Benfica, in a real state of alert due to the sudden reduction to four points of the lead over FC Porto, is obliged to win at the reception on Sunday against Estoril and thus recover some serenity.
When the road to the 38th champion title seemed practically free of major shocks, the consecutive defeats against FC Porto, at home, by 2-1, and against Chaves, by 1-0, added to the successes of their great rival , they reopened suddenly. the accounts of the championship, with six days -18 points- in discussion until the end.
The ‘eagles’ are still the only team that depends solely on itself, however, any result other than victory could give FC Porto even more ‘wings’, encouraged by the break that resulted in three setbacks, one of which in the champions league
The coach Roger Schmidt has seen his options questioned, so it is urgent to put an end to this bad period, which has also infected the ‘Champions’, since Benfica lost (2-0) at La Luz against Inter and this Wednesday for the night will have a complicated mission to turn the tie around and thus reach the long-awaited semifinals.
The champion FC Porto showed in Luz that calculations are only made at the end: even so, on Saturday, immediately after knowing another slip of his great rival, he felt unexpected difficulties to win, against his teammates, by a meager 2-1, the Red Lantern of Santa Clara.
Paços de Ferreira is usually a difficult destination for the ‘dragons’, who on Saturday will meet a truly anguished rival, penultimate with only 17 points, forbidden to lose more: Estoril, 15th with 25, is the first team safe on the ground.
If Benfica, leader with 71 points, and FC Porto, second, with 67, face two afflicted, Sporting de Braga, third, with 65, will insist on putting more pressure on their rivals in the fight for the title, when open the round, on Friday, visiting Casa Pía, ninth with the same 39 points as the seventh.
Sporting, fourth, with 58 points, further and further away from a place heading to the Champions League, receives Juventus in the Europa League on Thursday, so they will be in the game that closes the second leg, on Monday, in Guimarães , against an opponent centered in fifth place, currently from Arouca (45), with the Vimaranenses sixth, four points from the goal.
After having moved further away from the two clubs that are in the direct relegation zone in the last round, Marítimo, who beat Paços de Ferreira, will go to Famalicão to try to add a few more points and try to get dividend with the games of Paços de Ferreira and Estoril.
Source: TSF
