SCB 0–1 FC Porto: Dragons keep up the pace up front

After Sunday’s comprehensive defeat of Sporting, FC Porto had another tough obstacle to overcome – this time it was Braga, who had arrived at this match on the back of a very interestingly winning streak. If Julen Lopetegui’s had any hopes of breathing down Benfica’s neck, victory was mandatory.

However, the team led by the Dragons’ former glory Sérgio Conceição had other ideas and wasn’t willing to roll over, particularly because Sporting’s defeat last Sunday at the Dragão meant that Braga were in touching distance of a much sought-after Champions League berth.

• Guerreiros stifle Dragons from first whistle

As the only team that had beaten Benfica twice this season, Braga certainly did not need any more letters of recommendation and, with their own agenda in mind, came out strong from the get-go. Ruben Micael and Zé Luís allowed both Maicon and Marcano time on the ball, but effectively closed the easy, obvious passing lanes to Casemiro, thus forcing several long balls out of FC Porto’s centre-backs. With the excellent Pedro Tiba and Danilo sticking close to their direct opponents, Lopetegui’s men had no choice but to play outside Braga’s block, forcing crosses upon crosses.

In fact, that was perhaps the most interesting aspect of the match, as Danilo and Tiba were virtually marking Herrera and Evandro out of the match (Evandro would later improve his performance), the same happening practically everywhere on the pitch, almost resembling a series of individual battles - with little movement from FC Porto to burst past the man-marking approach.

FC Porto were once again showing their vulnerabilities, since the team kept lacking collective answers to bypass teams who are adept at patrolling the area in front of their penalty box and that, unlike Sporting, don’t allow acres of space to exploit behind the back four. All of that meant that it was up to the most skilled players to make the difference, i.e. Jackson Martínez and Brahimi. Indeed, the Dragons only showed some of their potential either when Jackson dropped back to link up play (but with no one taking in his place in the penalty box for the eventual crossing that is the side’s most frequent solution) or Brahimi got past his man, particularly after moving to his more natural left wing 15 minutes into the match.

• FC Porto gradually improve

Despite their cohesive defending and the dangerous-looking transitions, Braga actually struggled to create clear-cut chances, with the exception of the 5th minute set-piece that had Fabiano once again fumbling for the ball. As the match wore on, though, FC Porto became more proactive when they lost the ball and the energy of Braga’s front four slowly subsided.

Ironically, FC Porto always looked more dangerous when Braga committed men forward on their breakaways, with the ball often travelling down the wings - Lopetegui’s insistence on ignoring the centre means that their charges never invade the most dangerous areas of the pitch, thus needing numerous attacking situations to create a clear chance, usually after yet another cross.

The end of the first half brought a bit more danger as Tello started finding more space to run into and, on the other hand, Evandro started making himself more available to receive bisecting passes from the centre-backs (but was eventually replaced not long into the second half).

• FC Porto repeat winning formula

Similarly to what had happened against Sporting, FC Porto looked willing to be more intense when they came back from the dressing room. With Braga gradually tiring out, the Dragons started finding more space to exploit, even though (half) chances kept coming far and between. Despite Evandro’s improvement, the midfielder was replaced with Ricardo Quaresma, meaning the Dragons were now playing a 4x2x3x1 of sorts, with Brahimi off Aboubakar (who had taken the injured Jackson Martínez’s place).

In what turned out to be a slow-burning second half (and match overall), it became clearer and clearer how FC Porto had an Óliver Torres-shaped hole in the middle, without anyone able to pick apart opposing defences with passes, movements or dummies and this forcing opponents out of their comfort zone. With Braga fading more and more out of the contest as the match wore on, the Dragons got tighter to Sérgio Conceição’s men and, in one of those situations, Aboubakar left Tello one on one against Matheus and the Spaniard replicated what he had done so well against Sporting.

 All in all, it was a very cagey match from two of the best teams in the Portuguese league that promised a bit more, but the fact that both teams needed the three points might help explain both sides’ fearfulness. On the other hand, it was hard not to feel disappointed by how both teams looked most comfortable when the other side lost the ball and thus paved away for quick breaks, rather than showing good skills as far as attacking organisation is concerned.

FC Porto may have won the match – and in hindsight may have in fact been the team more willing to chase the goal – but the end result seems to be less of a collective effort than a consequence of a much stronger squad individually. Victories will always offer some shade, but FC Porto’s process has yet to persuade.

FC Porto 3-0 Sporting: Dragons nullify Sporting on Tello's night

FC Porto and Sporting entered this match with five points separating them and with both teams needing a win. On one hand, Benfica had effectively destroyed Estoril the day before and put a seven-point distance between themselves and the Dragons. On the other hand, Sporting were just one point ahead of Braga in the fight for the next season's last Champions League place. The promise of an entertaining match was made.

But the game played out somewhat differently from what might be expected. Having yet to lose against either FC Porto or Benfica this season, the Lions' coach Marco Silva chose not to replicate the successful strategy that had granted the Verde e Brancos an impressive 3-1 win at the Dragão for the Portuguese Cup last October.

• Sporting's compact back four

Sporting's more expectant approach was somewhat counterbalanced by the high positioning of their back line, playing 10-15 yards in front of their own penalty box, an approach complemented by the fact that all four elements in the Lions' defence were deployed very narrow - apparently in an attempt to stifle FC Porto's centre.

Sporting's plan seemed to be completed by a more expectant approach and a seeming over-reliance on FC Porto's tendency to make mistakes in possession, particularly through their centre-backs. The first two half-opportunities came from Sporting - and exactly through the expected fashion. After that, Sporting seemed to evaporate offensively as FC Porto started piling on the pressure.

• FC Porto's issues down the centre and ironic goal

Without Óliver Torres, the Dragons' coach Julen Lopetegui went with Evandro to take the Spanish wunderkid's place, meaning Herrera played closer to Casemiro than usual. The midfield match-up was almost man-to-man marking, with Herrera on William Carvalho, Evandro on Adrien and Casemiro on João Mário - and vice-versa, naturally.

The Dragons had some initial issues with the build-up play, as Brahimi looked like the team's only out-ball, with both Herrera and Evandro unwilling to get the ball from their centre-backs. On the defensive side of things, Herrera and Evandro were not looking too secure either, playing too far apart and thus forcing Casemiro to move out wide - which made it look like Sporting could create some danger down that route, particularly with Montero, João Mário and Nani all thriving in that space.

As Sporting progressively faded, FC Porto ended up scoring 31 minutes into the match with can only be described as the antithesis of their tactical blueprint: Maicon hit it long in the direction of Jackson Martínez, who, with a little flick, played Cristian Tello in for the Spanish's first goal of the evening. On English shores, this would be designated as typical route-one football.

• Sporting go missing, FC Porto at full throttle

Marco Silva's team seemed ill-prepared for the possibility of conceding a goal and apparently without a plan B. Things surely didn't look rosy as the Dragons kept attacking in waves and looked more purposeful on the ball. That much was further stressed as FC Porto came out stronger out of the gates for the second half and Tello benefited from another lovely assist from Jackson Martínez, with Sporting left-back punished for his terrible positioning and reading of the game.

Silva reacted immediately with Slimani and Capel coming on for Montero and Carrillo (meaning Nani acted as no. 10 and João Mário alongside William Carvalho), but nothing came of it. In fact, it was FC Porto that kept coming at the vulnerable lions, with Jackson now finding pockets of space between the opposing centre-backs but also between the centre-halves and the full-backs. With Sporting a tad more proactive and more balanced up front, the Dragons' midfield found the space they had been craving for some probing passes behind the Lions' back four.

Tello would round up his evening with a hat-trick after Herrera followed in Jackson Martínez's footsteps and provided a direct through-ball that completed Jonathan's torment of a match. Iván Marcano would hit the woodwork with a powerful header in an attempt to increase the final scoreline, but it ended up unchanged up until the final whistle.

• Conclusion

An anaemic display from Sporting that cannot certainly be blamed exclusively on Thursday's Europa League match against Wolfsburg. Despite the difference as far as players are individually concerned, the team did not seem prepared to what FC Porto had to offer, the huge space behind the Lions' defence proving deadly for the team led by Marco Silva - and given the team played the whole time with such a high defence, it had be to under the coach's instructions.

FC Porto, on the other hand, ended up achieving a very good result and a decent cushion in order to guarantee direct access to next season's Champions League - and still be within touching distance of Benfica. Still, there remain some issues that look hard to get rid of, namely the defence's shakiness when things are more tightly contested and the little protection provided by the midfield. Also, the fact that the team rely heavily on Brahimi to provide the out-ball should not be overlooked either, especially as the season enters its defining stages.

FC Porto X Benfica: Dragons' comeback or Benfica's opportunity?

