It beat bitter rival Benfica last weekend to leapfrog the Lisbon outfit in the standings and completed the job with a win against its near neighbour.

Lucho Gonzalez opened the scoring with a 23rd-minute penalty after Ricardo was sent off and Jackson Martinez added another 11 minutes after the break.

Danilo was sent off for a second yellow card just four minutes later to even up the numbers but Vítor Pereira's men held on to take the glory.

Benfica claimed a 3-1 win over Moreirense but it will have been little consolation to Jorge Jesus' men after a disastrous week.

Benfica was also unbeaten going into last weekend's top-of-the-table clash but conceded in stoppage-time to lose 2-1 and suffered the same fate in midweek in the UEFA Europa League final against Chelsea.

Benfica can still salvage some silverware this month though as it faces Vitoria Guimaraes in the Portuguese Cup final this weekend.

The result also saw Moreirense relegated as none of the sides battling to avoid the drop could claim wins.

Franco Vinicius had put Augusto Inacio's men ahead just before the break but a second-half goal from Oscar Cardozo plus a brace from Rodrigo Lima, including a stoppage-time penalty, saw Benfica claim the win.

Paulinho was sent off for the visitor in added time.

Beira Mar joined Moreirense in the Segunda Liga as it lost 4-1 to Sporting.

Adrien Silva opened the scoring before a quickfire brace from Ricky van Wolfswinkel in his last appearance for the club before moving to Norwich City put Sporting 3-0 up at the break.

Ribeiro gave Beira Mar hope but Adrien Silva's second a minute from time sealed its fate.

In Barcelos Fernando Sandro Cunha gave Gil Vicente a 25th-minute lead against Estoril but that was cancelled out by Steven de Sousa Vitoria 10 minutes after the break.

Goalkeeper Vitor Murta was then sent off for the home side before Vitoria netted his second from the penalty spot and Luis Leal completed the scoring in a 3-1 win for the visitor.

Ladji Keita grabbed the winner as Nacional beat Academica 2-1.

Daniel Candeias opened the scoring but Arnaldo Edinho's penalty three minutes after the break levelled matters before Keita struck with 27 minutes remaining.

Andrade Ze Luis' 32nd-minute goal was enough to hand Braga a 1-0 win over Vitoria Setubal while Bruno Braga scored the only goal as Rio Ave beat Guimaraes by the same score.

In the day's other game Olhanense and Maritimo drew 0-0.

Long-time pacesetter Benfica came into this weekend's penultimate round of fixtures with a two-point lead over its rival and knowing that a victory at the Estadio do Dragao would see the club crowned Portuguese champion for the 33rd time.

And Jorge Jesus' side, which faces Chelsea in the UEFA Europa League final on Wednesday evening (Thursday morning AEST), was on course to claim that win when Rodrigo Lima put it ahead in the 19th minute with a tap-in at the far post.

However, Porto was back on terms within six minutes when Silvestre Varela's left wing-cross took a wicked deflection off Maxi Pereira and beat Benfica goalkeeper Artur at his near post.

Then, with the match a minute into stoppage-time, the two-time reigning champion struck what could end up being the title-winning goal when substitute Kelvin lashed home a brilliant left-footed volley from the edge of the box, sending the home fans wild and putting Porto one point clear heading into next week's final round.

Porto still has some work to do though, as it must go to third-placed Pacos de Ferreira in its last game while Benfica is at home to second-bottom Moreirense.

Moreirense will be no pushover either, though, as it is battling to avoid the drop and boosted its chances of doing that by beating fellow struggler Vitoria Setubal 2-1.

Bruninho put Vitoria ahead in the fifth minute but Moreirense hit back with goals from Pablo Olivera (10) and Franco Vinicius (62).

Moreirense was the only side in the bottom five to win, with last-placed Beira Mar losing 2-1 at Estoril, which battled back from falling behind to a 30th-minute Dani Abalo goal to take the points with efforts from Carneiro Lica (34) and a Rui Rego own goal (87). Beira also had to play the final 22 minutes with a man less after the dismissal of Nildo Petrolina.

Third-bottom Olhanense lost 1-0 at Sporting, Diego Capel's winner coming in the 73rd minute, while fourth-bottom Gil Vicente went down 2-1 at Rio Ave.

Alberto Rodriguez (23) and Ahmed Koka (82, pen) netted for Rio Ave with Joao Vilela (66) replying for Gil Vicente, which had Carolino Claudio sent off late on.

Pacos de Ferreira was held 1-1 at Academica, Manuel Jose putting the visitor ahead in the 55th minute but Edinho drawing Academica level with a 72nd-minute penalty.

Despite the draw though, Pacos is now guaranteed a third-placed finish as Braga in fourth suffered a second-half collapse to lose 3-1 to Nacional.

Braga lead through Hugo Viana's 35th-minute effort but Nacional struck three times in four minutes through its three substitutes Ladji Keita (76), Joao Aurelio (79) and Mateus (80) to take the win.

Maritimo beat Guimaraes 1-0 through a 26th-minute winner from Danilo Dias.

Jefferson put the visitor ahead after 59 minutes but the lead lasted just nine minutes before Maxi Pereira levelled things up again.

However, Benfica's hopes of adding to its tally were hit by the dismissal of Carlos Martins 12 minutes from time.

The result leaves Benfica just two points above Porto with two matches remaining, while Estoril is now within a point of the top five and European placings.

Ricardo Tarantini scored a 25th minute own goal as Olhanense stayed out of the drop zone, one point clear of second-bottom Beira Mar.

Beira Mar itself was a 4-2 winner over Maritimo. Nildo Petrolina scored in the opening minute before seconds later Leocisio Sami levelled.

Petrolina bagged a second after 14 minutes, and although Sami scored for a second time after 37 minutes, Ruben Ribeiro (50) and Dani Abalo (69) secured the win.

Guimaraes beat Gil Vicente 3-1 thanks to two goals in the last 15 minutes.

El Arbi Soudani put the home side ahead after 15 minutes and although Hugo Vieira equalised, a 75th-minute penalty from Olimpio Leonel and a Sandro Cunha own goal in injury-time secured the points.

Pacos Ferreira beat Sporting 1-0 thanks to a Tony strike, while John Ogu's late goal won the game for Academica against Vitoria Setubal.

It is a point behind Benfica as a result, although the leader does play Estoril on Monday evening (Tuesday morning AEST). The lead duo then face off next weekend and, to get the destiny of the title back into its own hands, Porto needs its rival to drop points.

It did all it could, though, scoring three goals inside 22 minutes to set things up.

James Rodriguez got it going with the opener after 10 minutes and Eliquin Mangala made it two nine minutes later. Lucho Gonzalez added a 22nd-minute penalty for good measure, meaning Daniel Candeias' 27th-minute spot-kick for Nacional was immaterial.

Braga, looking to keep the pressure up on third-placed Pacos de Ferreira, had appeared in complete control at half-time as it led 2-0 through goals from Carlao (11th minute) and Santos (45').

However, the the match was turned on its head inside the opening 17 minutes of the second half as Moreirense drew level with goals from Fabio Espinho (50') and Nabil Ghilas (55') and Braga was reduced to 10 men with the dismissal of Ruben Micael (62').

At that stage Moreirense must have fancied its chances of pushing on for the win that would have lifted it out of the bottom two, but it ended up empty-handed as Cape Verde striker Ze Luis snatched the points for Braga almost instantly after replacing Carlao with seven minutes left.

Rodrigo Lima put it ahead with a penalty after five minutes, but Igor Rossi levelled three minutes before the break.

Igor Rossi put through his own net in the 72nd minute, though, to give Benfica the win which sent it four points clear of Porto at the top of the table with three games left.

Luiz Carlos and substitute Rui Caetano were the men on target for Pacos, cancelling out respective strikes from Rodrigues and Amido Balde.

Bruno Braga and Alberto Rodriguez scored second-half goals as Rio Ave defeated Beira Mar 2-1, overturning Yazalde's first-half opener for the basement boy.

The draw lifted Pacos four points clear of fourth-placed Braga.

Elsewhere, Marinho's 18th-minute goal proved decisive as Academica overcame second-bottom Moreirense 1-0.

Marcos Rojo grabbed the winner four minutes from time as Sporting edged Nacional 2-1.

Diego Capel had given Sporting an early lead only for Daniel Candeia to equaliser in the 74th minute. Nacional's woes were compounded by the late dismissal of Bruno Moreira.

