off the woodwork and into the net.

Continuing to direct the run of play, Porto had a great chance to extend their lead two minutes after the re-start as Hulk surged down the right before cutting inside at the area only to see his booming effort stopped by the in-form Nilson. The balance of the half was a box to box affair before a late chance by Falcao came up empty but otherwise Porto comfortable opened the defence of its title with a 1-0 victory.

Prepared by John Davies
©Europa League News, 2011
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Porto’s undefeated start to the Liga Portuguesa campaign came to an end as they were held to a 1-1 draw, honours even, by Vitória de Guimarães at Estádio D. Afonso Henriques. With the result, the Dragões maintain a massive seven-point lead on Benfica, Olhanense and their hosts in three-way tie for second-place.

Coming off Thursday’s victory over CSKA Sofia in the Europa League, Porto manager André Villas-Boas made four changes to his starting eleven with Jorge Fucile , Rolando, Fernando and Silvestre Varela coming in for Romanian international Cristian Săpunaru, Nicolás Otamendi, Cristian Rodríguez and Souza. Guimarães manager Manuel Machado, who watched his side succumb to Académica de Coimbra last week, made one change with João Paulo entering for Freire .

From the opening whistle, Porto carefully carved out openings in the hosts defending with a series of penetrating advances. Hulk, quickly emerging as one of Europe’s premier strikers was a constant threat on the right and narrowly missed with a stunning header at the back post of a left wing cross. At the twenty-ninth minute the former Tokyo Verdy striker showed his pedigree as he latched onto the ball outside the area and after displaying a fine piece of footwork and pace, drove the ball past the goalkeeper from twelve metres. Porto continued to apply pressure through the break, including João Moutinho’s quality chance at the thirty-eighth minute but was unable to convert and went to the change rooms holding the narrow one-goal margin.

After the break, the hosts made Porto pay for their inabilities to put the contest away as after a lacklustre start, levelled three minutes past the hour. Porto, who were clearly heavy legged and lacking on the defending end, saw Jorge Fucile misplay a long diagonal cross with the ball coming to Faouzi Abdelghni on the left side of the area. Chesting the ball down, he sent a right-footed effort past Helton to square the affair. Jorge Fucile’s night went from bad to worse as he was sent off by match day referee Carlos Xistra with eleven minutes remaining. To further Porto’s woes, manager André Villas-Boas argued vehemently and after being restrained by his assistants was sent to the stands in what will likely result in further disciplinary action by regulatory bodies. The disadvantage seemed to light a fire under Porto as the remaining time they applied constant pressure on the hosts. With the backdrop of the home supporters jeers and whistle’s, Porto went on the search for the winner but after a number of chances came up for naught, the match concluded as a 1-1 draw, honours even.

Prepared by John Davies
©Europa League News, 2010.
All rights reserved

Defending Liga Portuguesa champion Benfica dreadful start to the new campaign continued with a 2-1 loss to Vitória de Guimarães at Estádio D. Afonso Henriques. The loss, Benfica’s third in four contests, sends them eleventh in the table, whilst Guimarães nudges to within a point of league leader Porto.

From the opening whistle Jorge Jesus’s men were under siege by the motivated hosts. Pushing forward, Manuel Machado’s side found the Benfica midfield a jumbled mess, to which João Ribeiro cut the visitors to ribbons. Following a series of quality efforts Vitória de Guimarães went in front 1-0 a minute past the quarter hour as Edgar deftly lifted João Ribeiro’s cross from the right over the sprawling Benfica goalkeeper. Gradually the complexion of the affair turned in the Águias direction and at the thirty-second minute Javier Saviola, at the back post, volleyed a corner from the left into the back of the net after Guimarães ‘keeper Nilson misplayed the ball. With the match now level, Benfica continued to dominate through to the break but thanks to some quality goalkeeping by Nilson, the sides went to the change rooms deadlocked.

Benfica continued to show good vision as play begin in the second half but fortune seemed to evade them. After Carlos Martins was spilled in the box, surprisingly not seeing a penalty awarded, Guimarães narrowly missed taking the lead shy of the hour when Benfica ‘keeper Roberto stopped Bruno Teles. After a series of quality efforts, the hosts they would not relinquish with seven minutes remaining in regulation time as Rui Miguel rose high to head in Bruno Teles cross from the left. For the balance of time, Benfica was kept at bay and Vitória de Guimarães claimed the full three points with a 2-1 victory.

In a stunning Derby do Minho, Braga continued its pursuit of Benfica for the Liga Portuguesa crown with a last gasp victory over rivals Vitória de Guimarães at the Quarry. With the result Domingos Paciência’s side holds down second place in the table, three points off Benfica.

