FC Porto almost champion

After a 1-0 win over União Leiria on friday, FC Porto is one win away from becoming portuguese champions.
The game against Leiria was very tactical and there weren't too many chances to score, but FC Porto eventually made it scoring on the end of the first half by brazilian striker Adriano.
Sporting lisbon was fighting for the title but didn't make better than a 0-0 draw against Estrela Amadora, giving FC Porto the chance to win the Portuguese League next weekend when they face relegated FC Penafiel.
Sporting will also have to be aware for the come-back of Benfica. Benfica won their game against Boavista and are now only 2 points behind Sporting Lisbon, fighting for the second place spot, that will give direct access to the Champions League.

Benfica out of the Champions League

Benfica is out of the Champions League after a 2-0 loss against FC Barcelona on the second hand of the quarter-finals.
Barcelona wasn't so dominating as it was last week but eventually scored on the 19th minute by Ronaldinho, the same player who missed a penalty-kick early in the game. After the goal the game went one way until the end of first half.
The second half brought a renewed Benfica eagger to score at least once and they almost did that when Simão Sabrosa missed a clear shot right in the face of Victor Valdes. Benfica intensified the attack and Barcelona took advantage using the counter-attack scoring in the last minute by Samuel Eto'o.
Now Barcelona will be playing in the semi-finals against Milan AC in an antecipated final.
Reference also to the yellow card to Deco that will prevent him from playing the first leg. On the other side there will be Rui Costa.

Everything's the same at the top

The top 4 teams have won their fixtures this weekend!
Braga won their duel against UEFA CUP place contenders Nacional 1-0 with a goal from Delibasic, who is returning from injury.
Sporting eventually got a 1-0 win at Guimarães in a very difficult game where Liedson proved once again he's the best striker in Portugal.
Benfica won their Lisbon derby against Belenenses after a very poor game. Miccoli and Karagounis made the goals in a game where the referee also took part in making the victory easier after refusing to signal 2 penalties against Benfica.
FC Porto won their home game against Gil Vicente 3-0, scoring at the end of the first half by Marek Cech, and on the second half by Quaresma from a penalty kick and Ibson in the end of the game. Gil Vicente ended the game with 9 players.
Next week clash between FC Porto and Sporting CP will most likely be decisive to discover the new champion with only 4 games missing until the end of the season.

Benfica hols a draw against Barcelona

Champions League quarter-final clash between Benfica and Barcelona came to an end with a 0-0 draw.
The game was very emotive with Barcelona displaying great offensive football but never managing to get the ball in the net dispite several occasions both in the first and second half. Benfica's goalkeeper was in his greatest form but also made some critical mistakes that could have lead to goal.

All Big-Three win

An atypical weekend for the Big Three (FC Porto, Sporting CP and SL Benfica). They all have won their fixtures and stay top at the Portuguese League!
Saturday, SL Benfica scored early at Sporting Braga's stadium by Nuno Gomes to win precious 3 points against one of its biggest opponents in the Champions League place race.
FC Porto went to Coimbra to face Académica and dispite the great effort by the local team, they eventually scored in the second half by the replacement, Hugo Almeida. A good win, but they lost their starlet, Lucho Gonzalez for 1 or 2 games.
Sunday was Sporting CP that played home against FC Penafiel. They won easily against a team that was relegated after a tremendously poor season.
FC Porto stays top 2 points clear of Sporting and 7 points clear SL Benfica.
But the great classic between Sporting CP and FC Porto is coming!!!

Vitoria Setubal win their spot on the Portuguese Cup final

Portuguese Cup holders, Vitoria Setubal, have eraned their spot in this season's Cup final after winning on the penalty shoot-out their game against Vitoria Guimarães.
Like the first game of the semifinals, this one ended with a 0-0 draw after 90 minutes of poor football.
Then Saganowski opened the score on minute 110 and Auri made the desperate goal to send the game to the penalty shoot-out.

