At the bottom, little Tondela fashioned an incredible escape from relegation as they climbed out of the bottom two for the first time since last September.
Benfica ‘man-of-the-match’ Nico Gaitán found the back of the net twice, midway through each half.
Top marksman Jonas scored six minutes before the interval and Pizzi added the fourth late in the game. Salvador Agra scored a late consolation for Nacional as the Madeira side were glad to hear the final whistle and allow the Benfiquistas to start their party in earnest.
After looking out of the title race last October, Benfica subsequently recorded twenty-four wins, one draw and a single defeat in their last twenty-six matches, with twelve straight victories rounding off the season. In the process Benfica has racked up its thirty-fifth championship title, a Portuguese record, and a record points total.
Sporting will join Benfica in next season’s Champions League group stages starting in mid-September whilst FC Porto will be involved in the play-off round a month earlier.
SC Braga and Arouca will compete in the Europa League, which gets underway at the end of June. At the bottom of the table, Tondela, playing non-league football just five years ago, should commission a new badge with Houdini as its centrepiece! At the turn of the year Tondela were heading straight back to the Segunda Liga, from whence they were promoted last season, having won just one game and amassed only six points.
Their last eight games have produced seventeen points including an unbelievable 1-0 away win at FC Porto.
The final day of the season saw the team beat Académica 2-0, thanks to goals from Pica and Alberto, and miraculously climb out of the bottom two to maintain their Primeira Liga status. União da Madeira and Coimbra’s Académica are relegated.
Chaves will be joined by SC Feirense in the Primeira Liga next season with Portimonense failing to get the vital three points at Varzim that would have seen them in the top flight come August.
Olhanense completed their programme with a last-gasp Murilo winning goal against Santa Clara (Azores) to move up to seventh. Although SC Farense scored twice in the last couple of minutes to snatch all three points at Gil Vicente they will be bitterly disappointed to have been relegated. However, police arrests regarding alleged bribery and corruption elsewhere in the league may pave the way for the Faro-based club to keep their place.