Leixões Women secured a 3:2 victory over Braga Women in the opening round of the Women's First Division on Saturday. The result, drawn at the club's ground, means the hosts now sit level on points with every other side in the table — though that comparison is meaningless this early. To be fair, the table has not yet begun to tell a story.
What struck me watching was how quickly the game opened up. By then, Braga had looked comfortable enough to take their time. And here's the thing — the visitors were supposed to dictate. We had given Braga a 63 per cent chance of winning, and the match went in the opposite direction. They switched off at a set piece, and that was enough to shift everything.
The home side had shown they could finish games before. Their last outing against Castelo Maia had ended 3:2, and they had won two consecutive matches against the same opponent earlier in the year. Braga, meanwhile, had been inconsistent against Porto — winning one, losing three of their last five meetings with them. This time, they were second to everything.
There were no statistics provided for possession or shots, which is not unusual for an opening fixture. What matters is that the result came from moments, not dominance. Leixões snatched it at the death, or close enough to it. Braga saw it out only after they had already lost control.
Both teams remain on zero points from zero games played at the top of the standings, so the table shows nothing yet. What it does show is that the season has begun, and the first round produced exactly the kind of result that keeps everyone watching. Braga will make life awkward for themselves if they do not learn from this.
