63-Year-Old Mourinho in Crisis? Porto Tops Primeira Liga Thanks to Controversial Penalty, Benfica Trails by 10 Points

The spotlight of the 24th round of Portugal's Primeira Liga fell on Porto, who claimed a 3-1 home victory over Arouca. After this match, Benfica now trails Porto by 10 points, making the league title almost out of reach. However, Porto’s win has stirred significant controversy.

Before the match, after 23 rounds, Porto led the league with 62 points, Sporting CP followed closely with 58, and José Mourinho’s Benfica held 55 points in third place. Benfica remains the only unbeaten team in the league but was already 7 points behind Porto.

Porto struck almost immediately, scoring in just the 14th second to take a 1-0 lead. Arouca fought back in the 70th minute to equalize. Heading into stoppage time with a 1-1 score, the referee became the center of attention—at the 87th minute, Porto’s Fofana went down in the box, and a penalty was awarded.

Slow-motion footage revealed that Arouca’s defender never touched Fofana, making the penalty highly questionable. Porto converted the spot-kick to take a 2-1 lead and added another goal in the final minute of stoppage time, sealing a 3-1 victory. With this controversial win, Porto secured crucial three points.

With one game in hand, Benfica now trails Porto by 10 points, leaving them nearly out of the title race. Benfica had already been eliminated from two domestic cups and the Champions League, making the league their only remaining hope. If this trend continues, Mourinho may once again end the season empty-handed.

This season, Porto has benefited from multiple controversial refereeing decisions. Benfica’s official account shared the footage of today’s disputed penalty, condemning the referee: “A totally fake penalty that never existed, a win handed to Porto. That’s why they are at the top of the table!”
Arouca captain José Fontán also expressed his frustration on social media: “Competing under such conditions is incredibly tough.”