Sporting win the Portuguese league!

SC Braga were dethroned by a Lions of Lisbon who won on the final day to clinch the top spot

Sporting have reclaimed their 2016 league title after years of Braga domination. 

The Lions took first place in the Elite Champion Qualification Stage, defeating Casa Benfica de Loures 6-3 on the final day of matches in Nazaré.

Goals from Spaniards Edu Suarez (3) and Antonio, as well as Ricardinho and Pinhal saw the new champions bag the essential points to stay top of the table, while a brace from 2018’s Best Player Llorenç wasn’t enough to help Casa Benfica to overcome a superior Sporting.

Sporting finished the final stage, a four-team group, with the maximum nine points while the 2019 champions SC Braga finished on six, settling for the runners-up position. 

It was the second time Braga had been dethroned in under a month, as Kristall (Russia) defeated them in the final of the Euro Winners Cup, in the very same stadium.

Later in the afternoon at the Estádio do Viveiro – Jordan Santos, four teams were struggling to avoid the drop at the other end of the Elite League, but in the end it was Leixões and GD Alfarim who will be relegated into the National Championship after losing to their groupmates.

They will be replaced by Varzim and Buarcos who earned promotion last week, while GRAP and local club ACD Sótão will remain in the Elite league to battle amongst the big boys for another year.

RESULTS

Sporting CP 6 – 3 Casa Benfica de Loures 

SC Braga 7 – 3 Chaves

Leixões 1 – 4 ACD Sótão

GD Alfarim 1 – 7 GRAP 

STANDINGS

Sporting CP 

SC Braga

Casa Benfica de Loures  

Chaves

ACD Sótão

GRAP

Leixões *   

GD Alfarim * 

*relegated to National Championship 

Photo: fpf.pt