Topics: Darwin Nunez, Bruno Xadas, Roman Yaremchuk, Benfica, Sporting CP, Porto, Primeira Liga
The Dragons and the Lions were forced to settle for a point each over the weekend while the Eagles marched to a convincing 3-0 victory.

Matchday 24 in the Primeira Liga has come to a wrap, and what a set of results it has brought.

The round kicked off on Friday with Belenenses' home clash with Paços Ferreira, with the visitors beating the relegation-battling side 2-0 in one of two non-weekend fixtures – the other being Sporting Braga's goalless draw with 10-man Santa Clara.

Of the three top teams, Sporting CP were the first to take to the field, with the defending champions suffering an unwanted slip-up. The Lions drew 1-1 with Maritimo in what could have been a costly draw had Porto not dropped points themselves, with the league leaders failing to capitalize, instead drawing 1-1 with 10-man Gil Vicente.

As a result, the gap between first and second did not change in this round. However, what shifted was the advantage Sporting CP had over third-placed Benfica, with the Eagles moving within four points of their Lisbon rivals after beating Vitoria SC 3-0. Here are the top headlines and talking points from the recent round in the Primeira Liga.

Who are the top teams in the Primeira Liga?

Pos.TeamMPWDLGFGAGDPForm
1 Sporting CP 30 26 2 2 87 27 +60 80 WWWWW
2 Benfica 30 23 4 3 68 24 +44 73 WWLWW
3 Porto 30 19 5 6 55 24 +31 62 WDLLW
4 Sporting Braga 30 19 5 6 63 41 +22 62 WWLWW
5 Vitória Guimarães 30 17 6 7 45 32 +13 57 LDWWW
6 Arouca 30 13 5 12 51 40 +11 44 DWWWL
7 Moreirense 30 12 7 11 30 34 -4 43 LLDLW
8 Famalicão 30 8 12 10 33 38 -5 36 DLDWW
9 Casa Pia 30 8 8 14 30 43 -13 32 LDDWL
10 Farense 30 8 7 15 39 44 -5 31 LDWLD
11 Rio Ave 30 5 16 9 32 38 -6 31 DDWDD
12 Gil Vicente 30 8 7 15 37 48 -11 31 WLLLL
13 Boavista 30 7 9 14 35 56 -21 30 DLLDL
14 Estoril 30 8 6 16 45 52 -7 30 DLDWW
15 Estrela 30 6 11 13 32 46 -14 29 DDDLD
16 Portimonense 30 7 7 16 34 64 -30 28 DDWLL
17 Chaves 30 5 8 17 30 62 -32 23 DWLLL
18 Vizela 30 4 9 17 29 62 -33 21 LLLLL

Champions League (Group Stage)
Champions League (Qualification)
Europa League (Qualification)
Promotion - Europa Conference League (Qualification: )
Relagation Play-off
Relegation - Liga Portugal 2

Primeira Liga top 3 scorers 

  1. Darwin Nunez (Benfica): 20 goals

  2. Ricardo Horta (Sporting Braga): 14 goals

  3. Fran Navarro (Gil Vicente): 13 goals

Primeira Liga – top headlines

  • Benfica's memorable win over the weekend was special for two reasons. The Eagles hosted Vitoria SC on Sunday, with the Portuguese giants marching to a lovely 3-0 victory in a game that saw Ukrainian player Roman Yaremchuk given the armband and a standing ovation due to Russia's recent attack on his home country. Additionally, that triumph came before a monumental day: Benfica's 118th birthday, which was on Monday.

  • Darwin Nunez scored a brace in Benfica's weekend victory, setting a lovely feat along the way. The Uruguayan striker became the first Eagles player to score 20+ goals in his first 20 top-flight appearances of a season since former Brazilian forward Jonas (21 goals in 2015/2016 and 24 in 2017/2018).

  • While Sporting CP did not enjoy their clash with Maritimo, the same cannot be said about the opposition, especially their Portuguese midfielder Bruno Xadas. The 24-year-old made his first start for the club since November, and what a start it was, as Xadas netted his side's goal, earning them a crucial point.

Top matches to watch in the Primeira Liga: Mar. 4-7, 2022

Portimonense vs Benfica: The task for the Eagles is simple: keep the momentum going. Due to Sporting CP's recent slip-up, the Eagles are now only four points behind in the race for UEFA Champions League football. Since their 2-1 loss to Gil Vicente at the beginning of last month, Darwin Nunez and Co. have gone five straight games without defeat. Next up is a clash with Portimonense, who are ninth in the table, meaning this should not be a walk in the park for the visitors. Don't miss this tie.

Sporting CP vs Arouca: Given that Porto went on to draw their game, Sporting CP not only saw their lead over Benfica get slashed, but the defending champions missed out on the opportunity to gain ground on the league leaders. This cannot be tolerated for two leagues games in a row. Prior to the weekend, the Lions will take on the Dragons in the Taca de Portugal first leg semifinal, meaning that game could weigh heavily on their confidence ahead of Saturday's clash with Arouca. However, the opposition are a relegation-battling side, meaning a win is expected from Amorim 's men.

Pacos Ferreira vs Porto: Similarly, the Dragons will feel disappointed by their weekend result, having missed out on the golden opportunity to move eight points clear in the title race Nonetheless, Porto cannot linger on that result as the games come thick and fast. First up is a midweek Taca de Portugal penultimate stage showdown with Sporting CP. After that is a Primeira Liga battle with Pacos Ferreira, who are 10th in the table. Who'll win this clash? Tune in on Sunday to find out the answer.

Make sure you don't miss out on these key games and stay on top of all the action by checking out our Primeira Liga competition page.