HUGO DELGADO/LUSA
Estrela da Amadora coach, Cristiano Bacci (L) and his players celebrate at the end of the 1st Football League Sporting de Braga game.
Sporting and Benfica win the last game, but only the Lions guarantee a place in the Champions League, with the undefeated Eagles pushed into the Europa League. Nacional and Estrela were saved, Casa Pia faces Torreense in the play-offs.
O Sporting won this Saturday at the reception to Gil Vicente and held second place in the 1st Portuguese football league, access to the Champions League, overcoming Benficawhich, without defeats in the competition, was in third place.
The ‘lions’ went from two-time champions to ‘vice’, with access to the Champions League knockouts, after beating the Barcelos team, with goals from Eduardo Quaresma, in the 15th minute, Luis Suárez, in the 34th, with the Colombian reinforcing the lead of the scorers, with his 28th accurate ‘shot’, and Hjulmand, at 90+3.
O Sporting totaled 82 points, six less than champions FC Porto and two more than rivals Benficawhich ended the 92nd edition of the I League without defeat and with a triumph in the visit to Estoril Praia, 3-1, thanks to goals from Richard Ríos, at seven, Bah, at 14, and Rafa, at 16, but relegated to the Europa League for the first time since 2009/10.
Os ‘reds’ have not lost in the championship since January 25, 2025last season, when they were defeated at Casa Pia, and paid tribute this Saturday to former captain Pizzi, who ended his career, at 36 years old, with the ‘Canarinhos’ shirt, who scored the last goal of the competition, at 90+1, through Peixinho.
The other game on the last night of the championship pitted the Famalicão against Alverca and was resolved with a goal from Abubakar, who, in the 83rd minute, gave the victory to the hosts from Minho, who confirmed the fifth place, which can give access to European competitionswith 56 points, six more than its neighbors in Barcelos. This result left Alverca in 11th place, with the same 39 points as Estoril Praia, 10th.
Nacional and Estrela are saved. Who goes down and who goes up?
Nacional and Estrela da Amadora also ensured yesterday that they remained in the I League, after the 34th and final round, which dictated the Tondela relegation (along with the already demoted AFS) and others play-off dispute for Casa Pia.
In their eighth appearance among the ‘bigs’, Tondela, who promoted last season, were defeated by Arouca, 3-1, and were unable to avoid direct relegation, despite having reached the last round after two wins and three games without losing.
With 28 points, the Beirões joined the last placed AVS, who had 21, while Casa Pia did not go beyond a 1-1 draw against Rio Ave, remaining in 16th place, with 30, and will compete for the play-off with third place in the II League, Torreense.
The 2-2 draw achieved in the last minutes at the ‘European’ Sporting de Braga, allowed the Star of Amadorawho achieved the second draw in a row after five defeats, remaining in first place safe from relegation, 15th placewith 30 points.
O National (14th) he added 34 when winning against Vitória de Guimarães, relegating the Minho team to ninth place, with the same 42 points as Arouca, eighth.
In Liga Portugal 2, the Maritime guaranteed the promotion, with seven points ahead of second place, the Academic from Viseu, who returns to the top flight, 37 years later.