Picture credit: zerozero.pt

In a league where the two major clubs have been running away with the title with increasingly greater ease, FC Porto and Benfica now must make the most of these showdowns between the two archenemies. The old saying used to act as a cautionary tale against the importance of these matches, drawing attention to the fact that smaller teams were usually the runners-up's undoing. Not anymore.

With that in mind, Sunday evening's match will treat us once again with two very different approaches - and even though the match won't probably reach the same levels of managerial proficiency of the now memorable duels between Vítor Pereira and Jorge Jesus as coaches and personalities, there will in fact be some common traits.

• FCP's defence vs SLB's attack

Jorge Jesus might welcome Alex Sandro and Danilo, who has probably been enjoying his best season at FC Porto, with open arms, but truth be told the Dragon's defence has looked anything but impenetrable. While Bruno Martins Indi looks more and more like a shrewd (albeit not cheap) piece of business, his partner - whether it's Marcano or Maicon - leaves something more to be desired. On the other hand, FC Porto's ever marauding full-backs often leave space at the back that can be exploited by Benfica's Nico Gaitán and Salvio, and they're sometimes left exposed by Casemiro and Herrera.

In fact, the clash of styles may well begin on this part of the pitch. Julen Lopetegui's favoured possession-based approach relies heavily on the centre-backs seeing a lot of the ball. However, none of them look particularly adept and they are frequently found wanting while executing the strategy, which has offered more than a handful of opportunities to their opponents throughout the season. Jorge Jesus's Benfica, in turn, are more fond of transition-based matches, where they can make the most of spaces vacated by adversaries - something that might just play into the hands of Gaitán, Talisca and Jonas, with the latter being particularly keen on discovering pockets of space.

Advantage: Benfica

• The midfield battle

While nominally playing with two central midfielders, Benfica might not be at a disadvantage. Jorge Jesus usually has his teams very well drilled as far as defensive duties are concerned, even when it comes to his forwards and wingers. Moreover, the team's movement and compensations improve dramatically as the season goes on and the players get to know the coach's methods. If Óliver Torres and Hector Herrera are to play ahead of Casemiro, as expected, it will probably open up spaces for the excellent Enzo Pérez, whose understanding of the game and ability to penetrate enemy lines stands head and shoulders above Herrera's huffing and puffing.

Andreas Samaris, conversely, may well be another matter, since he still does not seem too familiar with Jesus's ideas and may find it hard to patrol his assigned spaces, with all of Óliver, Herrera and Yacine Brahimi tending to converge to his area. The other side of the coin? Look for Enzo Pérez to immediately pounce the moment FC Porto give the ball away and open up acres of space with just Casemiro shielding the side's back four (or sometimes less). As Sporting showed when they played at the Dragão for the Portuguese Cup, it may be easier to take this FC Porto down by allowing them to shoot themselves in the foot.

Advantage: Benfica

• FCP's attack vs SLB's defence

This is clearly where things get complicated for Benfica. While Luisão still commands a huge deal of respect by remaining able to stay ahead of the inevitable curve, Jardel is no Garay and Máxi Pereira has been showing signs of a gradual but constant decline. With Lopetegui's main attacking plan relying on 1v1 situations down the wings and Jesus's willingness to often allow his team to face even-numbers situations, the individual difference between Benfica's defenders and FC Porto's attackers might just be too much for goalkeeper Júlio César & Co. to handle.

If Gaitán is effectively deployed down the left, he will have to stay on his toes during the defensive phase, since the partnership of Danilo and (most likely) Cristián Tello will certainly prove too much for make-do left-back André Almeida, with Jardel - who will surely have his hands full with Jackson Martínez's skills and sheer strength - also wary of stepping out too far from his zone against such quick opponents.

If Benfica manage to stay compact, FC Porto will have a hard time breaking them down. If, on the contrary, the Eagles take the bait and start coming out in numbers, the Dragons' forwards will enjoy a field day.

Advantage: FC Porto

Benfica's Jorge Jesus: The fine line between perseverance and stubbornness

Benfica's Jorge Jesus.
Photo credit: futebolportugal.clix.pt

Life is usually pretty simple for a football supporter - not easy, mind you, but simple. You love your team. You hate (or at least profoundly dislike) your city rivals and/or archenemies. When your team win, it's one of the best feelings in the world. When they lose, getting to work the next morning seems just a tad harder.

This is one of the reasons why the phenomenon that surrounds Benfica's coach Jorge Jesus is so interesting. Every club - at least in Southern Europe - is subject to these virtually bipolar fans (straying away from the loyal supporters), but the Eagles are a club that seems to be constantly riding a wave of euphoria or experiencing the hardest of crashes with reality. There is hardly ever any in-between. During the same week, it is possible to hear supporters swearing on their mother's grave that Jesus has been the best thing that has happened to Benfica over the past two decades and others who assure their conversational partner that he's only lucky he's had access to such gifted players.

• Team identity: a blessing or a trap?

Every (future) manager taking their badges will have heard countless times that designing your "modelo de jogo" - your tactical blueprint, if you will - is crucial. If you have no idea where you're going, you'll never get to your destination - or so the saying seems to go. You're told that that blueprint has to take numerous things into consideration, from the players at your disposal to the club's ambitions or the supporters' traditional reactions to results and displays. Your identity seems to be the cornerstone around which everything revolves.

The issue comes when you take that identity to the pitch, to face reality - and what you do when results do not come your way. What do you do with that identity when your players are clearly not good enough to execute what you had in mind? What do you do when the president insists that you play two strikers? What do you do when you hit a slump of form or face much harder competition on another environment?

The average supporter could not care less about all these questions and thus it is much easier to just sing their coach's praises when their team win and blast him to hell when they lose. In this specific case, Benfica's supporters are quite happy to watch their team destroy other sides in the Portuguese league, but find it much harder to stomach when Jesus implements the same tactics in Europe and crashes out of the Champions League.

• When to stick to the plan and when to give in?

The issue always ends up at the same stop: over their last five seasons in the Champions League, Benfica have only progressed once to the last sixteen. And that seems to be the point where black and white do not suffice to address the Jesus conundrum: his know-how when it comes to materialising his ideas is undoubtedly impressive. The new players that are invariably signed during the off-season to replace the ones he molded over the past seasons and went on to greener pastures always seem extremely raw and totally uncomfortable with the coach's ideas. Some months later, some of them are touted for higher flights and mentioned on the foreign press.

But what baffles most - including this columnist - is the apparent (or perhaps evident) unwillingness to adapt his approach and options the slightest bit to what his team find in front of them. The cavalier attitude that is on display week in, week out in Portugal seems to do more harm than good, conveying the impression that system will be able to meet most needs. Used to dictate most matches domestically, Benfica often struggle in the Champions League, because their blueprint relies heavily on transitions - both defensive and attacking. In Europe's top tier, however, other teams are much more adept at punishing them for committing so many men forward with caution apparently thrown to the wind.

• The grey area

It would be much easier to judge coaches simply on results. In truth, that's what always happens in the end. With Jesus, however, there is one lingering question: should he be criticised for never being willing to change or should he be praised for the courage to stick to his ideals no matter what? After all, at some point all geniuses were dubbed crazy and stubborn for believing in their work. Sometimes, good or bad are not enough to describe a (wo)man's work.

Benfica-Sporting: The Preview

Tom Kundert from PortuGOAL and I have jotted down a few thoughts about next Sunday's Benfica-Sporting. Tom laid out the scenery, I spoke a bit about the absentees and their possible impact. You can check the piece out here.

Braga 3-0 Guimarães: Quick notes from the Quarry

The weekend's first fixture pitted the Minho rivals - Sporting de Braga and Vitória de Guimarães - for a rather entertaining match, as is usually the case. After Braga's resounding win, let us take a closer look at some of the action.

• 1. Braga on the up, future issues to ponder

The days before the match revolved mainly around Ruben Micael's absence from the side and how coach Jesualdo Ferreira would deal with it. Those who watched the match were able to witness one of the Guerreiros' best matches of the season so far as a response. With a now seemingly more established 4x3x3, the team seem more evenly balanced and therefore less inclined to shoot themselves in the foot. Custódio offered the defensive solidity, Luiz Carlos provided coverage while defending and a constant out-ball, while Alan was afforded the liberty to sprinkle his fairy dust virtually all over the place, largely due to Guimarães' approach (more on that later). Jesualdo's men dominated the middle of the park right from the start, with their three-man midfield duly helped by wingers Rafa and Pardo. The team were collectively aggressive and more in tune with Jesualdo's familiar principles, perhaps a tad more possession-based than usual. Their ability to control the centre and to shift the ball quickly to the flanks for dangerous crosses and penetrations from Rafa and Pardo is not to be underestimated.
However, there might be some cause for concern in the future, in this reporter's humble opinion. Custódio does not seem to be the perfect fit for this particular formation. While there remain no doubts that he's more than capable of doing the gritty work, he does not have some of the other traits for the role. The Portuguese international has been used to play in a two-man central midfield (usually with Hugo Viana as his sidekick) and struggles physically with the sole holding midfielder role, particularly due to his lack of speed. Also, the fact that he is not the most technically gifted player means he regularly takes a couple of touches too many on the ball, making him ill-suited for the pivotal role of this particular position. On the other hand, Alan's game last night constitutes clear proof that the side are missing a more cerebral player in midfield. Still, there won't be that many times when Alan is allowed to dictate the tempo and Ruben Micael has shown time and again that he is not the best bet for a typical 4x3x3.

