Braga beat Casa Benfica to establish lead in Portugal

Matchdays 10 and 11 of the Elite Championship in Portugal were played on Saturday and Sunday in Porto, and had Braga bag two wins to take a four-point lead at the top of the table.

European champions Casa Benfica de Loures stay on 22 points after suffering two loses, first against ACD Sótão, and then in a replay of the Euro Winners Cup final, they were downed at the penalty spot by SC Braga.

The defending champions meanwhile, swept aside Leixões with ten goals to re-establish their lead at the top with 26 points.

The 2020 league winners Sporting, alongside ACD Sótão, turned their fortunes around in the double matchday weekend, to take a much-needed six points out of six. Sporting now sit in third and Sótão jump to fifth.

Varzim kept pace the pressure on Sporting with a win over bottom place São Domingos – who are still yet to taste victory in the Portuguese league – meaning that they sit just one point behind the Lisbon giants in fourth. Buarcos won once and lost once to sit in sixth on ten points, followed by Leixões in seventh, who were defeated twice.

Matchday 12 of the Portuguese league will be played on 16 July at Praia Francisco Pessoa, near Loures.

MATCHDAY 10 & 11 RESULTS (9/10 July)

09/07
Sporting CP 5-4 AD Buarcos
Casa Benfica de Loures 2-3 ACD Sótão
Leixões 3-10 SC Braga
Varzim SC 6-2 São Domingos

10/07
SC Braga 3(3)-(1)3 Casa Benfica de Loures
Varzim SC 2-3 Sporting CP
São Domingos 2-7 ACD Sótão
AD Buarcos 3-1 Leixões

STANDINGS (after Matchday 11)

1st – SC Braga (26 pts)
2nd – Casa Benfica de Loures (22 pts)
3rd – Sporting CP (19 pts)
4th – Varzim SC (18 pts)
5th – ACD Sótão (15 pts)
6th – AD Buarcos (10 pts)
7th – Leixões (9 pts)
8th – São Domingos (0 pts)