Benfica kissed the embers of their title hopes goodbye as they lost 1-0 at home to mid-table Académica.
The Eagles have now gone four games without scoring from open play, a fact which marks a harsh contrast to their big name rivals.
Porto and Sporting easily put three past their opponents this week and haven’t failed to score since their goalless draw at the end of February.
Pablo Aimar and Oscar Cardozo both hit the woodwork and referee Marco Ferreira turned down a cast iron penalty as Benfica dominated a game that they were unlucky to lose.
However, they did lose it and once again it was because of their inability to operate in the final third, although what they get up to in the other two thirds is hardly admirable.
Aimar played a blinder and was wrongly ruled off side early on as he took a ball down on his chest in acres of space on the left flank. He orchestrated the game and in its finest move set David Luiz through one-on-one only to see the curly haired Brazilian push it inches wide.
Académica managed few chances, but on 22 minutes Tiero put away a header from a corner after Benfica failed to either mark anyone or put a defender on the far post.
Aimar headed one in himself on the 59th minute but it was ruled out after a real turn up for the books. The referee actually spotted Nuno Gomes’ foul on the Académica keeper.
Benfica frantically pushed for an equaliser in the final ten minutes, but Sidnei and substitues Mantorras and Balboa all blew their chances and possibly Quique Flores chances of a job next season.
As he left his dugout the few Benfica fans left in the ground were waving white handkerchieves in his direction, presumably a sign of their pathetic surrender of the title and their discontent with his management.
Porto 3 – 0 Estrela da Amadora
After dazzling Europe with their attacking football in the Champions League, Porto turned out more of the same against a valiant Amadora side.
Hulk and Lisandro were left out of the starting line up in preparation for the second leg of the Man United game as Farías was handed another start after his impressive display against Guimarães last week.
He didn’t let down Jesualdo Ferreira either, scoring two impressive goals that showed he’s capable of filling one of the likely vacancies in the Dragons’ first choice strike force next season.
The first was neatly tucked under an advancing keeper from 10 yards after a simple pass from Hulk, who came on for the second half.
The second was an impressive header from a deflected Bruno Alves cross, meaning he now has seven goals from fourteen appearances, only six of which were starts.
Alves got Porto’s first goal with a top drawer free kick from 30 yards. He’s reputedly off to either AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Real Madrid or Arsenal in the summer for anything up to €30m, and in my humble opinion he’s well worth it.
Another decent looking Porto player on show was Andrés Madrid, a 27 year old Argentinian signed by the club in January from fellow Portuguese side Braga. This was only his second start for his new side and he worked tirelessly, making intelligent runs , picking out incisive passes and almost picking up a goal for his troubles.
Like Farías he will likely find himself in the thick of things a lot more next season when it looks increasingly like Porto will be defending the title for the fourth season running.
Most of the Sporting midfield was injured for this one, meaning that Miguel ‘hair gel’ Veloso got to strut his increasingly flabby stuff once more.
He didn’t do it particularly well either, setting up Naval’s only goal of the game with a misplaced pass to medal-throwing Pedro Silva.
Sporting’s first goal game courtesy of the still impressive, if piss poor Johann Cruyff imitator, Bruno Pereirinha. Their other two came from top scorer Liedson, the first a bullet header from a free kick by Mr Consistent, João Moutinho.
While the Lions look distinctly un-Porto-like, they’re far more capable of playing a decent game of football than Benfica and are good value for the runners-up spot that is now almost certainly theirs.
If they do finish second they’ll be strutting their stuff in the Champions League once again, which could be good for a few laughs at least.
The rest
Leixões won for the first time since Valentine’s Day and nailed Rio Ave to the bottom of the league at the same time. Their hilariously named midfielder Chumbinho had to watch Diogo Valente earn their 1-0 victory from the bench though. Shame.
Belenenses propelled themselves out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over the abominable Setúbal.
Nenê got another two as Nacional won 2-1 at Trofense to take his tally for the season to 17.
Braga maintained their hopes of UEFA Cup football while denting Marítimo’s as the two played out a 1-1 draw. Paços Ferreira and Guimarães managed to rustle up the same scoreline. Great.
The top
Porto – 54
Sporting – 50
Benfica – 46
Nacional - 42
Braga - 41