• 2. Guimarães offer too little - once again

The parallelism had never struck me before - until today. While doing some research for a piece on English football, I read something about David Moyes' struggles at Manchester United and his inability to successfully transition into a more storied team. The piece mentioned - to paraphrase - that good managers acknowledged their team's limits and tried to work within them as best they could. Great managers refuse such limits and make their players believe they're capable of doing greater things. Every time I watch Rui Vitória's Guimarães Uin stark contrast to Marco Silva's Estoril) I'm left with that same impression: His side are obviously capable of grinding out results (as stated by their standing in the league table), but they offer precious little when there's the need to build something.

Last night was no different. A team that included André Santos, Barrientos and Marco Matias was unable to create anything noteworthy, instead receding to an expectant, reactive approach. Rui Vitória's instructions for André Santos to man-mark Luiz Carlos and deployment of André André off Tomané and Barrientos on the left was baffling, to say the least. André André, while hard-working, is clearly unsuited for such a role due to his technical limitation. Barrientos, in turn, is no work horse - which makes one wonder why his coach would place him on the left wing of a 4x2x3x1, thus demanding him to run up and down the wing. The two half-time substitutions did not offer anything new and Guimarães' attempts at building up anything from scratch led to gaping holes all over the place.

• 3. Rafa is the real deal. Is Rusescu?

Sometimes I find myself wondering what is going on inside the minds of the three Portuguese grandes' directors and coaches. Maybe holding a Portuguese passport is indeed harmful to your career prospects, as the saying goes among Portuguese players. If Rafa were Uruguayan or Colombian, for instance, would he have already been picked up by FC Porto or Benfica, for instance? Despite his young age, he is clearly a top-notch player. Last night's match proved once again that he is no one-trick pony, single-handedly piercing Guimarães' defence or providing pin-point crosses in Rusecu's direction. More importantly, he seems to have an impressive understanding of the game for a player of his age and generally takes the best decisions - one of the most important features in today's football. If no grande comes to grab him soon enough, he will surely be heading abroad sooner rather than later.

As for Rusescu, his credentials were indeed promising, but such considerations should always be taken with a pinch of salt when they're based on youth tournaments, as is the case in point. It's admittedly premature to read too much into a single match, even if it yielded two goals. Even though that was an important aspect, he impressed mostly through his link-up play and, like Rafa, through the understanding of when to progress, to keep it simple, to play a team-mate it or have a go himself. It's unlikely that he will enjoy the same freedoms Guimarães allowed him at the Quarry, but the fact that he was able to make the most of it bodes well for his near future.

FC Porto grab crucial 2-0 win

Starting elevens

After Benfica's draw against last-placed Arouca the night before, FC Porto had yet another reason to get a much-needed win against Braga, something Paulo Fonseca's team eventually did.

There are always (at least) two ways to look at something. Case in point, the increasing difficulties both FC Porto and Benfica are having to get past opponents. On one hand, one could argue it's the big two that have been playing below par. On the other hand, one could say that the remaining teams are becoming stronger (at least domestically). The bottom line is that this season's Liga Zon Sagres has been getting more and more interesting, with Sporting playing dead and discreetly climbing their way back up the national ladder once more.

Last night's match between FC Porto and Braga was hardly one of those matches to go down in history, but it was entertaining nonetheless. With a mere win over the past 6 matches, Paulo Fonseca was heard claiming the team were playing well and the only thing missing were goals, and surprisingly demanded "more attitude from his men", which hardly looked to be the issue at hand, since the most pressing problem seems to be the side's lack of ideas while attacking.

For someone that has kept insisting over the past few weeks that he believes in his abilities and that he won't be changing his mind, Paulo Fonseca threw a half-surprise by shuffling the line-up once again, with Josué deployed on the wing (left for most of the match) and Defour and Herrera in the centre. Jesualdo Ferreira, in turn, stayed true to the XI he has been naming over the past weeks, with the exception of Ruben Micael. Alan was interestingly introduced to the middle of Braga's 4x3x3, with Pardo on the right.

During the first half-hour, the match was everything that was expected - a trembling FC Porto and an expectant Braga. In fact, the initial 30 minutes might even be described as textbook Jesualdo Ferreira: A team calm and collected while defending and waiting for their opportunity on the break. Braga's goalkeeper Eduardo was hardly ever forced to blemish his white kit during that initial period, with the Dragons always looking vulnerable to any balls given away and unwilling to shift the ball around (often insisting on the direct, and often misplaced, pass). Braga were definitely throwing a spanner in FC Porto's works, but the home team were being their own worst enemy, as so often has been the case so far.

35 minutes into the match, Josué forced a huge save from Eduardo with a close-range shot. Despite FC Porto's lackadaisical efforts, Braga were now less and less able to play on the counter and the home supporters eventually found a way to get behind the team. Half-time came and went with not much to register.

Paulo Fonseca decided to change things immediately and boldly replaced captain Lucho González with Carlos Eduardo. The time to assess said change was not enough, as the Dragons scored shortly afterwards through Jackson Martínez's deflected shot into Eduardo's top corner. The ill-concealed anxiety from home supporters finally had given way to long due celebrations and the team responded in kind, playing more fluidly and making Eduardo work a bit more.

As for Braga, if the initial 30 minutes had been textbook Jesualdo Ferreira, what happened next was too - as so many FC Porto supporters will remember -, with a disturbing lack of attacking intent or a plan B, something that happened frequently during his time at FC Porto against bigger teams. Therefore, it was hardly surprising that FC Porto enjoyed the best chances during the second half, with Braga offering nothing but timid displays of intent to get a better result.

In conclusion, while it may be tempting to have this pinned as the moment when FC Porto came back from the ashes, the team's display was still miles away from their dominant displays from last season (for instance) or the first two matches of the current season. It was undoubtedly a crucial win for Paulo Fonseca in particular, as the noose around his neck was getting tighter and tighter, but there is clearly still a lot of work to be done if the champions are to retain their title. Cue Sporting tomorrow.

FC Porto 3 - 1 Sporting: No room for midfield

Starting elevens

It had been a while since a FC Porto v Sporting mattered this much for both teams as far as the Portuguese league was concerned. In fact, both teams sat atop the table, ahead of Benfica. Following the Eagles' 2-0 win a few minutes earlier, Dragons and Lions knew that a slip-up would allow Benfica to get closer to at least one of the teams.

Neither coach sprang that many surprises, Paulo Fonseca choosing Varela ahead of Licá and Piris on the left wing of Sporting's defence the only difference. There was some curiosity as to what Paulo Fonseca's strategy would be, since the new coach was still to pass an important test, following back-to-back defeats at the hands of Atlético Madrid and Zenit in the season's most important matches so far. The way the team lost those matches and have struggled to put in good displays had left more question marks than the club's league form per se.

Varela's inclusion will probably have had to do with Fonseca's intention to stretch the play on the wings, forcing Sporting out wide and taking advantage of the Lions' rather light midfield. A more conservative approach from the visitors was to be expected, but oddly enough Leonardo Jardim chose to play André Martins higher up than the team's initial versions. In fact, when the season started, André Martins would be stationed on the right, occupying the wing to defend and to allow Wilson Eduardo to act almost as a second striker diagonal runs from the right. As it were, Sporting were a bit less fluid and FC Porto had some more space in the middle of the park, simultaneously nullifying Eduardo's threat.

• Space down the left

With Josué deployed on the right and tending to drift inside, it was down the left that the Dragons found happiness. With Alex Sandro and Varela often able to interchange passes (often due to Carrillo less than stellar defensive performance), it was hardly surprising that the first goal of the match stemmed from a foul on Alex Sandro inside the penalty box. No wonder either that was the side from where FC Porto would score the third goal.

In a game of pairs - Lucho González & William Carvalho, Herrera & Adrien Silva, and Fernando & Martins - Adrien Silva was often miles away from his ideal positioning, failing to offer the necessary coverage for the second balls that followed the aerial duels between Jackson Martínez and both Sporting centre-backs. After their first goal, FC Porto immediately dialed down the pressure, allowing Sporting time on the ball. Simultaneously, André Martins started dropping back in order to help with the initial build-up phase.

