LISBON: Porto have regained the Portuguese title for the 30th time after winning 1-0 away to old rivals Benfica in Lisbon.

Sergio Conceiçao’s team, who have only lost one of their 33 games, were satisfied with a draw because, with 88 points, they can no longer be caught by Sporting. The Dragons now chase the double in the cup final against Tondela on May 22 at the Estadio Nacional in Lisbon.

The first half was flat and Porto, with their veteran captain Pepe in defence, had the game under control against a Benfica team who had only pride at stake since they have secured third place and a passport to the Champions League qualifiers.

The best chance came to Porto after 15 minutes when Mehdi Taremi controlled with quality a long ball from Otavio that left him alone against Odisseas Vlachodimos, but the German goalkeeper prevented the goal by blocking his attempt to beat him.

After the break the classic was revolutionized at times. Porto came out ready to score and Vlachodimos prevented it as soon as play resumed with a save by deflecting Evanilson’s tight shot from mid-height (46′).

Benfica replied 10 minutes later, giving Porto a great scare. In fact Darwin Núñez scored after a great control with the left in a long delivery by Adel Taarabt.

The Uruguayan cut Chancel Mbemba and crossed with the right before the departure of Diogo Costa, but after the logical euphoria of the player and the local fans, the referee annulled the goal at the request of the VAR due to Núñez being offside by just two centimeters .

After these couple of episodes, neither team gave up scoring, but without creating clear chances. That yes, the logical tension in this type of games of maximum rivalry was not lacking and sparks flew in constant clashes without the blood reaching the river.

A shot by Alejandro Grimaldo that narrowly missed Benfica’s last cartridge for continuing to delay Porto’s wing, which had already failed in its attempt to sentence the title in the two previous days.

The third time was the charm and Porto claimed the icing on the cake with the winning goal. The play began with a corner in favor of Benfica that Pepe cleared with a header and gave rise to a dazzling counterattack by the other Pepé, the Brazilian, who covered the entire field and, already in the rival area, gave the left-back Zaidu a goal on a plate Sanusi, who only beat Vlachodimos by the angle.

It is the first time since April 2011 that Porto has been proclaimed champion in Da Luz and it is Sergio Conceiçao’s third league title, after those of 2018 and 2020, since he came to Porto’s bench in June 2017.

In Germany . . .

Bayer Leverkusen secured qualification for the Champions League thanks to a 4-2 victory against Hoffenheim after being twice behind.

Leverkusen were helped by fifth-placed Freiburg’s 4-1 defeat against Union Berlin. They now Freiburg by four points with one match remaining.

Leverkusen found themselves behind in the 23rd minute when Hoffenheim scored through Georgino Rutter. Then Patrick Schick leveled on 34′, but on 36′ Baumgartner put Hoffenheim ahead again.

Gerardo Seoane’s team managed to turn the game around in the last 20 minutes. Mousa Diaby equalized in the 73rd minute and Schick, in the 76th minute, put Leverkusen ahead and the Argentine Lucas Alario sentenced in the 90th minute, after stealing the ball near the opponent’s box and scoring on an empty goal after leaving the way to goalkeeper Oliver Baumann.

Schick has 24 goals and is consolidated as the second top scorer in the Bundesliga after Robert Lewandowski (34).

Defeat leaves Hoffenheim with no chance of qualifying for European competition as they are six points below Cologne, which is in seventh place giving access to the Conference League.

The final of the German Cup will be played by Leipzig and Freiburg, both already in Europe, so second place for the Europa League will go to the sixth-placed team.

Cologne lost 1-0 to Wolfsburg but were helped by Hoffenheim’s loss.

Union Berlin, sixth after the 4-1 win over Freiburg, are safely in Europe. At worst, in the Conference League. The Europa League is possible, it is enough for them to win on the last day and if Leipzig punctured this Sunday they could even aspire to the Champions League, although they would need Leipzig and Freiburg to fail on the last day.

####