Manchester City's new signing Nico Gonzalez has revealed his father's link with the Premier League champions convinced him leave Porto for the Etihad Stadium Gonzalez joined Pep Guardiola's side on Monday's transfer deadline day in a £49.9 million ($62.5 million) deal The 23-year-old's father Fran previously worked as a City academy coach when Gonzalez was a teenager "He was here for two years," Gonzalez said on Wednesday "That is why he always recommended that if I had the chance I should come here He told me that I will enjoy it a lot here and I will be so happy here in the city He loved living here and I even visited once and I really liked the city "(He) has helped me make the right decisions and he always told me that to come here would be the best thing "Even a few years ago he always said that he wished that I would play here Gonzalez junior came through Barcelona's famed La Masia academy making 37 appearances for Barca before joining Valencia on loan and then moving to Porto in 2023 With City struggling in midfield in the absence of the injured Rodri the former Spain Under-21 international is likely to be quickly pressed into service "I was raised in La Masia and since I was small I always played a similar game and style to what Manchester City plays," he said in Portugal I also tried to improve my play and the tempo of games which has made me a complete footballer I hope the fans see a player that can play with the ball but also attack." Gonzalez had scored seven goals in 29 appearances for Porto this season and he believes he can make an instant impact for spluttering City "I was playing my best season ever and it wasn't easy to say goodbye to people who felt like family," said Gonzalez whose new team sit fifth in the Premier League "But it was easy to come to Manchester because it is a great opportunity for me to grow and it is the best decision I could make "I have improved a lot in my intensity and I hope this will help me in the Premier League." Having left the likes of FC Porto and Benfica behind them in previous rounds Moreirense last night beat Braga 1-0 in the final of the Taça da Liga (Portuguese league cup) to lift silverware for the first time in their history It is a remarkable achievement for one of the more modest clubs in Portugal’s top flight a village with a population of under 5,000 people At the start of the new “Final Four” format whereby the semi-finals and final were played at the same venue – the Algarve Stadium – over five days Moreirense were very much the underdogs among the four teams but it would be Augusto Inácio’s men who came out on top This past week saw an exciting series of games in the Taça da Liga while Benfica looked to continue their impressive run of form against a heavily unfavoured Moreirense side First semi-final: Braga 3-0 Vitória de Setúbal displaying another performance that deemed them worthy of “Os três grandes” status one of Braga’s star performers this season began proceedings with a calmly placed penalty in the 13th minute keeping possession of the ball with confidence and composure and creating a handful of chances Os Arsenalistas never looked overly troubled by Setubal’s efforts and doubled their lead in the 66th minute through Nikola Stojiljkovic A wayward pass back found Rui Fonte one-on-one with Pedro Trigueira who could do nothing but watch the former Arsenal man play in his Serbian teammate who calmly placed the ball into the open net Vitoria were deflated after the second goal and found it increasingly difficult to maintain possession of any sort and they put the game to bed once and for all in the 87th with a swift counter attack A simple penetrating ball out wide found Ricardo Horta in acres of space who whipped a teasing ball into the 18-yard box which was met by substitute Rodrigo Pinho who finished expertly Benfica’s form of late rendered this tie a write-off in most people’s eyes And given the way the current Portuguese champions started they wouldn’t have been wrong to assume such an outcome It took Benfica just six minutes to break the deadlock A slick passing move found its way out to Eliseu who delivered a peach of a cross which found Salvio who finished past Makaridze with ease Very little changed after the opening goal with Benfica cruising into half time at 1-0 without having been tested Moreirense came out an entirely new team after the break immediately levelling the game in the 46th minute Sporting loanee Francisco Geraldes managed to turn in midfield and played an intricate through ball to Ousmane Dramé who took it round a helpless Ederson and placed it in the far corner - much to the dismay of Benfica’s centre halves who watched the ball trickle past them Augusto Inacio’s men continued to pile on pressure with an onslaught of attacks in the 54th minute their efforts were rewarded The Moreira de Cónegos side won a free-kick 40 yards out which