FC PORTO HAVE won the 2011-12 Liga Sagres title after watching title challengers Benfica fail to defeat Rio Ave on Sunday.
Benfica went into the fixture knowing they required a win to keep their title hopes alive, but after reaching the interval with a 2-1 advantage, capitulated during a lacklustre second half.
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, Kelvin, an 18-year-old attacking midfielder on loan to Rio Ave from Porto, weaved his way between two defenders on the right-hand side of the box before finding Yazalde unmarked at the back post. His equaliser to put Porto on course for a second consecutive Primeira Liga title.
The resulting draw left Porto six points ahead of Benfica with two games to go, an insurmountable margin given the Oporto club’s superior head-to-head record.
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.
