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Benfica seized a nine-point advantage at the summit of the Campeonato Nacional, Série 2 on Saturday afternoon, defeating Sporting 3-0 in Alcochete during the 10th round of the youth championship’s first phase. The derby de juvenis reinforced the visiting eagles’ status as undefeated leaders, leaving the green-and-whites stranded at 19 points after entering the fixture trailing by six.
Sporting had targeted the clash as a vital opportunity to reduce distances and relaunch their challenge for first place, while Benfica sought to extend a nearly flawless campaign that had previously yielded only a single draw against Casa Pia. Having already beaten their rivals 3-1 in the first leg, the league leaders successfully weathered the first major test of the second round despite entering enemy territory.
A Goalless Stalemate Before the Break
The opening 45 minutes were defined by balance, with neither side managing to find a path to the goal. Both defensive units held firm through a tightly contested first half, leaving a scoreless draw at the interval that kept the outcome entirely open for both contenders.
Benfica Scores Three Goals to Secure Away Victory
The tactical deadlock broke immediately after the restart as Benfica introduced the clinical efficiency missing before halftime. Exploiting newly found spaces in the rival defense, the visitors converted their superiority into three unanswered goals during a swift fifteen-minute spell.
- João Silva opened the scoring in the 50th minute.
- Luís Silva doubled the advantage shortly after in the 58th minute.
- Afonso Baldé capped the victory by netting the third in the 63rd minute.
With the commanding 3-0 triumph secured away from home, Benfica successfully widened the gap at the top of the table to nine points, leaving the unanswered question of whether any rival can halt the leaders’ unbeaten run during the remainder of the phase.
