The top football category in Portugal saw their leader dropping points at home, but that loss has given fans a tighter title race due to Sporting and Porto's wins last weekend.
Benfica were unable to secure an eighth consecutive win, and now they will have to wait over three weeks to make ammends with their fans. The other teams involved in the title race will want Benfica to continue with that losing streak so they can leapfrog Jorge Jesús' men next time around.
Before we go deeper into what happened last weekend in the Primeira Liga, it would be wise to remind you that the Portuguese top-flight will return to action one week after all the top leagues in Europe resume in order to make way for the Taça de Portugal games. Action in the league will return on October 22.
With that in mind, let's have a look at the main talking points after this weekend's matches in the Primeira Liga.
Primeira Liga - Top 5 teams in the 2021-22 season after Matchday 8
With their first loss of the season, Benfica opened up the title race between themselves, Porto and Sporting. Only one point separates Portugal's Big Three, and it seems that any chance Estoril or Portimonense had to get involved in the race has faded away quickly.
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Primeira Liga top 3 scorers
Colombian sensation Luiz Díaz has become Portugal's top scorer, adding one more goal to his tally during the past weekend. Gil Vicente's Fran Navarro is second with five, while Sporting Braga's Ricardo Horta has kept the red and white side among the top six teams by scoring four of the team's 12 goals in the competition, including one this past weekend.
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Primeira Liga – Top headlines
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Sporting boss reflects on call ups to national team - Former midfielder-turned-coach Ruben Amorim praised his players for earning a spot in the National Team for the upcoming international break, but while doing so, he warned Matheus Nunes to be cautious, since making it to the team is the first step, and any injury setbacks could end up being harder to overcome after returning to their team's discipline.
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Porto ace leaving for Serie A giants? - Striker Mehdi Taremi has caught the eye of some of the top teams in Europe, but the first one that could hand in a bid to sign him in the upcoming transfer window is AC Milan. Apparently, Taremi's buyout clause of over $60M would be met by the rossoneri in an attempt to boost their attack.
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Pepe joins social media bashing via Twitter - During Monday's worldwide social media breakdown, Porto captain Pepe joined the discussion with a tweet that read "Keep calm...the captain is ON". The once tough defender has now turned into a social media star...
Top matches to watch in the Primeira Liga on October 22-25, 2021
Tondela vs Porto: The Dragons could very well sleep as the top team in Portugal once the league resumes, but in order to do that, they will have to find a way to beat Tondela, a team that has only been able to draw one of their last six games at home against Porto.
Sporting CP vs Moreirense: The defending champions may also take the top spot in the league next time out, and beating Moreirense will give Ruben Amorim's men the chance to do so. Their last six games at Jose Alvalade Stadium have concluded in wins for the Lions, and judging by how both teams have played this season, any result other than a win for Sporting would be quite a shock for all teams in the league.
Vizela vs Benfica: The recently promoted side needs to step it up if they want to keep their spot in the Portuguese top-flight, but facing Jorge Jesús' team may prove to be quite difficult. The Eagles missed a chance to finish last week on a high note, and they will be eager to prove that their loss this weekend was just a slip-up in what could be a very successful run across all comps.
*Keep track of all the activity in the Portuguese top-flight by following our dedicated Primeira Liga competition page.