Sporting marginally dominated the events between 15 and 30 minutes, most likely due to FC Porto's strategy. However, the champions' unsure defensive footing made way for some uncomfortable situations, particularly because the passing of Paulo Fonseca's charges still looks not as crisp. Herrera's decision-making did not help matters either, with several mistakes in possession, not unlike Otamendi. Like Barcelona, FC Porto did not look comfortable or well-equipped for an expectant brand of football.

• Josué the key

40 minutes into the match, Josué definitely started playing on central areas. With William Carvalho following Lucho González almost everywhere, the Argentinean's forays towards the wings left loads of space for Josué to exert his domination. FC Porto's superiority towards the end of the first half was a direct cause of that option. As mentioned in the preview, dominance in the centre against this Sporting equals dominance over the match.

While it was hard to fathom why André Martins was still playing that high up instead of helping out in midfield (particularly given Adrien Silva's lesser performance), FC Porto did not seem to be dictating the tempo of the match. If Vítor Pereira was watching, he must have been fuming following the sheer amount of long balls and passes gone astray.

Sporting would end up equalizing on 59 minutes, after Helton's poor handling of a corner kick, but FC Porto immediately took their intensity up a notch and scored their second just two minutes afterwards. While Danilo's movement is to be praised, the zonal (?) marking inside Sporting's penalty box leaves much to be desired and speaks volumes about the difference in quality between the centre-backs and the rest of the team.

• Fonseca shows his true colours

Immediately after FC Porto's second goal, Paulo Fonseca drew the clearest contrasting line between himself and his predecessors at the club. Whereas Vítor Pereira, André Villas-Boas or Jesualdo Ferreira might have shut up shop with the introduction of an extra midfielder, the former Paços de Ferreira coach opted to replace Josué for Licá. Unsurprisingly, the match entered a frantic stage, with numerous balls being given away far too cheaply.  FC Porto's third goal was a direct result of that state of affairs, where either team could have scored. Sporting's greater exposure to risk ended up costing them dearly, as so often is the case.

• Final notes

In a frantic match towards the end, with little coordination and strategy - particularly in the closing stages -, Sporting put in a timid display, the goal scored notwithstanding. As for FC Porto, the victory still does not make them better equipped for the crucial upcoming challenges (namely in the Champions League). Better teams will punish the Dragons for their failings in possession and disjointed defensive efforts.

Will Sunday be the next step up for Sporting?

After an international break that confirmed the inevitable play-off spot for the Portuguese national team, a cup weekend that further enhanced the idea that both FC Porto and Benfica are not yet firing on all cylinders and a disappointing week in the Champions League, the Portuguese league is finally back for what is now being touted as a very important match - FC Porto v Sporting, at the Dragão.

After yet another disastrous season - with numerous coaches at the helm - that yielded a mere sixth place in the final table and the absence from European competition, Sporting seem to have found last March the president the club were looking for in 39-year-old Bruno de Carvalho. The latest chief executive has indeed tried to steer the Lisbon-based club in the right direction and negotiate the several ill-fated pieces of business from the previous management(s).

Following Godinho Lopes' ruinous transfer wheeling-and-dealings, it was necessary to "limpar a casa", as the Portuguese saying has it - to clean the house up, discarding hefty, unnecessary wages and investing in cheap players with something to prove, as well as tying up the contracts of young promises of the renowned - but lately dismissed - club's academy.

That is why Sporting parted ways with Miguel Lopes (who had just been purchased from FC Porto in exchange for the perennially absent Marat Izmailov), Evaldo, Tiago Ilori, Boulahrouz, Bojinov, Pranjic, André Santos, Onyewu, Schaars, Gelson, Elias, among several others. Cash-strapped for a few years now, it was now surprise that their transfer expenditure was as little as €2.8m (according to the reliable transfermarkt.com), including bargains such as Vítor from Paços de Ferreira and goalscoring machine Fredy Montero from Seattle Sounder, but also the excellent Jefferson from Estoril.

• A systematic approach

More importantly, Carvalho hired Leonardo Jardim as the man to pave a (hopefully) luminous way for the team. The Madeira-born Jardim was unemployed at the time, after getting the sack at Olympiakos - despite the very good results he was getting - and was just waiting to be grabbed by one of the grandes.

Jardim, of course, had already been at Braga, where he had achieved great results on a shoestring budget, when compared to the usual three powerhouses in Portugal - including a streak of 15 league wins, before leaving in the wake of a quarrel with the mercurial club president António Salvador. His trademarks consisted of an almost impermeable defence and quick breaks. The final third place in the table was totally deserved.

The coach was also brought in for his praiseworthy work with youngster, something the club were teeming with. After getting rid of much of the deadwood (mostly to free transfers, admittedly), Sporting finally had a well-balanced squad, filled with young players with great potential and some others that had previously been around the block a few times. The usual eleven that Sporting play nowadays includes former academy graduates Rui Patrício, Cédric, William Carvalho, Adrien Silva, André Martins and Wilson Eduardo, most of whom were traditionally undesirable, in one way or another. 

As it turns out, not only do these players manage to fend for themselves and get the necessary results, but they also act as evidence that the academy is heading towards the right direction and gives young wannabes something to aspire to - not neglecting the fact that it is much cheaper and less risky for the club.

• The curse

During Paulo Bento's reign, Sporting were something of a bête noire for FC Porto, particularly when it came to cups. Jesualdo Ferreira, the Dragons' coach for most of that time, surely must feel relieved to see Paulo Bento ruling the Portuguese national team and away from league duties. However, since Bento resigned, Sporting's successes against FC Porto have been far and between - with just one win (Izmailov's one-man show back in 2010) in the past ten league meetings. At FC Porto's turf (whether the Dragão or Antas), things get even worse, with a single notch chalked up on the win column over the past ten years - way back in 2007, a match where Miguel Veloso staked his claim to fame with a spectacular display. The trip to Porto is usually fraught with perils, as far as Sporting is concerned.

Despite the latest sub-par performances, FC Porto still sit atop the league, two points ahead of Sporting and five from Benfica. While the draw in the Lisbon derby cannot be considered a bad result, it's the draw at home against Rio Ave that helps explain the difference between Jardim's men and the team led by former Paços de Ferreira coach Paulo Fonseca. However, it may take a few years for Sporting to enjoy such an advantageous set of conditions.

• The numbers

Sporting's first match of the season seemed to be following an all too familiar plot : Playing at home against recently promoted Arouca, the team quickly found themselves trailing after Bruno Amaro's goal. However, unlike previous seasons, Jardim's charges did not put their hands down and romped to a comfortable 5-1 win, setting the tone for the matches so far. Indeed, Sporting now boast the best attack, with 19 goals scored, and the best defence, together with Sunday's opponents.

Interestingly enough, the Lions have won all their matches away - scoring at least twice when playing away from home -, whereas FC Porto have won whenever they have played at home so far (Champions League not included). 

• The tactics

The stats presented above may well be explained by Leonardo Jardim's usually reactive approach. When playing in front of their supporters, Sporting are still considered a grande, and a draw at the Alvalade is usually a good result for smaller teams. Conversely, when those same teams play in their own grounds, they tend to be more proactive and therefore open up a bit more, which usually plays right into Sporting's hands. With Paulo Fonseca's FC Porto in something of a predicament following negative results and pale displays, a win against Sporting is a must and the Portuguese champions will surely want to wrest control of match from the hands of Sporting - with Jardim probably be all too happy to oblige.

In this particular contest, Sporting seem to have the upper hand in more ways than one. Contrary to what happened under Vítor Pereira, FC Porto now often look more inclined to attack down the wings, through Licá, Alex Sandro and Danilo, a trait that they share with the Lions. Since the Dragons will most likely be tilting forwards in search of the crucial first goal, Sporting will probably benefit from a lot of free space behind FC Porto's full-backs. 

This means that FC Porto's former strong suit - the dominance down the centre - should not punish Sporting, who still look a bit light in the middle of the park, with Adrien Silva and William Carvalho often looking insufficient for the tasks at hand, particularly given the team's clear weak spot: The centre-backs.

As the match against Zenit clearly showed, FC Porto centre-backs struggle with mobile forwards such as Montero. To make matters worse, Carrillo thrives on open spaces down the wings and Wilson Eduardo's diagonal runs towards the penalty box should mean that Otamendi and Mangala will have their hands full.

If Josué (usually deployed on the right and lately apparently unwilling to drift inside) ends up getting permission to invade the centre, Sporting could be facing some difficulties, even more so if FC Porto pressure Sporting's initial build-up stage (both centre-backs and William Carvalho are not the swiftest movers of the ball). On the other hand, the Lions will be looking to find acres of space whenever FC Porto's pressure fails (as has often been the case) and will likely have their chances to be happy.