Hugo Vieira and Cesar Peixoto scored in either half - the latter in the early stages of the second half from the penalty spot after the dismissal of Vasco Fernandes as Gil Vicente beat fellow struggler Olhanense 2-0.

The home side had to wait until the second half for the goals to arrive, but Lucho Gonzalez broke the deadlock after 64 minutes with Steven Defour adding another three minutes from time.

Porto has played a game more than Benfica, which is in action at Maritimo on Monday evening (Tuesday morning AEST), while beaten Vitoria remains five points above the bottom two.

Braga took the lead in the 18th minute through Marcio Mossoro, but a Douglao own goal after 54 minutes and Steven Vitoria's strike 12 minutes later handed the points to Estoril, which climbed to fifth.

Elderson was sent off inside the last five minutes for Braga, which stays fourth.

Soudani scored in the 38th and 41st minutes and though half-time substitute Vieira Djalmir pulled a goal back, Olhanense could not get on terms.

The result lifts Guimaraes to fifth in the table with Olhanense just one place above the relegation zone and level on points with second-bottom Moreirense.

FC Porto had moved to within a point of the summit with a 3-0 victory at Moreirense the previous day but Benfica replied confidently, with goals in either half from Eduardo Salvio and Rodrigo Lima securing the win against a Sporting side which has fallen a long way from expectations this season.

Indeed Sporting has now slumped to eighth in the table after Nacional scored twice in 10 minutes to come from behind and beat Maritimo, climbing above its opponent into sixth place.

Maritimo led through Suk Hyun-jun's 50th-minute goal, but 11 minutes later Ferreira Claudemir levelled from the penalty spot and substitute Daniel Candeias got the winner moments after coming into the match.

Basement-dweller Beira Mar gave itself hope with a rare win, just its fourth of the season as it edged out fellow struggler Gil Vicente 1-0 with Pinto Yazalde's 59th-minute goal.

It remains bottom, but is now only two points from safety.

Vitoria Setubal moved away from trouble with a 1-0 win over Estoril courtesy of Paulo Tavares' 62nd-minute penalty.

Colombia striker Jackson Martinez opened the scoring in the 34th minute and then wrapped things up with his second in the 55th minute moments after Francisco Fernando had made it 2-0.

The victory lifts two-time reigning champion Porto to within one point of Benfica, which faces a local derby against Sporting on Sunday evening (Monday morning AEST).

In the day's other match, third-placed Pacos Ferreira fought back from a goal down to beat Rio Ave 2-1. Visiting Rio took a 58th-minute lead through Ricardo Tarantini but Pacos recovered to claim the points through strikes from Christopher Hurtado (76) and Andre Leao (80).

The sides were locked on a goal apiece at half-time after James Rodriguez equalised Alan's opener for Braga.

Kelvin, on in the 77th minute, then scored after 83 and 86 minutes to deliver the points and restore the gap at the top to four points.

The Eagles could not find a breakthrough in the first half but never looked back once Eduardo Salvio put them in front seven minutes after the restart.

Nemanja Matic doubled the visitor's lead 12 minutes later to move Jorge Jesus' men well clear of second-placed Porto, which hosts Braga tomorrow.

Estoril moved up to fifth with a 4-0 thrashing of Nacional.

Goals from Carlitos, Carlos Eduardo and Leal inside the opening 11 minutes set the tone with Eduardo netting again at the start of the second half.

Nacional was never in the contest, although it was not helped by the 47th-minute dismissal of Miguel Rodrigues.

Beira Mar remains at the foot of the table after a 2-1 defeat at Guimaraes.

Although Miguel Bura cancelled out Amido Balde's opener for the home side, Algeria international El Arbi Soudani popped up with the winner 17 minutes after half-time.

Beira Mar is four points adrift of a group of three clubs including Academica, which lost 2-1 to Gil Vicente.

Eduardo put the struggler ahead after 41 minutes but Brito equalised before Bruno China's own goal settled it in Gil Vicente's favour.

Rio Ave edged out Vitoria Setubal in a clash which saw both sides finish with 10 men.

Frederico Venancio gave Setubal a second-minute lead but an Ahmed Koka penalty and a Bruno Braga goal saw Rio claim the points with Nelson Pedroso and Koka both seeing red.

The third-bottom visitor twice got back on level terms, Nabil Ghilas cancelling out Diego Capel's first-half penalty and Anibal Capela equalising after Ricky van Wolfswinkel had put Sporting ahead for a second time.

But when substitute Valentin Viola gave the host its third lead of the night in the 90th minute there was no way back.

The result moved Sporting within a point of fifth-placed Maritimo and left Moreirense just two points above the drop zone.

Pacos took a ninth-minute lead through Cicero but was pegged back 12 minutes later by a Heldon equaliser and the visitor was then left holding on at the end after losing Vitor to a late red card.

The result leaves Pacos three points clear of fourth-placed Braga but now having played a game more, while Maritimo is 12 points further back in fifth.

Van Wolfswinkel will head for the English Premier League this summer and gave a glimpse of his goalscoring prowess, with his third - a 90th minute strike - securing the three points.

The Dutchman put his side ahead after eight minutes before Elderson Echiejile equalised after 25 minutes.

Van Wolfswinkel scored four minutes later before Silva Carlao levelled again after 36 minutes.

A draw looked on the cards before Van Wolfswinkel popped up in injury time.

In the day's other game, Nacional beat Guimaraes 2-1.

Amido Balde scored after 17 minutes for the visitor, but Ferreira Claudemir equalised from the spot after 32 minutes before Mateus won the game in the last minute.

Early goals from Lorenzo Melgarejo and Nemanja Matic put Benfica in charge and Lima doubled the home side's lead with two strikes either side of half-time.

Rio Ave pulled a goal back in the 51st minute through Koka but the visitor then suffered a huge double setback as it had both Wires and Edimar sent off within 12 minutes of each other.

Benfica quickly took advantage with Lima completing his hat-trick in the 76th minute and Enzo Perez adding a sixth eight minutes from time, before the host also had a player sent off when Melgarejo saw red in the 90th minute.

Benfica, which has now scored 15 goals in its last three league games, remains clear of reigning champion Porto, which bounced back from its draw with Maritimo last time out with a 3-0 triumph at Academica.

Eliaquim Mangala's 15th-minute goal put Porto ahead and second-half strikes from Danilo and Andre Castro sealed the triumph.

Maritimo followed up its credible draw against Porto with a 4-2 victory over Vitoria Setubal that moves it into fifth.

The game was as good as over inside the opening hour with Maritimo netting through Artur (sixth minute), Heldon (25), Suk Hyun-jun (36) and Leocisio Sami (57), and Vitoria could only respond with a late brace from Jose Pedro.

Maritimo climbs above Estoril, which salvaged a 1-1 draw at third-bottom Moreirense thanks to a last-minute equaliser from Tony Taylor.

Moreirense had taken a seventh-minute lead through Nabil Ghilas while Estoril finished with 10 men after Steven Vitoria's late sending off.

In the day's other game Olhanense beat bottom club Beira Mar 1-0 with an 80th-minute winner from Lucas Quintino de Souza.

The team from Olhao in the south of the country has not paid their players for four months, according to the president of the Players' Union.

And if they do not receive at least one month in back pay, the players will refuse to take to the field against leader Benfica on April 7.

"A notice of the intention to strike has been lodged to force the club to pay at least a month's salary," Joaquim Evangelista told TSF radio station.

"It is high time Portuguese football solved this problem once and for all."

Evangelista, who blasted the country's clubs for their "financial irresponsibility", said Olhanense has until next Friday to cough up the wages to avert strike action.

Olhanense is second last in the top flight and in danger of being relegated.

Jorge Jesus' side was far too strong for mid-table Guimaraes whose hopes dwindled after the 61st-minute dismissal of Valerio Kanu for two yellow cards.

By then the Lisbon giant was already one-up through an Oscar Cardozo penalty and it made it 2-0 shortly after Kanu's departure through Ezequiel Garay.

Eduardo Salvio and Lima added late goals to give the scoreline a more emphatic look.

Porto could not match its title-rival's display in Madeira.

James Rodriguez put the visitor ahead after 34 minutes but Maritimo's Suk Hyun-jun equalised four minutes later.

Estoril moved up to fifth after goals from Lica and Carlos Eduardo handed it a 2-0 win over Academica while Rio Ave slipped a place after going down to Filipe Goncalves' solitary strike for Moreirense.

The day's other game, between rock-bottom Beira Mar and Nacional, finished 2-2.

