LIGA PORTUGAL BETCLIC: Farense 2-3 Sporting Lisbon | Vizela 2-3 Portimonense
ALLIANZ LEAGUE CUP Group C: Farense 1-0 Tondela
Last Saturday afternoon, Portimonense celebrated their second away win of the season whilst 10-man Farense only narrowly failed to snatch a share of the points at home against league leaders Sporting some hours later.
In Vizela, the home side tried to take the game to the visiting Algarveans, but it was Portimonense who took the advantage on the half-hour mark.
Jasper caused the defence all kinds of problems following a good Gonçalo Costa cross into the area and, during the ensuing melee, VAR alerted referee Iancu Varela to a Matheus Pereira hand ball – captain Carlinhos made no mistake from the spot. As half time approached, it was Costa again who crossed, allowing Ronie Carrillo to slot home at the far post for the 2-0 lead.
However, Vizela came back strongly after the break with Essende beating the unsighted Vinicius on the hour before the unfortunate Filipe Relvas, target of several €10 million bids from abroad, deflected a Bruno Wilson shot past his own keeper for his third own goal of the season.
The home fans were still celebrating the equaliser when Carlinhos smashed in the winner, and his fifth in seven matches, from outside the area to silence the crowd. Paulinho could have added his name to the score sheet in injury time, but his first effort was adjudged to have been off-side and he blasted his second over.
The three points will have been particularly welcome as this Sunday’s 6pm encounter in Porto traditionally promises little in the way of reward.
Later on, last Saturday, a 6,000-plus-strong full house greeted Sporting at the São Luis stadium in Faro. The visitors got off to the better start and, with barely 20 minutes on the clock, Farense’s Gonçalo Silva could only use his hand to stop Pote’s goal-bound effort, earning himself a straight red card.
Sporting’s €24 million Swedish summer club record signing from Coventry City, Viktor Gyökeres, successfully converted the resulting penalty for the lead. Pote joined him on the score sheet not long after with a great strike from outside the area to make it 2-0 and Sporting appeared to be cruising against 10-man Farense. But up stepped Mattheus Oliveira with two direct free kick goals either side of the interval and suddenly it was game on!
A frantic finish saw Pote hit the post and Oliveira severely test Adan at the other end before an unfortunate Zé Luis trip on Marcus Edwards in the area allowed Gyökeres to double his spot kick tally and hand Sporting the win at the death. Next up for Farense is a Saturday away day at Vizela.
Farense also played earlier last week beating second division Allianz League Cup Group C opponents Tondela on Wednesday with very much a B-team line-up thanks to a 14th-minute Zé Luis header and despite a 47th-minute Vitor Gonçalves sending off.
In the Portuguese FA Cup third round, the club from the Algarve’s capital has drawn minnows Länk Vilaverdense away (October 22) while neighbours Portimonense travel to now third division Sporting Covilhã (October 20).
By SKIP BANDELE