All of this should make for a very interesting match, with FC Porto desperate for a win and a convincing display, and Sporting probably playing for two results. Still, a better chance to beat the Dragons at their own ground might be hard to come by in the near future.

Sporting 1-1 Benfica: Sporting seem transformed, Benfica look shaky

Starting elevens

Lisbon derbies are usually high-octane contests and last Saturday's match was no exception (at least for 65 minutes). There was great curiosity surrounding this match, on the back of Sporting's excellent run of results and displays, but also due to Benfica's struggles over the first few games. The fact that both teams met on the competition's third round contributed to an avid crowd, both at home and at the Alvalade.

While Sporting presented a very different line-up from last season, with several new faces, Benfica's starting eleven was almost identical to 2012/13, bar the inclusion of left-back Cortez instead of Melgarejo and the conspicuous absence of Oscar Cardozo. Since Jorge Jesus remained at the helm of the team, there was expectation to confirm which was the real Benfica - the one from the past couple of weeks or the one from last season.

• Sporting impress down the flanks

Sporting's new leader Leonardo Jardim offered us numerous reasons of tactical interest, namely in midfield and attack. The central part of the pitch was taken up the the young and serene William Carvalho - who seems to have displaced team captain Fito Rinaudo for good - and Adrien Silva. However, Adrien would play a bit more advanced than his team-mate, with André Martins stationed to the right, a few yards up from Adrien.

Things only got more interesting when Sporting attacked, since André Martins would immediately drift to the flank, exchanging positions with Wilson Eduardo - who, in turn, came inside and made diagonal runs into the edge of the bok, acting almost as a second forward. On the left, Carrillo remained closer to the touch line, forming a good partnership with the energetic Jefferson.

In fact, it was by exploiting the flanks that the Lions created the most dangerous chances, often confusing Benfica's defensive duties. Jardim's men often found joy in playing simple long balls behind Benfica full-backs, namely through Jefferson toward Carrillo.
 

This was a typical move from Sporting, with Montero checking away from the centre-backs to collect Wilson Eduardo's pass and forward it to a team-mate (in this case, André Martins, who had drifted right, in the pocket of space behind Benfica's left-back.

Despite Sporting's good move, there are simply too many mistakes from Benfica to list thoroughly. Cortez is nowhere to be found, while Matic cannot be everywhere. The centre-backs are further isolated by Maxi Pereira's baffling decision to advance (notice his feet and his body stance). Benfica's defensive organisation often seemed to be all over the place.

By making the previous decision, Maxi Pereira left Luisão and Garay exposed, with the circle suggesting an alternative positioning for Benfica's right-back - in line with his manager's zonal-marking instructions throughout the last few seasons.

Therefore, Montero had the time - and the intelligence - to immediately look for Luisão's blind side after passing the ball to André Martins, eventually scoring the first goal of the night.

• Sporting a different (defensive) beast

If we set aside Jesualdo Ferreira's period for a minute, there can be no comparison between this Sporting and the team led by Ricardo Sá Pinto or Franky Vercauteren. There is now greater defensive discipline, even when attacking, and the team look a lot more balanced and exposed to mistakes in possession, for instance.

Defensively, André Martins would start up front in a central position, closer to Montero, leaving the right wing to Wilson Eduardo. The diminutive - but amazing - midfielder's ability to exert intense pressure under Benfica's back line often forced them to throw long balls toward Lima and Rodrigo, neither of whom excel with that particular brand of football. 

Still, this approach was not without its perils, with Benfica looking the most dangerous whenever the ball got to the space behind William Carvalho and Adrien Silva.

Despite their good pressing most of the times, it is hard to understand why Benfica took so long to attack the space behind William Carvalho and Adrien Silva, particularly since the centre-backs keep struggling with the control of defensive depth. The circle represents how much space there was for Gaitán and co. to exploit.

A simple pass from Matic to Rodrigo immediately bisects Sporting's lines and the chance is almost automatic. The left-back Jefferson is more worried about his man than providing proper coverage - notice the space between him and Marcos Rojo (orange lines).

Rodrigo instantly plays Lima in and Benfica would have a good opportunity here.

This is another example of how exposed Sporting's back-line was whenever their first pressing phase failed to win the ball back. William Carvalho and Cédric approached the play in questionable fashion, leaving acres of space for the centre-backs to cover.

• Benfica's forced substitutions pay off

Despite a bland display, it's worth noting that the Eagles did not have luck on their side, with Salvio, Gaitán and Enzo Pérez all limping off. The latter was replaced with the discreet, but ever-effective Ruben Amorim, while the other two were replaced with Markovic and Cardozo.

The forced changes started paying off almost instantly. With Cardozo on the team, Benfica finally had someone to hold the ball up and link up play, allowing Lima to do what he does best, i.e. run at opposing defences. Markovic, on the other hand, always looked dangerous, particularly because he insisted (and rightly so) on coming inside and take up the space behind the now less flamboyant Sporting midfield. While it's true Benfica's sparkle faded 20 minutes later, Jorge Jesus and the supporters will surely find comfort in the Maradonesque Serbian's abilities.

Benfica's goal was yet another example of how they could have exploited Sporting's defensive approach. Markovic collects the pass well in the centre of the Lions' midfield, with William as good as beaten - he is already late and his positioning is not the best, since he is not goalside of Markovic, as he should have been. Cardozo's simple lateral movement (red circle) is enough to leave Eric Dier undecided about what to do and open a boulevard for his onrushing team-mate.

Finally, Rojo proved once again that he has serious difficulties reading the game by sticking almost irreducibly to his man, instead of providing coverage and placing himself between Markovic and his goal. The positioning suggested by the green circle would at least offer a greater challenge to Markovic. 

• What's hot and what's not

The highlights of the evening were Fredy Montero, William Carvalho and Lazar Markovic. The striker keeps impressing supporters, coach and pundits with his great work rate and movement. The midfielder managed to accomplish more than just get by the derby unscathed, proving his coach right with calm passing and good defensive positioning. Benfica's wizard, in turn, showed once again that Jorge Jesus must find a way to play him from the start, since he seems to operate at a different pace from everyone else.

Conversely, notes should be taken about Rodrigo, Cortez and Carrillo. Benfica's forward insists on failing to impress, even though part of the blame must be shared with his coach, who keeps playing the Spaniard out of position. His decision-making is hardly the best, something that is key in that specific role. The Brazilian left-back has proved to be light-years (at least for now) from what Benfica need, looking too slow and absolutely unaware of defensive responsibilities. As for Carrillo, his potential is clearly huge, but there always seems to be one too many flicks or nutmegs, often endangering his team when they need a simple(r) solution.

Braga get the win, Belenenses still out to learn

If Braga were serious about sticking close to the Holy Trinity (a phrase first coined by Stephen Gillett) of FC Porto, Benfica and Sporting, they couldn't afford wasting any points in the match against newcomers Belenenses, particularly in front of their own crowd.

The match-up was particularly interesting since Braga, despite coming off two wins, were in need of the win so as not to let Sporting leave their sight. Belenenses, in turn, were quite interested in getting at least a point, following their less than auspicious home 3-0 defeat at the hands of Rio Ave.

• Symmetrical movement

One of the most interesting things about last night's match was the sight of two ways of combining the 4x2x3x1 and the 4x3x3. Rather than sticking to the usual rules for each system, both coaches chose to mix the two.

Jesualdo Ferreira has favoured the 4x3x3 for many yeares now - and it didn't look like he would innovate at Braga. However, perhaps due to Ruben Micael's particular traits, the team defend in a typical fashion for the 4x3x3 (basically, 4x1x4x1, with Mauro behind a line formed by Pardo, Luiz Carlos, Ruben Micael and Rafa, in this specific match), but they attack in something more resembling the 4x2x3x1, with Luiz Carlos staying not too distant from holding midfielder Mauro (one of the most underrated players in the Portuguese league so far) and Micael advancing almost as a second forward.

Conversely, Mitchel van der Gaag's team attacked in a 4x4x1x1 of sorts, with Luís Silva just off Deyverson, and Diakité and Fernando Ferreira (who had a nightmare of a match) as more positional midfielders. Even though Luís Silva would remain near Deyverson for the first few seconds while defending, it Braga's attack went on, he would drop back, forming a triangle with Diakité and Fernando Ferreira, the latter retreating to a holding midfielder position.

• Belenenses: A steep learning curve ahead

Belenenses won last season's Portuguese second tier at a canter, putting numerous points between them and their rivals. Therefore, expectation ran high ahead of the new season, with coach and players forced to emphasize that this would be a learning season, and not one to fight for European competition.