Ruben Ribeiro and Abel Camara twice put Beira Mar in front only for Mateus to net a double for the visitor, the second leveller coming after Nacional had been reduced to 10 men after the dismissal of Moreno.

Manuel Jose's sixth-minute opener for the visitor was wiped out by Pepe six minutes before the interval.

But Manuel Jose struck again on the half-time whistle to lift Pacos on to the coat-tails of Braga in the battle for UEFA Champions League football.

Sporting was also a 2-1 winner over Vitoria Setubal to stretch its unbeaten run to three matches.

Jesualdo Ferreira's side has struggled for consistency this season but was the beneficiary of a 17th-minute own goal from Euripedes Amoreirinha before adding to the lead from the penalty spot through Zakaria Labyad.

Ariza Makukula replied for Vitoria after 33 minutes but that was as good as it got for the visitor.

Former Valencia midfielder Viana gave his team the lead before the interval but that was cancelled out after 61 minutes by Hugo Vieira.

However, Viana's second nine minutes from time was quickly followed by a Ze Luis strike as Braga made sure of the win with some late pressure.

Braga is four points ahead of fourth-placed Pacos Ferreira in the race for UEFA Champions League football, while Gil Vicente lies just two points above the drop zone.

The visitor had squandered a 2-0 lead after the 78th-minute dismissal of goalkeeper Renato Douglas but Balde popped up at the death to claim three points that lifts it to sixth, level with fifth-placed Rio Ave in the last of the European places.

El Arbi Soudani put the visitor ahead in the 28th minute and Issam El Adoua doubled the advantage with 17 minutes remaining.

The game turned when Douglas was sent off for a foul in the area, and although Cristiano missed the resulting penalty moments after coming on as a substitute, the host levelled with two goals in four minutes from Ariza Makukula and Pedro Santos.

Porto briefly moved to the summit after its 2-0 defeat of Estoril on Friday (Sat AEDT) but Benfica's bid to regain the leadership never looked in doubt from the moment Maxi Pereira put it in front after 12 minutes.

Salvio doubled the lead 10 minutes later and Lorenzo Melgarejo further enhanced its position before half time.

Lima made it 4-0 after 65 minutes with Nicolas Gaitan capping a fine Benfica performance in the final minute.

Pacos Ferreira failed to reclaim third spot after a 1-1 draw at home to Beira Mar.

Ruben Ribeiro gave the rock-bottom visitor a shock 13th-minute lead but Manuel Jose netted a last-gasp equaliser from the penalty spot.

Moreirense and Olhanense, two teams struggling to avoid the drop, drew 1-1.

Ricardo Pessoa put Moreirense ahead after 28 minutes but hopes of leapfrogging its opponent, and moving out of the relegation zone, were dashed by Quintino de Souza's late equaliser.

Nacional hung on for a point against Rio Ave despite finishing with nine men.

Claudemir put the host in front after 20 minutes but it had Manuel da Costa sent off 14 minutes into the second half.

Ahmed Hassan equalised for Rio with Jota also seeing red for Nacional.

Hugo Viana opened the scoring four minutes before half-time and Alan clinched the points on the stroke of full-time to lift Braga two points ahead of Pacos Ferreira.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel's 78th-minute equaliser earned Sporting a 1-1 draw at Academica, cancelling out Wilson Eduardo's 26th-minute penalty.

The result kept 10th-spotted Sporting three positions and two points better off than its host.

Brazilian Maicon put Porto ahead after four minutes and a penalty from Colombian striker Jackson Martinez in the 14th minute put the home side 2-0 ahead.

That was the end of the scoring, with the three points lifting Porto one ahead of Benfica, who plays Gil Vicente on Sunday.

Both giants of the Portuguese game remain unbeaten in the league this season, with this game Porto's 22nd of the campaign. They are due to meet on the penultimate weekend, in a possible title decider.

Starting out four points behind Pacos, Jose Peseiro's men scored early through Leandro Salino and never looked back.

It was a similarly easy night's work for Guimaraes, who was a 2-0 winner at home to Academica.

Tiago Rodrigues opened the scoring just four minutes in, and when El Arbi Soudani added a second 16 minutes later the game was up.

Oscar Cardozo netted the game's only goal from the penalty spot after 16 minutes to ensure his team took full advantage of Porto's slip-up, when the champion could only manage a 0-0 draw at Sporting Lisbon.

Nacional climbed into the top half of the standings with a 2-1 triumph at Gil Vicente, second-half goals from Mexer and substitute Mateus overturning Luis Carlos's early opener.

Estoril remained seventh and two points better off than Nacional thanks to a 2-0 success at fifth-placed Rio Ave, with late goals from Carneiro Lica and Steven Vitoria - the latter from the penalty spot - proving decisive.

Finally, two goals in two minutes midway through the second period saw sixth-spotted Maritimo's clash with Moreirense end 1-1. Filipe Goncalves grabbed the opener for the second-bottom visitor but substitute Costa Kukula swiftly restored parity.

The battle for supremacy has been intense between the leading two teams, and although Porto's point from its trip to Lisbon edged it ahead at the top of the table, it left the door open for Benfica to surge ahead.

Benfica tackles Beira-Mar on Sunday (Monday AEDT), and can pull two points clear. Both Porto and Benfica remain unbeaten in the league this season, after 21 and 20 matches respectively.

Porto had a man advantage for the closing 12 minutes against Sporting, after defender Marcos Rojo was sent off, but could not make it count.

Pacos Ferreira, who is out of the title race barring both Porto and Benfica suffering astonishing collapses, tightened its grip on third place with a 2-0 home win over Vitoria Setubal.

Both goals came from forward Cicero who netted after 39 and 84 minutes.

Vitoria Setubal were down to 10 men from the 53rd minute after Paulo Tavares was sent off.

Danilo Dias and Artur put Maritimo in control with two goals in the opening 24 minutes but relegation-battling Academica halved the lead on the stroke of half-time through Edinho.

However, Maritimo restored its two-goal advantage four minutes after the restart thanks to Leocisio Sami and, although Academica pulled another goal back in stoppage time through Wilson Eduardo, the visitor held on for the points.

The top two have now been locked on the same amount of points as each other for six successive rounds after Benfica followed up Porto's 2-1 triumph over Rio Ave on Sunday with a comfortable triumph over third-placed Pacos.

Enzo Perez's early goal set Benfica on its way and second-half strikes from Oscar Cardozo and Eduardo Salvio sealed the win for the Lisbon outfit, which join Porto on 52 points.

Pacos, meanwhile, is now 17 points adrift of the top two.

In the battle to avoid the drop, Nacional moved eight points clear of the bottom two with a 3-1 home win over Olhanense, which remains just two points above the relegation places.

Nacional took an 11th-minute lead through Mario Rondon and although Olhanense equalised through Andre Micael in the 68th minute, the host sealed the points thanks to goals from Moreno (72) and Cordeiro Dos Santos (84, penalty).

In the day's other game, fourth-bottom Gil Vicente moved two points clear of Olhanense after drawing 0-0 at last-placed Moreirense.

The visitor from Vila do Conde took the lead at the Estadio do Dragao before Porto clicked into gear and earned a 2-1 win that nudges it three points clear of Benfica, which plays Pacos de Ferreira on Monday (AEDT).

Midfielder Bruno Braga put fifth-placed Rio Ave ahead after 38 minutes, but a penalty just before half-time from striker Jackson Martinez levelled the score and the prolific Colombian netted again in the 77th minute to secure all three points.

Porto has 52 points from 20 games.

Braga remains fourth in the table after a 3-2 home victory over Guimaraes which at one stage looked set to be achieved with comfort.

It took the lead after 43 minutes through Eder, doubled it eight minutes into the second half thanks to Paulo Vinicius and when Eder netted again in the 59th minute the contest looked over.

Paulo Oliveira pulled one back 20 minutes later, and El Arbi Hillel Soudani cut the deficit to one goal with four minutes remaining.

Braga even had Elderson sent off in the closing stages but it held on.

Both sides finished with 10 men as Vitoria Setubal beat second-bottom Beira Mar 1-0 to ease its own fears about dropping into relegation danger and reach mid-table.

The only goal came from Bruno Lourenco in the 13th minute. Vitoria Setubal had Ney Santos sent off after 35 minutes and Beira Mar's Pedro Moreira was dismissed with five minutes to play.

