Benfica pip Sporting
Reuters, Lisbon
Benfica kept up the pressure at the top of the Portuguese League by beating old rivals Sporting 2-0 on Friday in a morale-boosting victory ahead of next week's decisive Champions League match at Manchester United. The result takes Benfica into third place with 22 points, four behind Sporting, on 26, but with a match in hand. Porto stay on top with 28 points from 11 matches. Benfica went ahead in the so-called 'Portuguese Derby in the second minute when defender Ricardo Rocha headed home a corner from captain Simao Sabrosa. Benfica, who had not won at Sporting for two seasons, grabbed the second goal when Simao Sabrosa fired in an angled shot from the right after receiving a neat pass by Italian winger Fabrizio Miccoli after 36 minutes. Miccoli almost made it 3-0 when he hit the bar with a shot from outside the area. Both teams finished with 10 men as Sporting's Brazilian defender Polga was shown a second yellow card in the 80th minute and Benfica captain Nuno Gomes was sent off for fouling Joao Moutinho two minutes later. Benfica goalkeeper Quim denied Sporting a consolation goal with a superb save to keep out Yannick's close range effort two minutes from the time.
| 
