Benfica have won the Primeira Liga title for a record-extending 38th time courtesy of a 3-0 victory over already-relegated Santa Clara on the final day of the season.
Roger Schmidt's side went into the last game of the campaign with a two-point lead over Porto but knowing that anything less than a victory would open the door for their bitter rivals courtesy of Porto's superior head-to-head record.
Any failure to win coupled with Porto beating Vitoria de Guimaraes would have seen Porto leapfrog Benfica, and the Dragoes held up their end of the bargain with a 3-0 win of their own.
However, Benfica rarely looked like slipping up themselves as they avoided any drama on their way to a first title since 2018-19.
Fittingly, star man Goncalo Ramos got the title party up and running with his 19th Primeira Liga goal of the season just seven minutes in.
© Reuters
Porto responded in kind almost immediately in their game, with Mehdi Taremi giving them the lead against Guimaraes after eight minutes, by which time Vitoria were already down to 10 men courtesy of Tomas Handel's second-minute red card.
The defending champions needed help from elsewhere, though, and Benfica gave themselves a nerve-reducing cushion with a second goal before the half-hour mark of their game as Rafa Silva doubled their advantage.
Once again, Porto quickly responded, with two goals in the space of five minutes from Otavio and Evanilson effectively putting their game against Guimaraes to bed before half time.
Only a highly-unlikely comeback from the division's bottom side would have restored any hope for Porto, and any such optimism was extinguished once and for all when Benfica netted a third of their own through Alex Grimaldo's penalty on the hour mark.
The result means that Benfica finish two points clear of Porto at the top of the final standings, clinching the title for a 38th time to move further clear of Porto's tally of 30.
Barney Corkhill