The visitor began brightly and took the lead after just five minutes through Ricky van Wolfswinkel, but Jefferson equalised after 33 minutes and Steven Vitoria added a penalty seven minutes later to edge Estoril in front.

Carlos Eduardo then made the points safe for the home side 12 minutes from time as Estoril leapt up to sixth in the standings.

Sporting has won just once in its last five league matches and lies ninth, seven points above the bottom two.

Hassan put the host ahead after three minutes, but Alan levelled with a penalty on the stroke of half-time.

And Rio Ave ended the game with 10 men after Hassan's 88th-minute sending off.

The draw left Braga in fourth, one place and two points ahead of its opponents.

The host dominated possession but could not convert its superiority into goals until four minutes into injury time when Nicolas Gaitan was fouled in the area and Rodrigo Lima stepped up to fire home the resulting penalty.

There was still time for more late drama as Helder Cabral saw red.

Third-placed Pacos Ferreira slipped 14 points off the leading duo as it was held to a 1-1 draw at home by Nacional.

Semedo Cicero fired Pacos in front on 22 minutes but Bruno Moreira levelled 12 minutes from the end.

Sami and David Simao scored in the first half to lift Maritimo to a 2-1 win over Estoril, which replied through Evandro Goebel just before the hour.

Both teams ended with 10 men as Maritimo's Suk Hyun-jun and Yohan Tavares of Estoril picked up second bookings after the break.

Leonel Olimpio's eighth-minute penalty saw Guimaraes to a 1-0 win over bottom side Moreirense, while Vitoria Setubal was a victor by the same scoreline at Olhanense, Paulo Tavares with the only goal after 81 minutes.

Armindo "Bruma" Bangna gave Sporting the lead with a goal in the opening minute, and defender Tiago Ilori doubled the visitor's advantage five minutes later.

Gil Vicente rallied to level from two goals by striker Hugo Vieira in the 20th and 53rd, but Capel went on in the 59th and four minutes later scored a header against the flow of play to earn his team three points.

Sporting rose into seventh place with its disappointing record of five wins in 19 rounds.

Christian Atsu put the visitor ahead just after the half-hour mark and Jackson Martinez doubled its advantage in the 73rd minute.

Porto had defender Eliaquim Mangala sent off two minutes from time for a foul on substitute Miguel Bura, but there was not enough time for the host to make the extra man count.

Christopher Hurtado scored in the 16th and 38th minutes to put the visitor in control and Semedo Cicero gave it a three-goal advantage five minutes into the second half.

Braga did its best to rally, with Leandro Salino scoring in the 56th minute and Antonio Eder adding a second just after the hour mark.

But it could not find a leveller, allowing Pacos to move four points clear of Braga in third place, which brings with it a place in the Champions League qualifiers.

Porto will be the more disappointed after only managing a 1-1 draw at home to lowly Olhanense, falling behind to Taigo Targino's strike after just seven minutes before Jackson Martinez levelled 10 minutes into the second half.

Benfica at least had the excuse of being away from home to face mid-table Nacional, but will hardly be satisfied after a match in which it finished with nine men.

It too fell behind early, with Diego Barcelos putting Nacional ahead after only six minutes, but Edson Sitoe Mexer's own goal levelled it soon after and Benfica led at the break thanks to Jonathan Urreta's strike.

Mateus levelled for Nacional eight minutes into the second half, and that is how it stayed despite a heated end to the match which saw Benfica's Oscar Cardozo dismissed in the 89th minute and then one from each side - Nacional's Fernando Marcal and Benfica's Nemanja Matic - seeing red in the final seconds.

At the other end of the table, Vitoria Setubal climbed out of the relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Gil Vicente - sealed by Pedro Santos' 24th-minute strike - combined with a 3-0 loss for Beira Mar away to basement dweller Moreirense.

Vitoria moves on to 17 points, level with Olhanense and two clear of Beira Mar, three clear of Moreirense.

Anibal Capela put Moreirense ahead on the stroke of half-time before a brace from Nabil Ghilas in the second half.

Sporting's miserable season continued with a 1-0 home loss to Maritimo leaving it adrift in 10th place, Hyun-Jun Suk getting the goal in the 18th minute.

On-loan Manchester United forward Bebe scored his first league goal for Rio Ave as it won 2-1 away to Academica.

Salim Cisse scored for the host in the 51st minute to cancel out Ahmed Hassan's first-half opener, but Bebe got what proved to be the winner just four minutes later.

Academica's misery was completed by the last-minute dismissal of substitute Rafik Halliche, who collected two yellow cards in a five-minute cameo.

The host's cause was helped as early as the fifth minute with the dismissal of Guimaraes defender Alex, and Luis Leal took advantage with a 32nd-minute opener.

Carlitos made it two 20 minutes into the second half but Estoril too finished the game with 10 men, Steven Vitoria sent on his way in the 83rd minute.

The match was goalless in the 77th minute when heavy fog engulfed the Estadio da Mata Real the previous day, forcing the remaining minutes to be played on Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning AEDT).

Manuel Jose, who had been a 65th-minute substitute the previous day, scored the winning goal two minutes after the restart and the Beavers held on to leapfrog Braga into third place.

Pacos Ferreira is still 14 points shy of joint leaders Porto and Benfica, though, while Estoril remains in eighth place.

It took just five minutes for Enzo Perez to open the scoring before Rodrigo Lima and Moreno Rodrigo put the match to bed.

The win takes unbeaten Benfica level on points with the leader, while Vitoria slipped to second from bottom because of Beira Mar's 3-3 draw with third-placed Braga.

The home side went two goals in front through Pinto Yazalde and Rui Sampaio but Braga pulled level with strikes from Antonio Eder and Alan.

Beira Mar regained the lead with Ruben Ribeiro's 58th-minute effort but the points were shared when Joao Pedro struck 13 minutes from time.

Moreirense remains at the bottom but are now just three points adrift after picking up its second win of the season, 2-1 at Nacional.

Goals either side of the interval from Nabil Ghilas and Renato Junior set up the win, with Mario Rondon replying for the home side.

Gil Vicente was a 4-2 winners over Maritimo in an action-packed match.

Joao Vilela's early penalty was joined by a Luis Carlos goal as Gil took a 2-0 lead at the interval.

David Simao pulled one back from the spot for Maritimo but a Hugo Vieira double sent the home side into a 4-1 lead before goalscorer Vilela was sent off.

However, Rafael Miranda's last-minute goal was little more than a consolation for the visitor with the damage already done.

The match between Olhanense and 10-man Academica finished goalless, with Edinho the man sent off.

Porto is unbeaten so far this season and Eliaquim Mangala set it on its way to defending that record with his 15th-minute goal.

Martinez then took centre stage for the visitor, with the Colombia forward on target after 37, 56 and 73 minutes in a one-sided match.

Sporting's miserable campaign continued with a 2-1 defeat at Rio Ave.

Things were looking up for the visitor when it went ahead after seven minutes through Jeffren, but a Joaozinho own goal levelled the scores at the interval before Andre Ukra scored the decisive strike 18 minutes from time.

Rio Ave consolidate fifth spot in the table and now holds a six-point advantage over its ninth-placed opponent.

The 27-year-old Portuguese had reportedly attracted the interest of Premier League outfit Queens Park Rangers but, after completing a medical at Castelvolturno, he opted instead to help Napoli in its bid for the Scudetto.

He told sscnapoli.it: "I'm really happy to wear this shirt. I wanted to join Napoli because it's a big club with a lot of great players.

"I've heard a lot about the passionate fans and I can't wait to experience a game at the Stadio San Paolo."

After joining Porto from Belenenses in 2008, Rolando played a key role as the Dragons won three Portuguese championships in four years and claimed the UEFA Europa League trophy in 2011.

Napoli has also allowed Bruno Uvini to join Siena until the end of the season.

Danilo opened the scoring after four minutes and Porto doubled the lead after 11 minutes thanks to an own goal from Vitor Vinha.

Steven Defour made it three nine minutes after the break, while the visitor had Carolino Claudio sent off just after the hour mark.

Silvestre Varela got Porto's fourth 15 minutes from time and Jackson Martinez completed the rout in the 90th minute.

Porto now heads Benfica on goal difference, while Gil Vicente is fourth bottom.

It took 24 minutes for striker Paolo Hurtado to open the coring before Vitor put his side two goals up a minute before the break.

Hurtado was on target again after 56 minutes before Luiz Carlos (69) and Vitor (89) sealed the win.

Mid-table Sporting's troubles continued after it was held to a 1-1 draw with Guimaraes.

