Topics: Primeira Liga, Gil Vicente, Sporting CP. Braga, Porto, Benfica
The unbeaten Lions coached by Ruben Amorim struggled to prevail against Gil Vicente, while their rivals in the title race shared points.

The 2020-21 Primeira Liga has provided its fair share of surprises, starting with the flawless form shown by Sporting. The league leaders found a way to keep their unbeaten status last weekend, and to top it all, their lead just got bigger after Porto's disappointing performance in the last minutes of their clash against Braga.

If you did not get a chance to watch last weekend's games in the Primeira Liga, we will leave you with the most interesting talking points after the last matchday.

Top four teams in the Primeira Liga until February 9

Sporting came from behind to claim three more points against Gil Vicente, which will keep their unbeaten run going for one more week. Elsewhere, Porto were en route to adding three more points to their tally, but being down to ten men did not help them preserve their lead against Braga. Benfica managed to end a winless streak with a crucial victory over Famalicao, which saw Jorge Jesús' climb back to the top four teams in the tournament.

Primeira Liga's Top 3 scorers

Sporting's Pedro Gonçalves' lead at the top of the goalscoring charts was shrunk this weekend after both Mehdi Taremi and Sergio Oliveira scored for Porto. Nevertheless, the man with Sporting's No. 28 jersey still has a six-goal cushion at the top, which means that it would take a miracle for any of Porto's men to catch up with him.

 

Primeira Liga - Top headlines

  • Coates celebrates game-winning brace with touching tribute - Sporting saw their captain score two late goals that kept their unbeaten run in the league, but Coates' tribute to his late friend and colleague Santiago "Morro" García became the story to follow. García reportedly committed suicide caused by depression last Sunday, and Coates' gesture was praised on both ends of the Atlantic after sharing the pitch with García at Nacional and with the Uruguayan U-20 team.

  • Benfica end four-game winless run - Jorge Jesús' men seem to have left their coronavirus-cause problems behind, and this win is expected to see them back in contention for the title. The Eagles scored twice inside the first ten minutes to claim three crucial points in their efforts to challenge Sporting's dominance.

  • Conceicao slammed for dropping two points and losing the plot - Controversial coach Sergio Conceicao was sent off during the game between Braga and Porto, where the Dragons failed to keep a two-goal lead. Conceicao blamed the refs for their poor decisions on the pitch, but fans did not agree with his judgement and started pointing fingers at him for some of his calls in the dugout.

Top matches to watch in the Primeira Liga from February 12-15, 2021

  • FC Porto vs Boavista - Porto cannot afford any more mishaps if they want to catch Sporting at the top of the standings. Nevertheless, the game against Boavista could be a bit tricky to win, since midfielder Jesus Corona will not be around and Boavista are involved in the battle to avoid relegation.

  • Moreirense vs Benfica - The Eagles must try to build up on last week's win, but Moreirense are on a two-game winning streak that will not make things easy for Jorge Jesús' men. Time could be running out for the most-winning team in the history of Portuguese football, and they will surely need to get things rolling their way to avoid missing out on the title race this year despite their large investment.

  • Sporting vs Pacos de Ferreira - The Lions will face quite a challenge when they clash against Os Castores, who are living one of their best seasons in recent memory. Ruben Amorim's men are surely eager to add more points to their tally, but after struggling against Gil Vicente, it seems like Pacos will cause them to go the extra mile if they want to win all the points in their Monday evening clash.

Keep track of all the activity in the Primeira Liga by clicking on our dedicated website here.