The 2021-22 Primeira Liga season continues this weekend with a host of matches that could very well be some of the most entertaining in the campaign, especially with the one that is set to kick things off.
Porto and Sporting are entangled in a battle to win the title thanks to the point gap between them and Benfica, but their rivalry will reach another level when they lock horns this Friday. Elsewhere, Benfica will try to take advantage of any slip-up taking place in the aforementioned game to get closer to the top two teams in the league, while Braga aims to finish the weekend a bit further away from Gil Vicente.
Let's have a closer look at what things look like ahead of this weekend's matches in the Portuguese top-flight.
Primeira Liga standings ahead of Matchday 22
Porto are the only team from Europe's top leagues to continue their run in the season without a loss, which has helped them created a six-point cushion against Sporting, their nearest rivals. Benfica are third, six points behind Sporting and a whopping twelve away from Porto, which seems to make their title chances quite slim. Braga and Gil Vicente complete the top five teams, with neither one of them seeming to pose a threat to the top three teams in the competition.
Top games to watch
Porto vs Sporting: Do we need to say more about this game? A loss for the defending champions could practically give Porto the crown, while a defeat for the league leaders could open up all possibilites for those close to the Dragons. Both of these teams will be playing European tournaments next week, but something tells us that neither one of these clubs will hold back when they lock horns at the Do Dragao. Brace yourselves, because this could be the defining moment of the title race right here!
Sporting Braga vs Pacos de Ferreira:The fourth-ranked team still has some chances to end the season among the top three, and games such as the one they will face against Pacos de Ferreira could be the kind that ends up deviating them from their goal. The away side are on a five-game streak without a win (four draws, one loss), and a win for them would be crucial to end the weekend among the upper half.
Benfica vs Santa Clara: With Porto and Sporting playing this Friday, it could be Benfica who reap the benefits in case there is a winner in that game. The Eagles must avoid a loss here against Santa Clara to keep their title options alive, but the away side's 5-game streak without a loss may hint that it will take more than a smile from Nelson Verissimo's men to take all the points.
Primeira Liga - Who's in and who's out for Matchday 22
Benfica - Injured: Rodrigo Pinho, Haris Seferovic, Lucas Verissimo.
Braga - Injured: Nuno Sequeira, Lucas Mineiro.
Porto - Injured: Wilson Manafá. Doubtful: Diogo Costa.
Sporting - Suspended: Pedro Porro. Doubtful: Pedro Goncalves.
Primeira Liga - Matchday 22 fixtures
