Seven games remain with Benfica and Porto level on points but with the Eagles holding the ace card with their head-to-head record against the Dragons.


Sporting reclaimed third place with a win at relegation threatened Chaves.


Benfica started nervously against lowly Tondela and with ten minutes on the clock, João Félix missed a great opportunity to make it 1-0 following André Almeida’s cross.


Five minutes later Rafa Silva was denied by the Tondela keeper Cláudio Ramos as he raced through on goal following Andreas Samaris’ long ball over the top. Five minutes into the second-half Jonas had a goal disallowed for handball following a VAR intervention. Tondela nearly broke the deadlock on seventy-three minutes when António Xavier ‘s curling effort brought an acrobatic save from Odisseas Vlachodimos.


It was second-half substitute Seferovic who finally secured the points for Benfica six minutes from time. Grimaldo’s cross picked out the Swiss international whose low header found the back of the net much to the relief of the Benfiquistas.


It was second versus third at the Estádio Municipal de Braga as FC Porto knew they must win to keep the pressure on Benfica. SC Braga could not have hoped for a better start, finding the back of the net inside the first five minutes through Wilson Eduardo’s tap-in that left Iker Casillas, overly-preoccupied with calling for offside, unable to stop a skewed finish.


A few days earlier Wilson Eduardo, making his international debut, had scored the winning goal for Angola against Botswana. Midway through the half Porto drew level through a Soares’ header.


Two minutes after the interval and Braga were back in front when Murilo took advantage of a mix-up between Porto keeper Casillas and Éder Militão to slot home a simple goal. Braga then committed the cardinal sin of conceding two penalties within ten minutes to allow Alex Telles and Soares to snatch victory and pick up three precious points in the hunt for the league title. Sporting were without top scorer Bas Dost, absent for a second consecutive game, as goalless Luiz Phellype led the line for the Lions against GD Chaves.


But it was to be Luiz Phellype who opened the scoring as a neat combination down Sporting’s right enabled Stefan Ristovski the opportunity to fizz a low cross into Phellype, who only needed to turn the ball into an empty net. Six minutes after the break Chaves were reduced to ten men when Jefferson collected a second yellow card but against all the odds they levelled ten minutes later through André Luis.


Sporting regained the lead through Bruno Fernandes ten minutes from the end of normal time and deep into stoppage time Phellype rekindled his luck in front of goal with his second of the night to move Sporting a point above fourth-placed Braga.