Boavista break Porto's home run

By Diogo Teixeira

SL Benfica climbed alongside FC Porto at the top of the SuperLiga after Víctor Fernández's side lost their first home game of the season against Boavista FC.

Last-minute strike
Porto played much of Friday evening's game with ten men after Benni McCarthy's 36th-minute sending-off, and looked to have held on for a well-earned point until Cafú completed a flowing counterattack in the third minute of added time to give Boavista the three points. The European champions were left to rue a host of opportunities as they saw their lead at the top of the league disappear.

Second-half comeback
Benfica could have gone top with victory against Rio Ave FC on Saturday and looked well on course after Simão Sabrosa's double gave them a 2-0 lead inside 22 minutes. Franco headed a goal back three minutes later before Tomislav Sokota restored the two-goal cushion on the half hour. Paulo César again reduced the arrears on 60 minutes and Rafael Jaques equalised with ten minutes remaining to give Rio Ave the share of a thrilling encounter.

Douala double
Benfica's great rivals Sporting CP were also denied by a late goal at Beira-Mar SC. Djalmir Heitor scored a last-gasp strike to rescue a point for the home side after a Roudolphe Douala double had overturned Kingsley's opener on 34 minutes and appeared to have secured the points for Sporting. The draw means that Sporting are seventh, four points behind the leading pair.

First win
Vitória FC could also have claimed top spot after Porto's slip, but the Setúbal outfit fell 2-1 to struggling Gil Vicente FC. Nandinho scored a goal in each half, either side of Manuel José's 50th-minute equaliser as Ulisses Morais gained his first win since taking over as coach. SC Braga are sixth after goals from João Alves and Casimiro Cicero gave them a 2-0 win against GD Estoril-Praia.

Vitória denied
The Madeira derby between CS Marítimo and CD Nacional finished 1-1, as did the match between Vitória SC and União de Leiria. Struggling Vitória had taken the lead through Atilla Dragoner before Caíco equalised midway through the second half but both teams finished with ten men after Alhandra and Cléber saw red. Elsewhere, FC Penafiel raced into a two-goal lead against Moreirense FC but the bottom side fought back with two goals in five minutes in an exhilarating first half and neither side could find a winner after the break.

Monday match
Finally, there was another draw in the Monday night match, as Jorge Tavares' 76th-minute goal earned CF Os Belenenses a point at A. Académica de Coimbra. Dário had given the home side a first-half lead but the result leaves Académica in 13rd place, while Belenenses are eighth.