Liga Sagres wrap: Porto claim title

30 April 2012 15:57

FC Porto have won the 2011-12 Liga Sagres title after Benfica were held to a 2-2 draw away to Rio Ave on Sunday.

Benfica went into their match on Sunday knowing only a win would keep their title hopes alive heading into the final two weeks of the season.

But after going into the half-time break 2-1 ahead, Benfica were stunned by a goal five minutes into the second half and never recovered.

Rio Ave took the lead in just the eighth minute when Benfica's goalkeeper Artur misjudged a cross from the right wing, allowing Christian Atsu to tap the ball into the net.

Nolito brought the visitors back level with a smart finish in the 37th minute after Rio Ave's defenders failed to clear a free-kick into the box and Benfica took the lead three minutes later thanks to a penalty from Oscar Cardozo.

But in the 50th minute, Yazalde scored one of the most decisive goals of the season.

Kelvin, an 18-year-old attacking midfielder on loan to Rio Ave from Porto, twisted and turned his way past two Benfica defenders on the right-hand side of the box and then crossed to the back post and Yazalde got clear to power a header back past Artur.

The draw means Porto are six points ahead of Benfica with two games to go and, due to the leaders' superior head-to-head record, the title is theirs.

It is Porto's second-straight Liga Sagres title.

At the other end of the Portuguese league table, Feirense moved out of the relegation zone with a 4-0 thrashing of bottom-club Uniao Leiria.

Pedro Miguel Ribeiro scored a goal in both halves to help Feirense move one point above Academica de Coimbra into 14th spot on the table.

In other results on Sunday, Nacional won 3-0 away to Vitoria Setubal, while Beira Mar defeated Pacos de Ferreira 2-0.