Estádio do Bonfim
Referee: Paulo Paraty [AF Porto]

V. Setúbal 1 - V. Guimarães 1
(3-2 on penalty shoot-out)
Goals: [0-1] Saganowski 110’, [1-1] Auri 119’

V. Setúbal
30 Rubinho
14 Janício
23 Veríssimo
15 Auri
7 Nandinho 45’+
6 Binho
61 Sandro
3 Ricardo Chaves
20 Sougou 65’
26 Varela
11 Bruno Ribeiro AE 90’+
T: Hélio Sousa

12 Marco Tábuas
19 Flávio
13 Adalto 45’+
55 Julién
8 Pedro Oliveira 90’+
28 Carlitos 65’
47 Fonseca

Booked: 116’ Adalto, 117’ Ricardo Chaves

V. Guimarães
1 Nilson
15 Vítor Moreno
19 Geromel
50 Cléber
21 Paíto
26 Flávio Meireles
6 Otacílio
23 Wesley 79’
10 Neca 74’
81 Benachour 112’
9 Saganowski
T: Vítor Pontes

51 Paiva
17 Dragoner
18 Moreno 112’
11 Paulo Sérgio 79’
55 Dário
22 Manoel
79 Antchouet 74’

Booked: 69’ Geromel, 77’ Vítor Moreno

P enalty Shoot-Out

Auri scored, Cléber missed, Adalto missed, Moreno scored, Pedro Oliveira scored, Geromel missed, Binho missed, Paíto scored, Carlitos scored, Paulo Sérgio missed

FC Porto on their way to the Portuguese Cup Final

Fc Porto won yesterday's clash against Sporting Lisbon after a penalty shoot-out, where Vitor Baía defended João Moutinho's first penalty and everyone else scored, following a 1-1 drawn after 120 minutes and a 0-0 after 90 minutes.
Sporting Lisbon scored first by Liedson after a huge mistake by FC Porto's defender Marek Cech that allowed Nani to cross to the area where Liedson (as always) was in the right place.
After a rumbling between Raul Meireles and Deivid, Caneira eventually got sent out, and FC Porto scored by Benni McCarthy after a cross from Ricardo Quaresma.
It wasn't the greatest of games but a very competitive one where the referee was the worst element on the pitch.
Fc Porto is now on their way to the final, still waiting for the opponent coming from today's game between Vitoria Guimarães and Vitoria Setubal.

Estádio do Dragão
Referee: Olegário Benquerença, AF Leiria

FC Porto 1 - Sporting 1*

(5-4 penalty shoot-out)

Goals: [0-1] Liedson 109’, [1-1] McCarthy 115’.

99 Vítor Baía
12 Bosingwa
14 Pepe
4 Pedro Emanuel 110’
35 Marek Cech
18 Paulo Assunção
16 Raul Meireles
8 Lucho González
7 Quaresma 119’
28 Adriano 91’
9 McCarthy
T: Co Adriaanse

31 Paulo Ribeiro
3 Ricardo Costa 119’
13 Bruno Alves
6 Ibson
25 Ivanildo
11 Lisandro 91’
39 Hugo Almeida 110’

Booked: 90’ e 119’ Bosingwa, 113’ Raul Meireles, 113’ Lucho González
Sent Off: 119’ Bosingwa

76 Ricardo
15 Miguel Garcia 71’
13 Tonel
4 Polga
12 Caneira
27 Custódio
28 João Moutinho
5 Carlos Martins 61’
10 Sá Pinto 91’
23 Deivid
31 Liedson
T: Paulo Bento

1 Nélson
78 Abel 71’
11 Rodrigo Tello 91’
8 Luís Loureiro
34 João Alves
18 Nani 61’
17 Douala

Booked: 80’ e 113’ Caneira, 84’ Nani
Sent Off: 113’ Caneira

Penalty Shoot-out: (missed João Moutinho) 1-0, Lucho; 1-1, Custódio; 2-1, McCarthy; 2-2 Deivid; 3-2, Ricardo Costa; 3-3, Tello; 4-3, Paulo Assunção; 4-4, Ricardo; 5-4, Lisandro