If that was not a wake-up call, Rio Ave's win (and the margin of the win) certainly raised a few eyebrows. Belenenses were hoping to pick themselves up straight away with a good result at Braga, where their previous results had not been exactly favourable.

However, the impressions they left on Monday evening at the Quarry did not exactly offer reason for excitement. Despite the coach's words that he had seen a team in their latest match, unlike the previous weekend, there seems to be a lot missing in their game plan. In what will probably be a very tight relegation battle, every point matters and there's hardly any time left for readjustments mid-season - just ask Moreirense, whose excellent form late in the season did not stop them from being relegated.

What left the greatest impression on this reporter was Belenenses' apparent inability to initiate attacks, either in attacking organisation or transition (for more on these concepts, please check the previous article). The wingers did not seem quick enough to get past most full-backs in the league and both Diakité and Fernando Ferreira seem more devoted to defensive roles. The team from Belém also looked quite vulnerable through simple passing combinations down the middle, something that does not bode well for the future.

Fortunately, there was more than just troublesome signs. This is a team that look especially dangerous from set pieces, which is one of the competition's biggest source of goals - particularly in hard-fought matches against teams "from their own league" - to borrow a phrase from the Portuguese language - namely via Diakité and Kay.

Still, this is only round 2 and any conclusion may prove extemporaneous and/or flat out erroneous. Perhaps Mitchel van der Gaag has apllied more intense physical loads upon his team early on, a work that may take some time to bear fruit. Also, this may well be a team still trying to get familiar with their new, more demanding surroundings and one who will thrive when they find their feet. Whatever happens, we'll be here to watch it and report it.

FC Porto 3-0 Marítimo tactical breakdown

Starting elevens

After Sporting's dream start to the season with yet another wonderful result and performance and Benfica's hard-fought win against Gil Vicente a few minutes earlier, it was up to FC Porto to show just what they were capable of. To maintain their three-point lead ahead of Benfica, the Dragons had to win Paulo Fonseca's first match in his new stadium, in order to keep the momentum going.

Unlike the expectations of this reporter, the matched turned out to be an absolutely one-sided event, with Marítimo never looking like they were capable of threatening the home team, despite the sheer speed from the three forwards - Sami, Derley and Artur. Their pace, which had proved so devastating against Benfica, was never on display at the Dragão.

This is why, instead of chronicling the incidents of the match, we will be taking a somewhat closer look at the differences and similarities between Paulo Fonseca's team and his predecessor Vítor Pereira's.

• 1. Attacking organisation

This perhaps complex-sounding phrase just refers to the moment when a team are attacking when the other team are arranged in their intended defensive shape, the phase of play where FC Porto spend most of their time. There are plenty of similarities in this category, namely with Otamendi taking charge of the first build-up stage. However, not only has his involvement been enhanced, but there is also much more cooperation from all midfielders. But we'll get to that later on.

On the wings, things have also changed a bit. Even though there hasn't been a significant change in personnel (Danilo and Alex Sandro remain the full-backs and Varela should reclaim his position as soon as he's fit), the inclusion of Licá has given a different array of solutions to the team. In the initial build-up phase, Licá tends to drift inward, opening up space for Alex Sandro, but, as the play evolves, he often gets wider, proving hard to mark - he can try to get to the goal line or drift inside to use his right foot (you can watch his assist from last night here and his goal here).

With Vítor Pereira, the task of starting out attacks usually befell upon João Moutinho, who would drop back alongside Fernando and work his magic from there. With Paulo Fonseca, Lucho González's initial positioning is significantly higher up the field, but he often drops back at the same time Defour advances, causing defensive uncertainties.

Furthermore, Josué, starting out from the right, plays much narrower than a usual winger tends to do, forming a square in midfield - Fernando alongside Defour in a first line, Josué alongside Lucho González higher up. This organisation often resembles the shape Fonseca imposed on his previous team, Paços de Ferreira.

Also, the chance-creation setup seems rather different from last season. Even though the pressing (more on that later) and ball circulation remain similar (at least as far as the results they produce), there now seems to be a more objective intention to instill the team with greater urgency upon attacks, rather than biding their time for an opportunity to come up.

The dynamics with which that takes place is quite interesting, since it seems mandatory that there is always someone playing in the hole (i.e. on the edge of the penalty box or in the vicinity) at all times - either for an assist or for a shot. Nevertheless, the wings are now much more of an option than last year, either with crosses or penetrations.

• 2. Defensive transition

This is the few seconds when the team with the ball gives it away for some reason - and how they react to it, before they manage to get into the shape intended by their manager for the defensive phase. Different coaches ask different things from their charges, from pressing immediately to dropping back straight away and forming two banks of four, for instance.

Paulo Fonseca has picked off where his predecessor left off and, if anything, has upped the tempo and intensity with which the team try to get the ball back the second they lose it. Perhaps knowing that a staggering amount of opportunities created stem from balls won back in the opponents' midfield, FC Porto coach has imposed the imperativeness to get the ball back as soon as possible. While it didn't work as well against Setúbal the week before, matches against Guimarães and Marítimo lead us to believe that that is the master plan.

• 3. Defensive organisation

Because FC Porto have dominated most of their latest opponents, it's still hard to extricate all the differences. However, this is the game phase where the Dragons seem least comfortable. Whenever the attempt to win the ball back in the immediate seconds after giving it away fails, Fonseca's men often look poorly positioned and in numerical inferiority (not unlike Jorge Jesus' Benfica, at times). While this may not be a problem against domestic competition, stay tuned for possible problems FC Porto may encounter when facing tougher opposition - the Champions League immediately springs to mind.

• 4. Attacking transition

This is perhaps one of the areas in which FC Porto have changed the most. Much more direct and voracious, the team immediately try to look for their opponents' weak spot and proceeds to exploiting it whenever possible. Last night, Licá's goal constitued a perfect example of the Portuguese champions can also be effective on the counter-attack, especially now that they can count on a goal-scoring winger to finish off moves. If one looks at the whole play, one will be able to see how quickly FC Porto pounced on Marítimo's blind side (the side where the ball is not), causing an imbalance in Marítimo's defence (credits must go to Ricardo Pereira for noticing this during the match).

All in all, it seems a tremendously dynamic system of play, one which may not be certain to yield the same results when the going starts to get tough(er). However it turns out, it should be quite interesting to watch how it all pans out.

FC Porto leapfrog Benfica with one match left

Starting line-ups

The climax for the Portuguese season has finally arrived (or has it? Let's keep in mind that FC Porto have yet to play third-placed Paços de Ferreira away). Last night's match had everything fans from one side or the other from the barricade and the neutral football buffs could want: Intensity, uncertainty about the result, some undercover dirty tricks and a goal in the dying moments. In a match that was under the scrutiny of many people worldwide - since it was the last tittle race still going in Europe's major leagues -, FC Porto and Benfica participated in a hard-fought battle for the Portugal's most important title that must have attracted numerous fans the world over.

While FC Porto coach Vítor Pereira went with his expected side, his counterpart chose not to include Cardozo this time around, favouring Ola John instead and playing Lima as the furthest forward and Nico Gaitán just off him. At the moment this text was written, it was not clear whether the decision was of a strategic sort (to keep FC Porto from overrunning their opponents) or whether it had to do with the Paraguayan's fitness (Benfica are, of course, playing Chelsea next Wednesday for the Europa League trophy and every detail is crucial).

• FC Porto drive hard

FC Porto came pressing hard right out of the gates, aware that the result was theirs to chase (nothing but a victory would be goo enough). Even though Benfica did not press up high, they had clear instructions to obstruct every passing lane for the Dragons, which worked for most of the match, the odd play notwithstanding. In fact, this was for the most part "um jogo de pares" (literal translation "a game of pairs"), as the Portuguese expression goes. Enzo kept an eye on Moutinho, Gaitán was in charge of tracking Fernando and Matic had Lucho in his area of influence.

With the starting 15 minutes gone, FC Porto were smothering Benfica, but with no clear-cut chance to show for it. The Eagles, in turn, were forced to resort to a more direct brand of football with Lima as the target, often to no avail.

The Dragons found it easy to circumvent Benfica's mild pressing up front by making Fernando drop back in between the centre-backs, bypassing Lima and Gaitán. However, and even though they often found James in favourable positions down the centre, Vítor Pereira's men were not able to provide through-balls, particularly because there was no one willing to run in behind the Benfica defence.

As he often did throughout the season, Lucho González drifted to the wings, for two reasons: Firstly, to clear up space in the middle for James Rodríguez and secondly to allow for overload down the wings. Despite managing to invade Benfica's "block" (to borrow an expression from AVB's book), FC Porto were not making their opponents pay for it.

