Topik: Primeira Liga, Porto, Famalicao, Sporting CP, Sporting Braga, Luis Díaz, Sergio Conceicao
The Dragons have completed more than half of the season without a loss. Will they be able to claim the title undefeated?

The top football category in Portugal has given us one of the most interesting weekends of the season, with Porto now getting closer to the title at Sporting's expense.

The Dragons have carried on with their impressive winning streak after a convincing win over Famalicao, which combined with one more slip-up by Sporting, who failed to beat Braga and failed to keep the pressure on the league leaders. There is still a long way to go for Porto, but if they can keep up with the good work, it will only be a matter of time to see them lifting the title. 

In other news, Benfica are showing signs of improvement after their win over Arouca, but they are still way behind in the title race. Even so, Nelson Verissimo's team should still be considered as a contender if Sporting keep opening the door to them just like they did this past weekend.

With that under consideration, let's have a look at how things stand after this weekend in the Portuguese league.

Primeira Liga - Top 5 teams after Matchday 20

Porto are six points clear from Sporting in the title race with fourteen matches to go and with an unbeaten run that is unique in the top European football categories this season. The Lions are still in contention, but they must be wary of Benfica, who sit three points behind them. Porto have never lost a title when they have entered the second half of the season with a six-point lead, but will Sporting and Benfica lay over and let them take the crown without putting up a fight?

Primeira Liga top 3 scorers

Darwin Núñez is the league's top scorer with fifteen goals to his name, followed closely by Luis Díaz, who is second with fourteen. Díaz's partner-in-crime with Porto, Mehdi Taremi, is third in the league with 11 goals, making his partnership with Díaz one of the most dangerous in European football.

Primeira Liga – Top headlines

  • Porto establish new record en route to winning one more title - The Dragons' unbeaten run has made football fans turn their heads to watch Conceicao's team, and right now, there is no team that is more dominant in this league than Porto, especially at home. This weekend, Porto became the first team in Primeira Liga history to have a perfect nine-win record at home during the first half of the season. Only time will tell if that streak is enough to see them lift the crown.

  • Sporting react to possible European competitions ban - The defending champions have been forced to look away from their title run to enter a legal battle with Sampdoria over Bruno Fernandes' move. UEFA has urged Sporting to pay a fee to Sampdoria over Fernandes' move to Old Trafford, or else the team will be banned from entering European tournaments. The Lions' front office has replied there is no fee to pay, and they are reportedly willing to go all in to prove their innocence and keep the money to themselves.

  • Tottenham submit bid to hire Porto sensation - Luis Díaz could be living his final days as a Porto player, as Tottenham have submitted an offer for the Colombian ace's services. Spurs' bid to hire Díaz is reportedly not what Porto would like to receive for their star player, which only means we will have to pay attention to the end of the winter transfer window for updates on this move.

Top matches to watch in the Primeira Liga on January 27-31, 2022

*Unlike most leagues in the world, the Portuguese top-flight will carry on with some games during the International break, although not all teams will be playing this weekend.

Sporting Braga vs Moreirense: The hosts handed Sporting a huge blow to their title chances with their win last weekend, and now it's time for them to help their own case by beating Moreirense at home. One more win for Braga here and they could be involved once again in the race to finish among the top three, but it will be up to Moreirense to show their worth in this interesting tie.

Porto vs Marítimo: The league leaders face Marítimo with everything to play for this weekend and with some unfinished business. Porto were held to a draw by their visitors in their previous fixture of the season,  and this time they will have a chance to prove if they learned from the mistakes that led them to drop two points back in August. Marítimo on the other hand saw a three-game winning streak come to an end last weekend, and they will surely want to go back to winning ways against the powerful team led by Conceicao and keep the title race open.

*Keep track of all the activity in the Portuguese top-flight by following our dedicated Primeira Liga competition page.