Benfica loses at home, leaves Porto closer to Portugal title
LISBON, Portugal (AP) Benfica suffered a rare home loss when it fell to Tondela 3-2 on Saturday and gave Porto a chance to move closer to its first Portuguese league title in five years.
Porto can open a five-point lead with two matches left if it wins at sixth-place Maritimo on Sunday.
Pizzi put Benfica ahead at the Stadium of Light in the 12th minute, but Tondela rallied with a pair of goals by Miguel Cardoso in the first half and another by Tomane in the second.
The hosts pulled one closer through Salvio in the 90th but it was too late.
''It's a tough loss to take,'' Benfica coach Rui Vitoria said.
Benfica, which won the last four Portuguese league titles, risks losing second place to Sporting Lisbon, which got a late goal by Bruno Fernandes - his second of the match - to win at Portimonense 2-1.
Benfica and Sporting are tied on points after 32 matches but meet next weekend. Benfica holds the tiebreaker advantage thanks to a better goal difference.
Only the top two teams progress to the Champions League.