Rui Miguel gave Guimarães the lead at the eighteenth minute as he latched onto a loose ball at the edge of the area and immediately powered a right footed drive into the back of the net. Four minutes before the hour a free-kick into the wall saw Guimarães adjudged a highly controversial hand ball and the spot pointed to. In the ensuing effort, Alan hammered the ball into the net to square the match. With thirteen minutes remaining Wason Rentería was played through but in a last gasp challenge by Valdomiro the ball drifted wide. However, in another questionable decision the defender was adjudged a professional foul, set off with a red-card and a penalty awarded. As tensions were boiling over, Albert Meyong confidently stepped-up and gave Braga the 2-1 lead. As regulation time wound down, a cross into the Braga box saw Alberto Rodríguez adjudged for a penalty for bringing down a Guimarães attacker Roberto. Andrézinho brought the match even again, setting the stage for a peculiar finish. Moments later, Andrézinho was adjudged his second yellow card for bringing Wason Rentería down in the area. To add to the mix, Guimarães lost both Jorge Gonçalves and João Alves with red cards before Albert Meyong sent the penalty in for the 3-2 victory.

Prepared by J. Davies
©Europa League News, 2010.
All rights reserved

In a hard fought match, Vitória de Guimarães edged União de Leiria 1-0 at a near-empty Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa. With the result Guimarães climb a point of Sporting to fourth in the Liga Portuguesa table, whilst União de Leiria are two points back at the sixth spot.

Chances were rare in the opening forty-five minutes as both sides were resolute in defending. Just before the hour União de Leiria goalkeeper Hélder Godinho was sent off with a dubious red-card professional foul after Nuno Assis went to the ground, apparently without contact. After nine minutes of delay while replacement ‘keeper Mika (Michael Domingues) was forced to change his socks, Andrezinho struck the ensuing penalty effort to the left corner of the net to give Paulo Sérgio’s side the lead. União de Leiria had a perfect chance to level when Ronny’s free kick into the box came to Vinícius but Guimarães goalkeeper Nilson stopped his header. Guimarães had ample chance to increase their lead but Mika was superb in keeping their efforts out but despite those missed chances claimed the full three points with a 1-0 victory.

Prepared by J. Davies
©Europa League News, 2010.
All rights reserved

Benfica, looking to claim their first domestic title in 2005, kept pace with Braga with a confident 3-1 defeat of Vitória de Guimarães at Estádio da Luz. With the result, Benfica pulls level in points with Braga at the top of the Liga Portuguesa table, whilst Vitória de Guimarães rest at seventh, three points out of the final spot for the Europa League.

As Águias stunning attack was on full display and after being unable to close out some fine quality chances early, Pablo Aimar surged forward and after an opportunistic bounce off João Moreno, the Argentina international sent the ball past Guimarães ‘keeper Nilson. However, fifteen minutes later former Benfica man Nuno Assis shocked the home supporters, as he was the recipient of Yves Desmarets’ defence splitting pass before droving the ball in from twelve metres to level the match. Despite the flourishing goals the affair was also plagued with a serious of dreadful challenges with Ángel Di María victimized on a number of occasions that were surely deserving of a red-card.

After the break, the match belonged to veteran Carlos Martins with two brilliant goals. At the fiftieth minute, after having the ball laid back to him at the edge of the area he promptly drove it to the bottom right corner. Nine minutes later he unleashed a positively stunning drive from well outside the area that glanced off the right post and in. With nineteen minutes remaining his night ended as he was sent off with his second yellow card but despite the man advantage Benfica still controlled the run of play. Though, Guimarães ‘keeper Nilson rose to the occasion to deny the hosts advances they could not break through in the attack and the match concluded with Benfica laying claim to a 3-1 victory.

Benfica return to play in a midweek battle as they welcome União de Leiria to Estádio da Luz on Wednesday evening.

Prepared by J. Davies
©Europa League News, 2010.
All rights reserved

Vitória de Guimarães, in a fight for a spot in the Europa League, needed a late goal from Targino to rescue a 2-2 draw against Vitória de Setúbal at Estádio D. Afonso Henriques. With the result, the northern Portuguese side Guimarães hold onto six spot in the Liga Portuguesa table whilst Setúbal sit in the relegation zone at fourteenth.

In a fast-paced start, Setúbal grabbed the 1-0 lead barely three minutes after the opening whistle as a long free kick into the box, came to Ladji Keita who courtesy of a significant deflection sent the ball in from ten metres out. Two minutes later Paulo Sérgio’s side levelled the match as a diving Marquinho headed a long cross from the right into the net. Though both sides showed considerable attacking pulse, neither could break through until two minutes past the hour when Hélder Barbosa, on-loan from Porto, sent a seeing-eye cross from the left to the back post that Aurélien Collin rose high to nod into the net to give Setúbal the 2-1 lead. With three minutes remaining in regulation time Guimarães found the all-important leveller as a long distance effort from the left took a deflection through the box and off Targino’s before trickling into the net. Guimarães continued to press for the winner but was unable to find the needed touch and the match concluded as a 2-2 draw, honours even.

Prepared by J. Davies
©Europa League News, 2010.
All rights reserved