Xandao put through his own net after 53 minutes, but the Lisbon side fought back with Star striker Ricky van Wolfswinkel's equaliser three minutes later ensuring it took a share of the spoils.

A second-half comeback from relegation-threatened Olhanense saw it take a point after a 3-3 draw at 10-man Estoril.

Steven Vitoria put the home side ahead from the spot after nine minutes before Targino brought the visitor level.

Vitoria converted another penalty shortly before the half-hour mark, while Evandro Goebel's strike a minute after the break seemed to have secured the win.

However Fernandes Mauricio scored after 59 minutes before Anderson Luis saw red eight minutes later. Fast forward 60 seconds and Olhanense was level with Pedro Rui Duarte netting a third for the visitor.

Elsewhere, second-bottom Vitoria Setubal lost 2-0 at home to Nacional, while Maritimo and Rio Ave played out a 1-1 draw.

With Porto not in action until Monday evening (Tuesday morning AEDT), when it plays Gil Vicente, Benfica set the standard for its rival by beating the third-placed team in the top division.

Benfica went ahead when Eduardo Salvio netted after five minutes, and once Lima doubled the lead in the 35th minute it looked to be comfortable for the Lisbon-based side.

It became distinctly less so when Braga halved the deficit in the 77th minute, but the home side's hopes of an equaliser were diminished by the dismissal of defender Maximilian Haas eight minutes later.

Benfica and Porto both remain unbeaten, with Benfica boasting 13 wins and three draws so far and Porto's record showing 12 wins and three draws.

Braga remains 10 points behind Porto, and now 13 adrift of Benfica.

Ulisses Morais's men were never in the game, going 3-0 down inside 37 minutes and are third bottom heading into the weekend`s fixtures, level on points with second-bottom Vitoria Setubal.

Marinho put the host ahead after 15 minutes, before the mid-table side wrapped things up through Edinho (36) and Cleyton (37).

Ruben Ribeiro did score from the spot with six minutes left to pull a goal back for Beira Mar, but the game was up by then.

Jackson Martinez got Porto off the mark after just nine minutes, firing home a penalty after a foul by Pedro Santos.

Struggling Vitoria, second from bottom in the table, kept battling, but its night took another turn for the worse in the 78th minute when Bruno Gallo, who had only been on the pitch for eight minutes as a substitute, collected his second yellow card in quick succession to receive his marching orders.

Seven minutes later Jorginho Sousa followed, also for two bookable offences, and Porto capitalised on the extra space with late goals, Martinez firing home his second in the 86th minute before Lucho Gonzalez added a third in injury-time.

Eduardo Salvio opened the scoring in the 48th minute and Rodrigo Lima made it two in the 71st minute.

The win moved Benfica clear of Porto, which has a game in hand.

Academica won 2-1 at home to nine-man Nacional.

The visitor went ahead through Mario Rondon after 21 minutes, but it had Joao Aurelio sent off six minutes before the break.

Leandro Makelele levelled two minutes into the second half and Edinho put Academica in front eight minutes from time.

Nacional went down to nine a minute later with Revson sent off.

Marcio Mossoro had it in front in the opening minute and Custodio Castro doubled the advantage on the stroke of half-time.

Ruben Amorim added a third 10 minutes after the break, and although Jorginho Sousa got one back for the visitor in the 87th minute, Ruben Micael replied immediately with Braga's fourth.

The only sour note for the host was a last-minute red card for Paulo Vinicius after a poor challenge on Albert Ze Meyong.

Guimaraes beat Rio Ave 3-1 away to move up to sixth, one place and one point behind its defeated host.

All the goals came in the second half, with Amido Balde breaking the deadlock in the 59th minute.

Rio Ave substitute Ahmed Hassan levelled, but Tiago Rodrigues restored Guimaraes' lead from the penalty spot in the 74th minute and - after Filipe Souza saw red for the host - Balde made sure a minute from time.

Guimaraes moves above Estoril, which let slip a lead to lose 2-1 at home to Gil Vicente.

Luis Leal had put the host in front, but its task was made harder by Jefferson Nascimento, who collected his second yellow card after only 27 minutes and conceded a penalty in the process.

Carolino Claudio converted it and substitute Luis Carlos grabbed the winner six minutes from time.

Granemann Adilson's goal after just eight minutes gave Maritimo a 1-0 win over Olhanense.

Pacos Ferreira had been beaten only once in 14 previous outings this season, but it folded after half-time at the Estadio do Dragao.

Brazilian wing-back Alex Sandro made the breakthrough, netting after 47 minutes, and substitute Marat Izmailov left no doubt over the outcome when he scored Porto's second in the 78th minute.

Substitute Carrillo struck in the 64th minute, four minutes after coming off the bench, while any hopes of a Beira Mar comeback were ended late on with the dismissal of Jaime.

The win lifts Sporting up to seventh in the standings, four points and six places better off than its opponent.

Lica's strike was all that separated the sides at the Estadio Municipal de Aveiro, with the home side's misery complete when Joaozinho want sent off four minutes from the end.

Estoril is up to sixth in the table but has 18 points, half the number of leader Benfica, while Beira remains fourth from bottom.

All four goals were scored in a frenetic opening 20 minutes, highlighted by a wonder strike from Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matic.

Eliaquim Mangala sent Porto ahead on eight minutes but just moments later Matic unleashed a vicious angled volley from the edge of the area.

Porto retook the lead through Jackson Martinez on 15 minutes but a hectic start continued as Nicolas Gaitan equalised again two minutes later.

That was the end of the scoring, however, as both sides maintained their unbeaten start. Porto has a game in hand to close the three-point gap.

Vitoria Setubal climbed out of the relegation zone with an emphatic 5-0 win over nine-man Moreirense.

Albert Ze Meyong's completed a hat-trick on 48 minutes to put the host out of sight. Moreirense had already had Borges Wagner sent off on 38 minutes and when Augusto followed five minutes after half-time the game was up for the last-placed visitor.

Pedro Santos (55) and Bruninho (85) put the seal on an emphatic win.

Pacos Ferreira and Rio Ave consolidated their positions in the UEFA Europa League places with 1-0 wins over Academica and Gil Vicente respectively.

Christopher Hurtado netted a 52nd-minute winner for Pacos which had Ricardo sent off late on.

Ferreira Marcelo grabbed the away winner on 35 minutes for Rio Ave at and Gil Vicente.

Goals from Zakaria Labyad and Adrien Silva in each half fired Sporting to a 2-0 success at Olhanense.

Braga took the lead through Helder Barbosa in the 37th minute, but efforts by Edson Mexer (58) and Diego Barcelos (60) allied to Ismaily's 77th-minute own goal ensured the points went to Nacional.

Antonio Eder pulled one back for Braga in the 83rd minute, but a minute later the visitor lost Hugo Viana to a second yellow card.

In the day's other game, Amido Balde's 90th-minute strike rescued a 1-1 draw for Guimaraes at home to Maritimo, which took the lead through Danilo Dias in the second minute but was made to pay for the 72nd-minute dismissal of Marcio Rosario.

Belgian Vercauteren, who replaced Ricardo Sa Pinto in October, was dismissed after guiding the side to just two competitive wins during his time at the club.

The new man in charge is much-travelled former Porto, Benfica, Malaga and Panathinaikos boss Ferreira, who takes over a Sporting side that is 12th in the 16-team Primeira Liga, one point above the relegation zone.

The 66-year-old Ferreira was appointed as the Portuguese club's sporting director last month.

A statement on Sporting's official website read: "The board of directors have announced that Franky Vercauteren will no longer be the coach of the club's first team.

"Sporting would like to thank Franky Vercauteren for his effort and professionalism during his time with the club.

"Furthermore, Jesualdo Ferreira will now become the coach of the Sporting first team, in conjunction with his position as sporting director."

Having seen Porto beat Nacional 1-0 the previous night, Jorge Jesus' men responded at the Estadio Antonio Coimbra da Mota, opening up a three-goal lead through Nicolas Gaitan (37), Rodrigo Lima (59) and Eduardo Salvio (66).

Estoril scored a consolation through Goncalo Santos (88) but by then it was too late.

Braga is third in the table after Antonio Eder scored the only goal of the game 11 minutes after the break as it got the better of Moreirense.

The day's other game saw Maritimo draw 1-1 at home to Beira Mar, with Philipe Fidelis (58) cancelling out Serginho's 52nd-minute opener for Ulisses Morais' men.

Jackson Martinez scored the only goal of the game in the 24th minute.

