Benfica take Lisbon derby honours

Second-half goals from José Antonio Reyes and Sidnei gave SL Benfica a 2-0 home win against Lisbon rivals Sporting Clube de Portugal to close the gap between the pair to a single point.

Early chances
Sporting, who had won their three first Portuguese Liga games, spurned a golden chance to score inside a minute when Yannick Djaló shot wide after Miguel Veloso's brilliant pass. Benfica responded instantly when Óscar Cardozo's long-range effort almost caught out goalkeeper Rui Patrício.

Double strike
Jorge Ribeiro and João Moutinho saw early second-half efforts saved too but Benfica did manage to take the lead after 67 minutes when Reyes combined well with Pablo Aimar before firing in with his left foot. Five minutes later, Carlos Martins' free-kick was headed in by Sidnei to secure the victory.

Braga held
Elsewhere, UEFA Cup contenders SC Braga had to settle for a 1-1 home draw against A. Naval 1° Maio while fellow European hopefuls Vitória FC earned a 1-0 home win against Rio Ave FC.