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  • Tuesday 3 November 2009

    Liga Sagres Round 9: Braga move clear

    Porto 1 - 1 Belenenses
    Naval 1º de Maio 1 - 0 Leixões
    Sporting Braga 2 - 0 Benfica
    Paços de Ferreira 0 - 1 União de Leiria
    Olhanense 0 - 1 Rio Ave
    Nacional 2 - 1 Vitória Setúbal
    Sporting Lisbon 1 - 1 Marítimo
    Académica 2 - 0 Vitória Guimarães

    Oh how excited their supporters are now. It was not so very long ago that Sporting Braga fans were bemoaning the loss of coach Jorge Jesus to Benfica last summer, and yet Domingos Paciência has stepped into the hot seat and delivered 8 wins in 9 matches - including this weekend's victory in the battle of the top 2 and by far the best sides in the league so far. Hugo Viana gave the hosts an early lead, which was doubled 12 minutes from time by Brazilian striker Paulo Cesar. Benfica's army of South American stars could find no way through the Braga rearguard even after Andre Leone received his marching orders on the stroke of half time. Braga are now the only unbeaten team in the Liga Sagres and sit three points clear at the top.

    Porto missed out on the chance to close the gap on O Glorioso after they were held at home by Belenenses; After Lima had given the visitors the lead, Ernesto Farias rescued a point but the 31,000 crowd at the Dragao were far from impressed and for probably the first time in his regime Jesualdo Ferreira is feeling the pressure. Ironically, things in the Champions League are going fine for him but his side just can't click domestically, where they lack the dominance in midfield they had with Lucho Gonzalez and the predatory threat up front of Lisandro Lopez, although Falcao has impressed thus far with 7 goals.

    Of course, it could be worse, you could be Paolo Bento, who is also feeling the heat from home fans after his side picked up their third consecutive draw at home to Maritimo. Sitting improbably in fourth are Rio Ave, after they won at Olhanense through an early Joao Tomas strike. Nacional sit just below them on goal difference after they beat Vitoria Setubal thanks to an Anselmo Goncalves winner. Setubal have conceded 18 goals already this season and have a defence dodgier than an Afghani election. Elsewhere there were wins for Naval, Leiria and Academica, who remain bottom despite picking up their first victory of the campaign.

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