was floated to the far post and met by Alan Schons who flashed the ball across the face of goal The ball ricocheted off Ederson and presented itself to Boateng who had the easiest of finishes they continued to cause Benfica real problems at the back making life very difficult indeed for the Eagles’ back four with his raw speed strength and his surprising technical prowess as they furthered their lead in the 71st minute Sporting’s other loanee Podence won the ball in his own half beat his man with a wonderful display of trickery and played Boateng in on goal - who once more finished calmly past Ederson Benfica then became an entirely different team peppering the Moreirense goal with shot after shot They were perhaps a tad unlucky not to pull at least one goal back - talisman Jonas hit the woodwork twice in quick succession the Moreira de Cónegos side produced a truly heroic performance and were undoubtedly worthy winners It’s not often in Portuguese football that we get to witness a fairy-tale triumph Prior to kick-off there was a real sense of belief among many neutrals that the tiny outfit from Moreira de Cónegos would replicate their fine performances against both Benfica and Porto As much as many wanted the underdog to perform a miracle there was no denying that Braga went in as clear favourites had been impressive both in league play and in cup competitions Moreirense too have enjoyed a marvellous run of form and had won 4 out of 5 games in 2017 before last night’s match The game was very nicely poised and had all the makings for a modern-day classic The opening 15 minutes of this encounter was fought out almost entirely in the half of the pitch Moreirense were attacking very few clear-cut chances were created – a Geraldes’ free-kick from close range in the 13th minute was the only true moment of danger It was evident for all to see that Moreirense were a side brimming with confidence and their efforts were rewarded on the stroke of half time Former Sporting man Dramé played a heavy through-ball to the advancing Geraldes only for the Braga keeper Matheus to slide in and claim the ball whilst doing so his trailing leg clattered the Sporting loanee and the referee pointed to the spot Brazilian midfielder Cauê stepped up and converted effortlessly On the run of play the underdogs certainly deserved the lead in what was a fairly non-eventful opening half Perhaps the most notable incident from the first 45 minutes was the Moreirense players being attacked by flares as they celebrated the goal from a few of the Braga faithful Two players went down injured after explosions right besides them after lengthy treatment they could continue It was clear there was a little more urgency in their play but they still failed to really trouble the Moreirense defence with Moreirense happy to absorb the increasing pressure and play on the break Braga failed to register a shot on target until the 82nd minute when Vukcevic made a great penetrating run down the left flank and found Pinho whose instinctive shot from six yards out was deflected but saved superbly by Moreirense's Georgian goalkeeper Makaridze Moreirense then had to endure incessant pressure from Braga only to be relieved by an admirable run from substitute and semi-final hero Boateng The brave men of Moreira de Cónegos ran and defended tirelessly tenaciously and doggedly for five exasperating minutes of stoppage time to crowned Taça da Liga champions 2016/17 It is a truly astounding achievement for the club from the very north of Portugal who lift their first ever trophy in 78 years as a professional outfit They encountered bits of fortune here and there - but this triumph was by no means a fluke Overcoming the teams occupying the top three spots in the Liga NOS table at the time they played them highlights the dimension of the achievement Moreirense will now lose two of their best players as midfield schemer Francisco Geraldes and nippy winger Daniel Podence have been recalled by their parent club Sporting it will be a surprise if they do not continue climbing the table According to Foot Mercato Rúben Amorim’s agent Raul Costa will meet with Liverpool next week to try and reach an agreement on personal terms The Portuguese manager who is currently in charge of Sporting is thought to be keen on the role The announcement in the middle of the season that Jürgen Klopp would be stepping down at the end of the season as Liverpool’s manager caused a shockwave across football and speculation over who could replace the iconic face of the Merseyside club The initial plan was to attempt to convince Xabi Alonso to leave Bayer Leverkusen The ex-Liverpool player was initially reported to be interested in the role but has confirmed that he wants to carry on the project he has been building at the Bundesliga leaders but Amorim has since the Alonso news been the clear frontrunner for Liverpool His