Sporting Lisbon, fifth from bottom, slipped to another defeat, going down 1-0 at home to Pacos Ferreira, Christopher Hurtado with the goal after 45 minutes.

Edinho scored a hat-trick as Academica won 4-2 at home to relegation-threatened Vitoria Setubal.

The treble came after an opener from Salim Cisse.

Academica was 3-0 up at the break before Cristiano and Albert Ze Meyong with a penalty pulled it back to 3-2, but Edinho's third six minutes from time ended the fightback.

Olhanense had two players sent off but still won 1-0 at Rio Ave.

Tiago Targino put the visitor ahead in the 72nd minute and, even though it then had Rui Duarte (76) and Vasco Fernandes (88) dismissed, it held on for victory.

Elsewhere, Gil Vicente and Guimaraes drew 0-0.

Bebe moved to United in a surprise £7.4 million ($11.48 million) deal from Vitoria Guimaraes in 2010 but struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford and joined Turkish side Besiktas on a season-long loan in June 2011.

Bebe, who Sir Alex Ferguson later admitted was the first player he had signed without having even seen him play on television, made just a handful of appearances for Besiktas before suffering a serious knee injury on Portugal Under-21 duty that sidelined him for most of last season.

The Portuguese forward, now 22, insists he is fully fit and raring to go at Rio Ave, telling club website www.rioave-fc.pt: "I'm ready to play and pleased to wear the Rio Ave shirt.

"I'll give it everything while I'm here and try to help the team to continue occupying the places that they have been in the table."

He added: "Obviously something went wrong in the last phase of my career, I had a serious injury which thankfully I have fully recovered well from.

"I'm fine physically, I was always training and playing. It's good to come here and I want to show what I can do."

Rio Ave is fifth in the Portuguese top flight on 18 points, 14 behind leader Benfica.

The 20-year-old won a gold medal with Mexico at this year's Olympic Games and will move to Portugal from Mexico City outfit Club America at the end of the season.

A statement on fcporto.pt read: "Diego Reyes, 20, will be a Porto player. The young Mexican has signed a contract until 2018 and will join the Dragons for the start of next season.

"Reyes is one of the most promising centre-backs in the world, despite his youth. In the summer he became an Olympic champion with Mexico and attracted the interest of several leading European clubs."

"We have decided to choose Jesualdo Ferreira as the person to take the position of manager and who will be the principal coach of all the teams at Sporting, including the youth programme," Godinho Lopes told Portuguese TV channel RTP.

"Franky Vercauteren is coach of the first team, but Jesualdo will have an influence on all football decisions," he continued, adding that the squad will be revamped from January.

Vercauteren took over on 30 October, but the team has struggled under his leadership and currently sits in the unfamiliar position of 10th in the top flight with just one victory from eight games, 20 points adrift of leader Benfica and eliminated from the UEFA Europa League.

The 66-year-old Portuguese technician Ferreira was sacked last month from his post at Greek club Panathinaikos after two years in Athens, after a spell with Spanish club Malaga.

He led Porto to three straight Portuguese titles between 2007 and 2009 and has also coached Benfica and Sporting Braga.

The Lisbon club is newly installed in top spot after beating Maritimo 4-1 to leapfrog Porto the previous night, but Braga remains in the mix for a UEFA Champions League place after claiming three points at the Estadio AXA.

Hugo Viana opened the scoring within four minutes but Braga had to wait until the second half for Marcio Mossoro (58) and Antonio Eder (61) to wrap up the win.

Pacos de Ferreira is hot on Braga's heels after climbing into fourth place with a 2-1 home win over Guimaraes.

Semedo Cicero gave the host the lead in the 14th minute before completing his brace with 59 minutes played. Substitute Jean-Pierre Barrientos (77) notched a consolation goal for the visitor.

Neither Moreirense or Academica could get the win they needed to escape the bottom two after Salim Cisse's last-gasp goal forced a 2-2 draw at the Parque Joaquim Almeida Freitas.

Nabil Ghilas (27) and Borges Wagner (30) put the host on course to end the day in 10th place but Academica fought back to salvage a point.

Arnaldo Edinho gave the host food for thought two minutes before the break and substitute Cisse equalised in the 90th minute.

Rodrigo Antonio silenced the home crowd when he gave the visitor a 26th-minute lead at the Estadio da Luz, but Cardozo equalised eight minutes later and took centre stage after the interval with two goals in four minutes midway through the second half - the first from the penalty spot after Valentin Roberge had been sent off.

The hat-trick hero was replaced by Rodrigo three minutes from time, and the substitute made his mark within 60 seconds by rounding off the rout.

Elsewhere, fourth-placed Rio Ave suffered a 3-1 defeat at Beira Mar.

Goals at either end of the first half from Serginho and Javier Balboa put the host in control, and Joaozinho sealed matters 13 minutes from time after Ricardo Tarantini had given the visitor a glimmer of hope just after the hour.

Cedric Soares' second-half strike earned Sporting a 1-1 draw at Nacional, cancelling out Israel's first-half opener.

Gil Vicente had looked on course for only its third win of the campaign when it went 2-0 up at Olhanense through goals from Kalidou Yero and Luis Carlos, but Nuno Piloto and Brandao salvaged a draw for the host to keep the teams locked together on points in the lower reaches of the table.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel put the home side ahead after half-an-hour, before Marcos Rojo put the ball into this own net after 58 minutes.

Oscar Cardozo scored from the spot with nine minutes left to put the visitor in front before the striker sealed the win five minutes later.

The win puts Benfica at the top of the table on goal difference ahead of Porto while Sporting languishes in ninth.

Braga is nine points off the top despite a 4-0 hammering of Academica.

The visitor dominated from the off with Ismaily putting it ahead after nine minutes. Ruben Amorim doubled the lead seven minutes later before Mossoro (63) and substitute Carlao (80) eased his side to the win.

Fifth-placed Paco had Luiz Carlos sent off after an hour, but the home side could not break the visitor down and now finds itself eight points behind Benfica.

Beira Mar moved out of the bottom two after it won 2-1 at Gil Vicente, which like its opponent is just one point above the drop zone.

Carneiro Serginho put visiting Beira into the lead after 20 minutes before Carolino Claudio's penalty after 62 minutes levelled the scores.

However, Javier Balboa was on hand with three minutes left to claim what could be a vital three points come the end of the season.

Struggling Olhanense is also just one point above the relegation zone after it went down 2-0 at Guimaraes.

Amido Balde put the home side ahead after 21 minutes before Andre Andre doubled the advantage after 63 minutes.

Maritimo moved up to eighth after second-half goals from Philipe Fidelis (47) and Leocisio Sami (65) were enough to beat Nacional.

The host struggled to break down the league's second bottom side before Jackson Martinez's 71st-minute goal settled the match.

The win put Porto three points clear of Benfica, which has a game in hand.

Luis Leal set the host on its way in the 28th minute and further goals in the second half from Evandro Goebel and Jefferson put the result beyond doubt.

The win lifted Estoril into a Europa League berth, 11 points behind pace-setters Porto and Benfica, while Vitoria remained 10th.

The host went in front after 16 minutes through Vitorino Antunes, but goals either side of the break from Rafael Miranda (24) and David Simao (55) turned the game around.

Luiz Carlos Moreira rescued a point for Pacos four minutes from time to leave his side in fifth place.

Pablo Olivera and Nabil Ghilas looked to have done enough to earn the host a second victory of the season - after a seven-game winless streak - with strikes in the final five minutes of the first half, but Sporting responded brightly after the break.

Alexandre Xandao halved the deficit in the 64th minute, with Eric Dier denying Moreirense the chance to climb out of the bottom two with an equaliser seconds later.

James Rodriguez and Jackson Martinez both scored in added time, the second goal proving crucial as it took Porto above Benfica on goal difference.

The defeat left Braga nine points behind Porto and Benfica in third and only above Rio Ave on goal difference.

Rio Ave was a 5-3 winner over 10-man Vittoria Setubal as Joao Tomas hit a hat-trick for the visitor.

Joao Tomas scored after 11 and 39 minutes, the second a penalty, and Yonathan Del Valle after 32 and 41 to put the visitor in charge.

Albert Meyong scored his first goal on the stroke of half-time and again after 64 minutes to get Vitoria back in the game.

Joao Tomas completed his hat-trick after 79 minutes before Meyong completed his own treble with three minutes to go.

To make matters worse the home side had Justinho sent off late on.