• Benfica find their stride

Benfica scored the first goal on 19 minutes following Sálvio's throw-in, an all too similar play to Cardozo's goal against Fenerbahce at Estádio da Luz. Benfica would always look dangerous from that sort of set-pieces, with FC Porto looking unprepared for it. While Jorge Jesus' charges had hardly done anything to deserve the lead, they were comfortable enough (as Jesus' teams always are) to take the most of free-kicks, corners and throw-ins.

Despite conceding a goal five minutes later somewhat fortuitously, Benfica really came into their own after scoring, finally finding their passing groove, with Matic, Enzo and Gaitán the fulcrum around which the team revolved. Gaitán's work rate, in particular, has to be highlighted in face of the usual criticism he often receives for his lack of consistency. His persistence while tracking Fernando was enough to throw a spanner into FC Porto's works and disturb their passing rhythm, while continuing to provide Benfica's out-ball. The first half would end with the home team giving it their all, but Benfica still looking in charge.

• Second half

FC Porto started the second half in the same fashion they had done in the first period - pressing hard and trying to stifle Benfica's initiative. For the first few minutes, it worked, but, as time went by, Benfica looked more and more sure of themselves, confidence growing as the minutes elapsed.

The Dragons started following their own crowd towards a chippier match, giving way to greater risks and more transitions, something that played right into Benfica's hands and harmed FC Porto's possession-based approach.

James left the centre permanently in the second half, with the right-back Danilo providing the width on the right wing and Varela down the left. There were times where FC Porto's positioning (if not the fluidity) reminded Barcelona's, with Danilo (a la Dani Alves) high up and Alex Sandro further back and tucked in.

As the match wore on, Benfica's assertiveness contrasted well with their opponent's anxiety, with even Otamendi occasionally storming forward in open play - still with no clear-cut chances to show for the dominance.

• FC Porto dwindle away and harvest the reward

The last 15 minutes were a succession of fouls and time-wasting, with both teams incapable of getting something more out of the match. In that particular respect, Mangala's impetuosity proved once again costly, with several unnecessary fouls at a time when that was hardly necessary.

FC Porto then desperately reverted to a rare 4x4x2, with Liedson alongside Jackson Martínez and Kelvin down the left wing. It would end up being the young Brazilian prodigy who would end up scoring a decisive goal in the dying moments of the match.

• Conclusion

This match will certainly go down in history as one of the most memorable Clássicos in the Portuguese league. Even though FC Porto were fortunate about the way they found their way to victory, it is likely safe to say that it was a fair reward for a team that gave it their all, well supported by their fans.

As for Benfica, the defeat will cast some shadows over Jorge Jesus and Benfica's accomplishments, namely in this particular match. The last-minute goal will no doubt have Benfica fans complaining about their coach's tendency to design new solutions for big matches, but a distanced analysis will prove that Benfica were quite close from getting what they went to the Dragão for, clearly due to Benfica coach's strategy and planning - as the scanty amount of opportunities for FC Porto testifies.

FC Porto-Braga: Comfortable margin fails to paper over the cracks

Starting elevens

Last night's match was quite important for both teams. On one hand, FC Porto were desperately in need of a win to put the difference to Benfica back on four points. On the other hand, Braga were just three points adrift from the much sought-after Champions League (playoff) berth and were looking to throw a spanner in the works.

Furthermore, both sides were facing varying degrees of injury trouble. FC Porto were without Varela (injured) and Izmailov (suspended), with the Minho Warriors only able to play a patchy side, without long-time absentees Éder, Paulo Vinicus, Sasso or Douglão.

• Braga go 4x3x3 against wingless FC Porto

Braga coach sprung a surprise on everyone by playing a defensive-minded 4x3x3 with Mauro in midfield alongside Hugo Viana and Custódio as this system's typical holding midfielder. After the team's lacklustre defensive performance down the left flank against Sporting, Alan's work rate and consistency were summoned upon on that side to prevent Danilo's forays and help Elderson to deal with James. João Pedro was stationed on the right (taking up the place of the disappointing Hélder Barbosa) and Mossoró was deployed in the centre as the furthest forward.

All this tinkering meant that Braga were actually defending in a quite compact 4x5x1, willing to invite pressure onto them. However, Nuno André Coelho's presence kept Peseiro's from droppikng back too much, with the former FC Porto and Sporting centre-back a commanding presence throughout.

Without Varela, Izmailov and Atsu (only fit for the bench), James Rodríguez and Defour played (more or less nominally) on the wings, with the Colombian starlet tending to drift inside and the Belgian jack of all trades apparently instructed to stay out as wide as possible. Nevertheless, FC Porto were too slow shifting the ball from side to side, which played right into Braga's hands, allowing them to shuffle across accordingly.

Braga only needed 4 minutes to show their game plan, quickly breaking down the right - João Pedro would subsequently miss a golden opportunity after some shoddy defending from Otamendi. FC Porto would allow their opposing centre-backs time on the ball, only to pounce as soon as the ball got to Braga's midfielders. However, FC Porto's centre-halves were not their usual reliable selves and the timing of their tackles and interceptions was marginally off throughout.

During the first half, James would come inside and Lucho would provide (or at least attempt to) the width. Additionally, Vítor Pereira's men would try to circumvent Braga's well-positioned defence by playing a more direct style towards Jackson Martínez. 15 minutes into the match, FC Porto hadn't done much and Defour drifted inside as well, leaving the wing to Alex Sandro.

Braga's goal followed a couple of dangerous-looking counter-attacks, with João Pedro redeeming himself with a delightful first-touch pass to Alan, who buried a wonderful curling shot past Helton. Once again FC Porto were displaying worrying signs of lack of defensive concentration. In the meantime, things didn't look better in attack either, with Braga presenting a tough, compact and narrow unit - and FC Porto unable to offer the penetrating runs to threaten Quim's goal, much like Barcelona against Milan in the first leg.

James Rodríguez eventually found a way through and leveled the score from one of his favourite spots, capping Lucho González's decisive (although largely unnoticed) move off the ball, near the end of a nervy first half.

• FC Porto slowly discover width while Braga fade away

The second half brought a couple of slight differences, with James definitely stationed on the left and Defour on the right - but most importantly Lucho González playing just off Jackson Martínez (similarly to what he did when Marc Janko was around) and effectively making FC Porto look like a 4x2x3x1.

After 63 minutes, Defour made way for Christian Atsu, who immediately made an impact down the left wing, stretching the play and forcing Braga defenders to cover a lot more ground, something that would prove decisive further down the road. With Braga looking more and more tired, Vítor Pereira chose Kelvin (another winger, implicitly acknowledging the lack of width) to replace Lucho González.

Not only were Peseiro's men creating nothing offensively, they were also showing signs of difficulties dealing with FC Porto's mounting pressure. With Atsu constantly forcing one-on-ones out wide and Kelvin doing the same thing on the other wing, Custódio and Mauro often found themselves overwhelmed. Kelvin, often labeled as an inconsistent player, would eventually find a way through with two goals in a matter of minutes and keep FC Porto afloat.

• Conclusion

FC Porto did nothing to squash the notion that they are currently playing under par, finding it quite hard to bypass Braga's tenacious backline (the two shots that hit the crossbar notwithstanding). With both James and Jackson looking a bit off their pace, Moutinho and Lucho haven't been able to provide the creative spark. As for Braga, this was the end of a particularly hard week that saw them shipping six goals against FC Porto and Sporting. Despite his obvious change of hearts as far as his approach is concerned, last night's display will hardly have done José Peseiro's popularity with the fans any favours.

Has Portugal's 'Holy Trinity' crumbled?

Only a decade on from their last championship, Sporting are in the doldrums. A review of league tables over the past ten years suggests that the Leões are a fading force and that Portugal's 'Big Three' is becoming an out-dated concept. 

On a morning on which Sporting's Fito Rinaudo declared that 'it is difficult to get up and go to training' with his side not challenging for honours, there seems no better time to consider the decline of the Verde-e-Brancos and its knock-on effect on the Primeira Liga.

A glance at league finishes between 2002 and last season tells its own story, with the third-placed team in the Primeira Liga increasingly adrift of the eventual champions. A quick crunch of statistics reveals that between 2001/02 and 2006/07, the team finishing third trailed the champions by an average of 10 points. Figures relating to the same gap between 2007/08 and 2011/12 show that those propping up Portugal's top two in the last five years have lagged behind by 17 points on average - an extra seven points a season.

An under-performing Sporting is no doubt contributing to this growing phenomenon and a look at the current league table confirms that the idea of a 'Big Three' in Portugal is becoming out-dated: Sporting languishing in mid-table while Benfica and Porto fight it out at the top.

