Casa Benfica on top after first round of Portuguese Elite league

2019 champions SC Braga are level on points with the leaders having also won twice

The Portuguese Elite League is underway and Casa Benfica Loures have their noses ahead after the first round, which took place Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 May. 

Matchday 1 treated fans to beach soccer drama in the Portuguese town of Chaves, where the hosts took an opening win, and a close match between the two previous winners saw SC Braga make their intensions clear against Sporting.

The league kicked off on Saturday when ACD O Sótão met Casa Benfica Loures and it was Spanish striker Llorenç who marked the difference between the two, as his hat-trick helped Casa Benfica nick two points in added time. They then took the biggest win of the weekend over GR Amigos Paz on Sunday, beating them 9-3 as Llorenç took his tally to five goals.

SC Braga and Sporting CP, the two previous league winners, met in a tight game which finished 5-4 for Os Guerreiros do Minho, who received a shock in their second match where they narrowly secured two points against local club Chaves in extra time, thanks to Leo Martins goal.

Sporting won 5-4 against ACD O Sótão in their second match, but the reigning champions currently sit in fourth after their loss to Braga.

AD Buarcos and Varzim SC both lost one match a claimed a single point from their other, sitting in fifth and sixth after the first round, and ACD O Sótão and GR Amigos Paz are in seventh and eighth having failed to win any points so far.

Next week the league returns, this time in Buarcos where leaders Casa Benfica will take on Varzim and defending champions Sporting will meet bottom place GR Amigos Paz. Braga will play Nazaré side ACD O Sótão as hosts Buarcos will play against Chaves.

The league will consist of 14 matchdays played in eight different locations around Portugal. Matches will be broadcast on Canal 11. For full details of the Portuguese Elite Beach Soccer League, click here. 

FIXTURES 

Saturday 15 May

ACD O Sótão  3-4  CB Loures *AET

SC Braga  5-4  Sporting CP

GR Amigos Paz  3(0)-(2)3  AD Buarcos

Varzim SC  3-6  GD Chaves

Sunday 16 May

GD Chaves  3-4  SC Braga *AET

Sporting CP  5-4  ACD O Sótão

CB Loures  9-3  GR Amigos Paz

AD Buarcos  4(1)-(3)4  Varzim SC

STANDINGS 

1 – CB Loures 5

2 – SC Braga 5

3 – GD Chaves 3

4 – Sporting CP 3

5 – AD Buarcos 1

6 – Varzim SC 1

7 – ACD O Sótão 0

8 – GR Amigos Paz 0

Photo: Casa Benfica de Loures