Academica and Gil Vicente shared the points in a 2-2 draw.

Flavio Ferreira and Arnaldo Edinho scored for Academica, the Gil Vicente goals coming from Francisco Pio and Carolino Claudio.

Substitute Mateus scored the only goal as Nacional won 1-0 at home to Estoril.

Oscar Cardozo's 26th-minute penalty put Benfica ahead and Luisao's 72nd-minute strike sealed a sixth successive league win for the Libson giant.

Benfica, which also beat Celtic in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, now has daylight between itself and second-placed Porto at the top of the standings, although having played a game more.

Saleh Al-Shehri gave the relegation battler a third-minute lead and second-half substitute Abel Camara restored it after Leandro Freire's 20th-minute leveller.

That looked to be enough but Amido Balde had other ideas and equalised for a second time four minutes into added time.

It took just 16 minutes for Albert Meyong to find the back of the net, and his sixth goal of the season, but Simao levelled from the spot shortly after the hour mark.

Maritimo's hopes of earning its first home win of the season took a serious hit when Joao Luiz was sent off for the host, though, with the points ultimately being shared at the Estadio dos Barreiros.

Second-half goals from James Rodriguez and Joao Moutinho gave Porto a 2-1 win over Academica, which pulled one back through Wilson Eduardo in the 79th minute.

Benfica was a 1-0 winner at Rio Ave, Rodrigo Lima with the goal in first-half stoppage-time.

Under-performing Sporting Lisbon finally raised its game to dent Braga's challenge with a 1-0 win thanks to Ricky van Wolfswinkel's fourth-minute goal.

Goals from Jefferson and Luis Leal earned Estoril a 2-0 win over Moreirense while Olhanense beat Beira Mar 1-0 thanks to Liban Abdi's 30th-minute strike.

The latter game saw both sides finish with 10 men after Beira Mar's Cedric Collet and Olhanense's Andre Micael were sent off.

It looked as though the visitor was heading for its sixth defeat of the season when a Joao Ribeiro penalty put the host ahead after 13 minutes.

But Barcelos equalised nine minutes into the second half before Mateus and Ladji Keita scored just after the hour mark to give Nacional a surprise win.

The away side had Joao Teixeira Moreno sent off with two minutes to go but it left Guimaraes with little time to find a way back into the contest.

The visiting side scored the only goal of the game through Vitorino Antunes 13 minutes from time.

That left his side with 14 points and ahead of Rio Ave, which has played a game fewer. Gil Vicente remains mid-table with nine points from as many matches.

The Gold and Blacks headed to Madeira bottom of the table and two points behind the host, but returned home a point ahead of it.

Javier Balboa opened the scoring 12 minutes in and when Ruben Ribeiro doubled the lead before the break, Beira Mar looked safe.

Cordeirio then looked to have given Nacional a chance from the spot (52), but Jaime's goal restored Beira's two-goal cushion.

But back came Nacional, with Cordeiro scoring again, before Beira sealed things through Vincent Sasso, despite Jaime's 73rd-minute sending off.

Estoril secured its second win of the season thanks to a late show at Academica.

Marco Silva's side left the Estadio Cidade de Coimbra a 2-0 victor, but it had not looked like being the case until Bruno scored with six minutes left.

Academica then had Bruno China sent off, with Carneiro making the numerical advantage count (90), before the home side lost another man when Edinho was dimissed.

There was another away win in Moreirense as Rio Ave left Minho with a 1-0 win, given to it by well-travelled former Portugal striker Joao Tomas' 58th-minute goal.

Life continues to be a struggle for Sporting, which was beaten 2-1 at Vitoria Setubal.

Franky Vercauteren's side is just two points off the bottom of the table after going down at the Estadio do Bonfim.

Pedro Santos put the home side ahead and, although Jeffren equalised, it went back in front through Albert Ze Meyong and held on despite Bruno Lourenco's dismissal.

They day's other game could not provide such drama, with Pacos Ferreira drawing 0-0 with Olhanense.

Oscar Cardozo's double set the home side on its way, the Paraguay striker scoring after 37 minutes before converting a penalty three minutes after the interval.

Rodrigo Lima then put the game beyond Guimaraes with his 68th-minute goal, although the dismissal of Andre Gomes 11 minutes from time took some of the shine off the result.

The win sees Benfica move level on 20 points with the leader.

Third-placed Braga is three points behind the pair after a 3-1 victory against Gil Vicente.

Ze Luis' 18th-minute opener for the home side was cancelled out by Kalidou Yero 10 minutes into the second half.

However, Alan restored Braga's lead from the penalty spot nine minutes later with Hugo Viana rounding off the scoring two minutes from time.

The host moved three points clear at the summit as a result of the win, with Benfica due to face Guimaraes on Saturday.

Jackson Martinez started the scoring after three minutes, Silvestre Varela made it 2-0, 10 minutes before the interval and Martinez's second, followed by a James Rodriguez brace in the second half.

The Lisbon club has now won only one of its seven league matches to date and sits 10th after the stalemate.

Academica has also won just once this term but sits one point and two places above its opponent.

The champion had to come from behind as goals from Silvestre Varela and Jackson Martinez in the space of four second-half minutes decided matters.

Steven Vitoria gave Estoril the lead after nine minutes but, when Varela equalised on 57 minutes, Martinez's winner arrived moments later.

Third-placed Braga remained three points off the top as it won 2-0 at 10-man Maritimo.

Portugal striker Eder scored both goals, on 55 and 86 minutes, before Romain Salin saw red a minute from the end.

Rio Ave battled back from going behind to Barcelos' 36th-minute goal to win 2-1 at home to Nacional.

The match turned on Manuel da Costa's 58th-minute dismissal as Joao Tomas then converted a penalty before Ricardo Tarantini won it in the 89th minute.

The Lisbon club was out of sight by half-time as goals from Lima (2'), Luisinho (27') and Andre Gomes (45') set it on its way.

The win was soured only by the 70th-minute dismissal of Argentinian midfielder Enzo Perez.

The win means Benfica will sit alone at the top for at least 24 hours with champion Porto at Estoril in Sunday's late game.

Two late goals helped Pacos Ferreira up to fifth with a 2-0 win at Beira Mar.

Vitor broke the deadlock on 81 minutes before substitute Arturo Alvarez got the clincher with three minutes left.

Pedro Rui Duarte netted two penalties to give Olhanense a 2-2 draw at home to Moreirense.

Moreirense had twice gone ahead through Pablo Olivera (35') and Nabil Ghilas (57') but was pegged back by Rui Duarte spot-kicks on each occasion as he first converted on 40 minutes before keeping his cool three minutes from time.

Guimaraes' El Arbi Hillel Soudani and Vitoria's Jorge Luiz were sent off on the stroke of half-time.

The host went in front four minutes after the break through Marcelo Toscano and, even though Albert Ze Meyong equalised from the spot in the 65th minute, another penalty from Joao da Rocha Ribeiro 10 minutes from time settled the match.

Victory lifted Guimaraes on to 11 points from seven games.

The Belgian, who turns 56 on Sunday, will not take charge until Tuesday, leaving former Portugal player Oceano, who has handled team affairs since Sa Pinto was dismissed earlier this month, in charge for the UEFA Europa League game against Genk and Tuesday's 9AEDT) Liga Zon Sagres clash with Academica.

A statement on the club's website read: "Pursuant to the fulfilment of the obligation which arises from the provisions of Article 248, paragraph 1 a) of the Securities Code, Sporting Clube de Portugal, Futebol, SAD, announce they have hire coach Frank Vercauteren, who will assume the helm of first-team coach from October 30.

"We also confirm that the contract with the coach is valid until June 30, 2013, with the option to extend the contractual relationship beyond that point."

The Brazilian midfielder struck immediately after the interval, while Moreirense's hopes of a comeback were hit by the 69th-minute dismissal of Ricardo Ribeiro.

Maritimo climbs to sixth on the back of the win, with its opponent just three places off the foot of the table.

The Colombian took in Danilo's 10th-minute pass, flicked it up off his thigh and, with the goal behind him, lobbed Patricio with a brilliant volleyed backheel.

It was a moment of magic from the striker, but it took until six minutes from time for James Rodriguez to make the win safe from the spot.

Sporting had Marcos Rojo sent off (72).

Porto share the lead with Benfica, while Braga is three points behind after a 4-4 draw with Olhanense.

On a fast and furious night at Estadio Municipal de Braga, Liban Abdi opened the scoring for the visitor with four minutes gone, with Helder Barbosa making it 1-1 five minutes later.