If we rewind to 2001/02, it was all so different. Sporting were champions, the free-scoring Brazilian Mário Jardel spearheading a side that had an intoxicating blend of youth (e.g. Hugo Viana and Ricardo Quaresma) and experience (e.g. Paulo Bento, João Pinto and gnarled centre-half André Cruz). Under the steady hand of Romanian coach Lazslo Boloni, Sporting finished five points clear of Boavista and looked destined to enjoy continued success.

Those days are now nothing but sepia-stained memories, as Sporting face up to a very different reality. Currently, they reside in 10th spot in the league - a massive 34 points behind their cross-city rivals. The Leaos may well be paid-up members of the traditional 'Big Three', but - if we include this term's debacle - they have only lived up to their billing once in four seasons. On that occasion (in 2010/11) they finished third, but still trailed 36 points behind the champions, Porto.

As mentioned, a Sporting of some description does currently sit third in the Primeira Liga, but it comes in the form of northerners Sporting Braga. Braga are enjoying a purple patch in their history and are perhaps the greatest beneficiaries of the green-and-white slump down in Lisbon, this year sampling the delights of playing Champions League football for the first time. Though Braga command more limelight, however, they still seem some way from casting themselves as one of a 'Big Three' - and currently trail Benfica by 18 points.

Which brings us back to the absence of a competitive Sporting and whether they can re-assume their traditional role in Portuguese football.

The roots of Sporting's current problems aren't hard to trace. Godinho Lopes' disastrous tenure as chairman has perhaps been the biggest single factor and, though he has now resigned, the club are still picking up the pieces from his rein. The recent lack of stability in Sporting's boardroom has certainly been mirrored in their dug-out: current coach Jesualdo Ferreira the ninth incumbent of the hotseat at the Alvalade since Paulo Bento was fired in 2009. Having no strategy has seemingly been the strategy at Sporting and some of their financial dealings have been desperate: Daniel Carriço sold to Premier League Reading for well under a million Euros and Portuguese international Joao Pereira leaving for Valencia last summer at a cut-price €3.5m.

This instability and mismanagement has certainly affected what happens on the pitch where Sporting's players have been underperforming for far too long. There are exceptions to the rule, such as goalkeeper Rui Patricio, but Sporting's first team currently seems geared to sucking the life out of its genuine talents. Striker Ricky Van Wolfswinkel is perhap the biggest example - the Dutchman having gone from worldbeater to confidence-dry disaster zone in less than a season. Peruvian André Carillo is another who currently flatters to deceive, while former Barcelona prodigy Jeffrén rarely plays, let alone shows the ability that sees him valued in the €12m bracket.

Perhaps Sporting's best bet of digging themselves out of their current mess comes, unsurprisingly, in the form of their academy. The early careers of Ronaldo, Figo, Nani and Paulo Futre were forged at Sporting and if the present crop of NextGen talent is anything to go by, more stars of the future nestle up their sleeve. England-born Eric Dier is one such leading light and the 18-year-old's performances since breaking into the first team represent one of the few bright sparks in an otherwise gloomy season. Wonderkids João Mário and Bruma are also tipped for the top and Sporting need to develop and harness this next wave of talent, while ensuring they don't 'cash in' too early on such young gems.

With chairman-elect Bruno de Carvalho set to inject fresh impetus, the signs are that Sporting will improve. However, they certainly have ground to make up if Portugal's 'Big Three' is to be anything other than a catchphrase; perhaps players, such as Rinaudo, can motivate themselves in the knowledge that the gap between Sporting and their traditional rivals is currently growing wider by the year.

Why did Benfica defeat Braga?

Two days after Braga bid adieu to their last hopes of remaining in the Portuguese title race, it's time to dissect the motives that led to Benfica's superiority throughout most of the match - and why José Peseiro's team are less solid than Braga's versions over the last few years.

The last time Benfica came out as winners from the Quarry, Braga were coached by Jorge Jesus. Over the past seasons, the Eagles had found it hard to tear down the defensive, quick-breaking wall put up by Domingos and Leonardo Jardim - two coaches known for appreciating defensive solidity (allegedly one of the reasons why Jardim left Olympiakos). Therefore, there was some curiosity regarding both coaches' plans - would they battle it out in a gung-ho approach or would they rather go for a more cautious concept?

• 1. The 4x3x3.

Without Cardozo, Lima was Benfica's only striker - a departure from their usual ways. With the introduction of Gaitán, Benfica were set up in a 4x3x3, with Jorge Jesus clearly aiming to control the centre. Matic, Enzo Pérez and Gaitán often formed a perfect triangle. While both Argentinians were authorized to push forward almost at will, Gaitán had the freedom to roam wherever he saw fit, in order to overload Braga's defence - in fact, he would turn out to be the match's decisive player.

The picture also shows that, even though Braga were more expectant than usual, Mossoró and Éder would often remain up front, removed from the midfield contest. Custódio and Hugo Viana, not the fastest players around, were clearly not enough for Matic, Gaitán and Enzo Pérez, not to mention Lima's movement.

• 2. The 4x1x4x1 in the defensive phase.

Not only did Jesus prefer a 4x3x3 while attacking, he also chose a different shape to defend at Braga - in this case, 4x1x4x1, a typical defensive shape for teams that play in a 4x3x3. Certainly aware of Mossoró's threat, Jorge Jesus wasn't willing to let the Brazilian run the show with quick breakaways. With Matic behind Enzo Pérez and Gaitán, Jesus made sure there was always a player between the lines, Mossoró's preferred area of dominance.

This simple tweak kept Braga from succeeding in their quick transitions, particularly because none of Ruben Amorim, Viana, Custódio or Alan (nowadays, at least) are quick enough to accompany Éder or Mossoró in their forays. Braga would actually manage to get the ball out to Éder, who would find himself alone and have no other option but to try his luck, even when the circumstances did not recommend it.

• 3. Benfica easily circumvent Braga's defence.

Braga's more cautious approach did not necessarily translate into a better defensive positioning. In fact, Benfica was not too troubled by their opponents' strategy and often found a way around it. In this particular case, Lima drops back from the centre-back (who tries to stick close to him) to collect the ball. He then gives it back to the unmarked Enzo Pérez, who in turn gives it to Gaitán.

After delivering the ball to Enzo Pérez, Lima quickly turns and exploits the space behind his marker. Without anyone to mark him (Viana tries to pressure Enzo Pérez, but to no avail), Gaitán has all the time he needs to pick his pass and play Lima in.

While this particular play did not yield a goal, it was a very good example of how Benfica saw nothing wrong with Braga's positioning.

• 4. Salvio, the wingman.

Benfica ruled the match for approximately 75 minutes. Salvio, in particular, was the main enforcer, despite going against Ismaily and Ruben Amorim, supposedly deployed on the left to stop the Argentinean winger's threat. In the first picture, the ball gets to Salvio, who wastes no time sending it Gaitán's way. Lima's movement dragging the centre-back is most important. With Ismaily focused on Salvio and the centre-back on Lima, Gaitán (red) sprints past Hugo Viana and gets the ball in space.
 

Here, Gaitán (red) is once again able to pick his pass. By faking to check to get the ball, Lima confuses every Braga defender and Salvio (blue) will be free in the centre of the box.

Despite the presence of five defenders in their own box, Salvio will be able to shoot and collect the rebound to his own shot.

• 5. Braga's poor defensive transitions.

First things first. See if you can count the number of Braga players in and/or around the box. In a potentially advantageous play for them, Braga have no less than nine players directly involved - which means there is only one defender and the goalkeeper behind this picture.

When the free kick is taken and it goes wrong, Braga immediately have four players in front of the ball, besides some who will only trot back.

Three seconds after the free kick, Benfica are already up 3v2. Remember, the play was originally intended to pose a threat to Benfica.

Five seconds after the free kick, this is what the situation looks like for Braga. Gaitán runs unchecked, with Lima and Ola John waiting for their moment.

Eight seconds after a potentially dangerous free kick in Braga's favour, Benfica are about to enter their opponents' box. Lima would eventually score the Eagles' second, thanks in part to Haas' less than stellar pressing and Beto's fluffing.

• 6. Braga take 76 minutes to commit men forward.

After finding themselves trailing and with not many chances to get back into the match, Braga looked alive the very minute João Pedro came on for Ruben Amorim. It was basically the first time José Peseiro's charges insisted on driving forward. In the case of Braga's goal, Éder dropped back and, unlike previous situations, actually had someone exploiting the space he had just vacated. João Pedro (red) intelligently attacks the space between centre-back and full-back.

The second picture shows how João Pedro (red) is sprinting unmarked to connect to Éder's lobbed pass.

Keeping calm under pressure, João Pedro gets Artur out of the way and puts the ball in the back of the net. Braga had just pulled one back, but it was too little, too late.