Sporting, who remain in third place, were held to a goalless draw by Moreirense. SC Braga moved to within three points of the Lions as they thrashed already relegated CD Aves. At the bottom SC Portimonense live to fight another day despite losing at home to V.Guimarães.
FC Porto require just two wins from their remaining four games to claim the Primeira Liga title.


At home against Lisbon outfit Belenenses it was Tiquinho Soares who claimed the crucial first goal on the half-hour mark. Twelve minutes into the second period Moussa Marega added a second after being played through by Jesús Corona. A penalty fifteen minutes from time was duly despatched by Alex Telles before 20 year-old Fabio Vieira came off the bench to score his first professional goal in Porto colours. There was still time for another substitute, Luis Diaz, to score the Dragons fifth and best goal of the game deep into stoppage time.


Following the resignation of Bruno Lage, Benfica kicked off Nélson Veríssimo’s reign as the interim head coach with a 3-1 victory over Boavista. A mistake by the Black Panthers keeper Helton Leite gifted the Eagles the first goal after thirteen minutes as André Almeida took advantage. Pizzi added the second from a header before Gabriel made it 3-0 just before the interval. Game over. Gustavo Dulanto eventually pulled a goal back for Boavista with a volley looping over Odisseas Vlachodimos but 3-1 is how the game would end.


Sporting were unable to break down Moreirense, who had Halliche sent-off six minutes after half-time, and consequently allowed SC Braga to move closer to the Lions in third place.


Braga, hosting bottom club Aves, had to wait until two minutes into the second-half before scoring their opening goal through Rui Fonte, the former Fulham winger who started his career at Arsenal. Minutes later Ricardo Horta made it two whilst Abel Ruiz and Paulinho added goals, number three and four, late in the game.


At the bottom, SC Portimonense’s run of good form came to end as they succumbed at home to V.Guimarães for whom Bruno Duarte got the only goal of the game midway through the second-half. V.Setúbal and CD Tondela, just three points above Portimonense, also lost so there is all to play for as Portimonense faced a very difficult game away at Rio Ave as the paper went to print.