Ivanildo Cassama's brace then fired the Lions two goals clear, before Douglao reduced the deficit. But an own goal from Ruben Amorim saw Olhanense out to 4-2, leaving it to Antonio Eder and Douglao (90) to rescue a point.

Algeria international El Arbi Soudani scored twice as Guimaraes came from behind to win 2-1 at Academica, which had gone in front through Tomas Marinho and had John Ogu sent off (90).

Joao Tomas scored twice as Rio Ave came away from Estoril with a 3-1 win, with Ricardo Tarantini scoring the other for Nuno Espírito Santo's side.

Diogo Amado scored for the home team which had Joao Paulo sent off.

Elsewhere, Nacional was beaten 1-0 by Gil Vicente and Rafael Silva's goal, while Vitoria Setubal and Pacos Ferreira drew 0-0.

The visitor took a shock lead through Vincent Sasso after just five minutes, but Benfica eventually pulled level in the 59th minute with a goal from Maxi Pereira.

Rodrigo then completed the comeback two minutes later to preserve Benfica's unbeaten start to the season and leave Beira Mar still propping up the standings.

The decision comes in the wake of the side's 3-0 UEFA Europa League defeat to Videoton, and a disappointing start to the season which has seen it fall five points behind leader Benfica in a campaign that is just five games old.

The 39-year-old, who had two spells with Sporting as a player, has been offered a yet to be accepted new role.

In a statement on its official website tonight, Sporting said: "Sporting Clube de Portugal - Futebol, SAD's Board of Administration has announced that Ricardo Sa Pinto is no longer the club's first team coach.

"Sporting Clube de Portugal - Futebol, SAD thanks Ricardo Sa Pinto for his professionalism as a fan, employee and shareholder and would like to highlight the dedication that he has shown as Sporting's first-team coach.

"In light of his dedication to Sporting Clube de Portugal, the board of administration has invited Ricardo Sa Pinto to continue with the club in a role that will be announced should it be accepted."

Fifty-four-cap former Portugal international Oceano, who made over 300 appearances for Sporting, steps up from coaching the club's B side.

Nabil Ghilas twice gave the visitor a first-half lead, cancelled out by first Francisco Pio and then Claudio - though Gil Vicente had taken a 2-1 lead in between times only for Andre Cunha's goal to be almost immediately levelled by Vinicius.

After that frenetic first half, the second yielded only one goal, Halisson snatching the points for Gil Vicente in the 77th minute.

Academica finally ended its all-draws start to the season at the fifth time of asking with a 2-0 win at Maritimo.

Wilson Eduardo and Marinho scored the goals in the first half for the visitor.

Nacional also recorded its first win of the campaign as Mario Rondon's last-minute goal earned it a 2-1 success away to Olhanense. Mauricio Fernandes' own goal had set it on its way only for Liban Abdi to equalise.

Beira Mar and Vitoria Setubal drew 1-1, the goals coming from Abel Camara and Meyong.

The two-time defending Portuguese champion took a 33rd-minute lead through Miguel Lopes but Rio Ave hit back late on and a double from Ricardo Tarantini (79 and 86) meant a shock upset looked on the cards.

However, just as it seemed it would suffer a first league defeat since January, Porto snatched a 90th-minute equaliser through Colombia international Martinez.

The result leaves Porto in second spot, level on 11 points with leader Benfica.

In the day's other match, the 60th-minute dismissal of Goncalo Santos proved costly for Estoril as it surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Sporting.

Fourth-placed Estoril went ahead on the stroke of half-time through Steven Vitoria's penalty and then doubled the advantage in the 58th minute thanks to Luis Leal.

But it lost Santos to a red card just two minutes later and Sporting took full advantage to claim a point, making it 2-1 through a 76th-minute own goal from Anderson Luis and then levelling up the scores six minutes from time when Ricky van Wolfswinkel netted.

Cicero put the host ahead after 16 minutes, but Lima levelled two minutes later and scored the winner in the 71st minute.

It puts it a point clear of second-placed Porto, though it has played a game more.

Third-placed Braga also won, with two second-half goals helping it to a 2-0 victory at Guimaraes.

Eder opened the scoring after 54 minutes and Hugo Viana sealed the points four minutes from the end.

The host, which has begun the season with four consecutive draws, twice took the lead with first Salim Cisse's 26th-minute effort cancelled out by Oscar Cardozo's penalty in the 51st minute - straight after Brito Rodrigo Galo had been sent off for Academica.

Despite being a man down, Academica took the lead through Bruno Wilson Eduardo's 70th-minute spot-kick but Lima's late strike denied it ita first victory of the campaign as Benfica escaped with a point to remain on the heels of league leader Porto.

Antonio Eder scored twice as Braga ran out a 4-1 winner against Rio Ave.

Eder broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time before Fraga Edimar levelled matters eight minutes after the interval.

Filipe Ruben Amorim restored Braga's lead in the 63rd-minute while Eder (70) and Custodio de Castro's penalty (76) sealed the fate of Rio Ave, which had Batista Nivaldo sent off in the 74th minute.

Pacos Ferreira remains unbeaten after two late strikes saw it salvage a 3-3 draw at Nacional in an encounter that saw both sides finish with 10 men.

Ferreira Claudemir's fourth-minute effort was cancelled out by Manuel Jose Azevedo's strike two minutes before half-time, although Nacional established a clear advantage thanks to goals from Mateus da Costa (48) and Manuel da Costa (68) in-between Fernando Marcal's sending off.

The writing looked to be on the wall for the visitor when Vitorino Antunes was given his marching orders but Silva Vitor's 87th-minute strike ensured a nervy finale before Semedo Cicero levelled matters in the final minute.

Albert Ze Meyong's 48th-minute penalty gave Vitoria Setubal a 1-0 triumph over Olhanense, which had Elvis Babanco sent off in the 36th minute.

Jackson Martinez fired the opener after 32 minutes with Silvestre Varela adding a second six minutes later.

James Rodriguez further stretched the advantage two minutes into the second half before Maicon wrapped up the scoring 19 minutes from time.

The defending champion is unbeaten in four matches while Beira Mar is still searching for its first win of the campaign.

The third-minute dismissal of defender Augusto left Moreirense in trouble.

It survived on level terms until the 58th minute when Nigerian defender David Addy made the breakthrough with the only goal of the night, spurring Guimaraes to its first victory of the campaign, in the opening match of the fourth round of games.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel put the Sporting ahead in the 55th minute and that looked to be enough to secure all three points for the away side.

But Guilherme had other ideas and struck the equaliser with just three minutes remaining to take his side to five points from a possible nine.

Jorge Jesus's side had to wait for the breakthrough at the Estadio da Luz, not scoring until the 51st minute through Oscar Cardoza.

That opened the floodgates, though, and Rodrigo and Cardoza again wrapped things up.

Pacos Ferreira also enjoyed a routine win as it saw off UEFA Champions League-bound Braga 2-0.

Javier Cohene opened the scoring (13) and Christopher Hurtado made sure of the win 10 minutes from the end.

Beira Mar shared the points with Moreirense, drawing 1-1 at the Estadio Municipal.

Ricardo Pessoa gave the visitor a first-half lead from the spot, but half-time substitute Saleh Javier Al-Shehri ensured Beira hit back.

Elsewhere, Gil Vicente and Vitoria Setubal drew 0-0, as did Rio Ave and Academica.

The previously unbeaten host took a 13th-minute lead through Liban Abdi but two-time reigning champion Porto hit back through goals from substitute James Rodriguez (43), Jackson Martinez (49) and Hulk (72) to take control of the contest.

Olhanense gave Porto another scare by pulling a goal back in the 86th minute through Tiago Targino but the visitor held on to go three points clear with all its main rivals at the summit in action later this weekend.

In the day's other match Guimaraes struck twice in the last eight minutes to salvage a 2-2 home draw against Estoril.

Estoril looked well on its way to a maiden win of the season after establishing a 2-0 lead through goals from Lica (six) and Bruno Miguel (47), but Mahamadou N'Diaye gave Guimaraes a lifeline in the 82nd minute before substitute Joao Ribeiro equalised right at the end to leave both teams on two points.

Brazilian full-back Edimar scored the only goal in the 40th minute to propel Rio Ave from the foot of the standings to seventh place after two matches.

Defeat for Sporting continues its winless start to the campaign, which kicked off with a goalless draw against Guimaraes.