I League returns with serene leader. Benfica and Sporting forced to win

Os ‘dragons’ quit in the best way before the break for the commitments of the national selections, by imposing themselves by 3-1 in the reception to Benfica, in the closing game of the seventh round, which allowed him to increase to five points the advantage over the ‘incarnates’, who occupy the second position, while Sporting, third placed, is six points away from the leadership.

The ‘Leonina’ team will be the first of the candidates for the title to take action, on Friday, and the one that will have the most complicated opponent, since it moves to the Sporting Braga stadium, sixth positioned, where the minhotos count for wins the two games played in the 2026/27 championship.

If the Bracarenses did not go beyond a ‘null’ on the previous day, in the visit to Santa Clara, sensational fourth placed, in punctual equality with Sporting, the training trained by Rui Borges did not celebrate a triumph in the I League for more than a month (2-0 to the National, on September 5), having tied the last two meetings, with Famalicão (1-1) and Arouca (2-2).

Benfica will also have a small group ahead, receiving on Sunday the Vitória de Guimarães, although the vimarans are plunged in the 14th place, to a point of distance from the demotion zone, with a single triumph in seven matches and counting for defeats the three disputed in the condition of visitor.

In addition to the French central defense Clément Lenglet, expelled in front of FC Porto, coach Marco Silva is struggling with other absences of weight in the ‘guides’. The clinical report, which included Danish Alexander Bah and Argentine Enzo Barrenechea, included Ukrainian Georgiy Sudakov and Polish Jakub Kaminski, injured in the service of their selections.

FC Porto lives quieter days. The national champion is the only club that counts for victories the seven games played in the race and will have ahead on Saturday an opponent who, after two triumphs in the initial rounds, did not celebrate any more, falling to the current 11th position.

The team trained by Italian Francesco Farioli seems launched for the revalidation of the title, although the trips to Madeira always require extra care by the ‘dragons’, who won only four of the last 11 meetings played at the insular stadium for the championship.

The sensational team in the early season comes from a different archipelago. The Azoreans of Santa Clara are one of the three undefeated formations, together with FC Porto and Sporting, and will try to keep this record on Saturday, before Casa Pia, 17th and penultimate place, which won for the first time in the previous journey (2-1, in the visit to the red lantern Estoril Praia).

The eighth round starts on Friday, with the clash between Moreirense (12th ranked) and Gil Vicente (ninth), which precedes the big game between Sporting Braga and Sporting, with the closing honors to fit the Famalicão (13th) and Alverca (10th), on Monday.

Eighth-day program:

– Friday, 09 out:

Moreirense – Gil Vicente, 18:45

Sporting Braga – Sporting, 20:15

– Saturday, 10 out:

Casa Pia – Santa Clara, 15:30

Maritime – FC Porto, 18:00

Academic of Viseu – Estoril Praia, 20:30

– Sunday, 11 out:

Ave River – National, 15:30

Benfica – Vitoria de Guimarães, 18:00

Arouca – Amadora Star, 20:30

– Monday, 12 out:

Famalicão – Alverca, 20:15