Leixões secured a 3-1 victory against Amarante at Estádio do Mar on Sunday in the fifth round of the Portuguese League 2 regular season. The hosts moved further clear of mid-table, extending a run that has seen them win three of five games. Amarante remain rooted to the lower reaches of the table after their third defeat in as many matches away from home.
The opening goal came early, within eight minutes, when Claudio Vtor Rodrigues Araujo found the net. It set the tone for a match where Leixões controlled the tempo, though Amarante did not entirely disappear. By then, the visitors had already received a yellow card from Lourenço Figueiredo Henriques, who had not yet scored but was already making his presence felt.
And here's the thing about the first half — it was never going to be a contest once Leixões took control. Luccas Paraizo doubled the lead just before the break, at 45+6, adding a second yellow card to his own collection. Salvador Agra also went offside in the book, bringing the half-time tally to three cautions against the hosts. The visitors had only one yellow by then, from Rudi Almeida, and had already made two substitutions at the interval.
The second half opened with Leixões pushing further ahead. Bryan Rochez made it 2-0 in the fifty-second minute, a goal that should have settled any lingering nerves. Simão Silva added a fourth goal at 64, though only one would count toward the final scoreline. Amarante's Goncalo Cunha missed a penalty in the seventy-third minute — a moment that might have changed everything had it gone in.
To be fair, the statistics tell a story of dominance without domination. Leixões enjoyed 53 per cent possession and registered five shots on target, while Amarante managed only two. The visitors launched 74 attacks compared to 70, but their accuracy sat at 29 per cent against 45 per cent. Five corners to one reflected Amarante's preference for wide play, though it yielded nothing.
The result leaves Leixões in sixth place with nine points from five matches, while Amarante sit fifteenth with four points. The gap between them is not vast, but it is widening. Leixões have won three, lost two. Amarante have won one, drawn one, and lost three. Cup football has its own rules, but this league is unforgiving.