work in transforming Sporting into a dominant force in Liga Portugal has earned him plaudits and perhaps a new job with the Premier League team GFFN | Nick Hartland Moreirense consolidated their position at the top of the Segunda Liga after a thrilling 7-4 victory against Benfica B The Moreira de Cónegos club took a 2-0 lead through Platiny and João Camacho before Andraas Schjelderup reduced the deficit in the 53rd minute Rafael Santos made it 3-1 four minutes later before an incredible period of play saw six goals scored in 13 minutes Benfica drew level after Henrique Pereira and Pedro Santos found the net but their defence left a lot to be desired as Alan Kobamelo Kodisang and Lawrence Ofori scored to give the hosts an unassailable 6-3 advantage Filipe Cruz converted a penalty for the young Eagles before Ofori sealed the deal in added time the end of an incredible game of football at Estádio Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas It was easy to see which team was nine points clear at the top of the league and which was four points away from the relegation play-off position Kobamelo Kodisang couldn’t get a shot away before Lawrence Ofori and João Camacho fired efforts over the bar Benfica eventually got into the game with Adrian Bajrami heading a corner over the bar but they couldn’t keep Moreirense quiet and fell behind in the 9th minute Kodisang went on a long run into the box where he was brought down by Zan Jevsenak Higor Platiny stepping up and beating André Gomes from the spot João Camacho side footed Pedro Amador’s cross into the net before Pedro Amador headed home Victor García’s cross referee João Afonso disallowing the goal after ruling Amador had fouled João Tomé Paulo Alves replacing his booked captain Fábio Pacheco with Soriano Mané Luís Castro bringing on striker Gilson Benchimol for midfielder Diogo Capitão Benchimol headed a corner over the bar before Benfica got back into the contest eight minutes after the restart A well worked move down the left side wasn’t cleared by the hosts Gerson Sousa sending the ball back into the danger area where Andreas Schjelderup took a touch before volleying the ball into the bottom corner the €9m winter signing scoring his first goal in five starts in the Segunda Liga Camacho’s low drive was tipped wide by Gomes before Moreirense reestablished their two goal advantage from the resulting corner Alan’s delivery headed home by Rafael Santos The hosts went close to making it 4-1 not long after when hesitation from Amir Feratovič saw Platiny round Gomes the keeper doing well to recover and smother the shot from the Brazilian striker Castro introduced Henrique Pereira for Schjelderup in the 69th minute and he made it count by bringing Benfica back into the contest It took just three minutes for the winger to score when he converted Benchimol’s cross from a tight angle Two minutes later the comeback was complete when Pedro Santos bustled his way into the box and squeezed the ball over the line The home crowd were not happy but they didn’t have to wait long for their side to bounce back scoring three goals in the space of eight minutes Platiny chested a cross into the path of Alan who powered his shot past Gomes Pedro Aparício’s long ball released Kodisang who surged into the box and gave Gomes no chance before Ofori’s shot took a big deflection which gave Gomes no chance Benfica reduced the deficit to 6-4 in the 85th minute when Benchimol was brought down by Garcia substitute Filipe Cruz firing the penalty into the bottom corner as Benfica Aparício racing clear and releasing Okori who slotted the ball through Gomes the helpless keeper picking the ball out of the net for a seventh and final time Moreirense finished 16th in the Primeira Liga last season losing 2-1 on aggregate to Chaves in the play-offs The Moreira de Cónegos club have a 12 point lead over Farense with six games remaining and are 13 points ahead of Estrela da Amadora who have a game in hand They have the best attack in the division and scored seven goals against Benfica without suspended top scorer André Luís Paulo Alves’ side have been sensational at Estádio Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas this season winning 12 of their 14 home matches with two draws Moreirense will surely earn automatic promotion back to the top flight in the coming weeks Benfica B finished fifth in the Segunda Liga last season but it’s been a different story this campaign it’s not hard to see where most of their problems are There have been some mitigating factors with Martim Neto out with a meniscal injury and Henrique Araújo sold to Watford João Neves and Casper Tengstedt came off the bench in Benfica’s 1-0 defeat in Chaves yesterday The young Eagles have won just two of their previous 16 matches and relegation is a real possibility By Matthew Marshall at Estádio Comendador Joaquim de Almeida Freitas Moreirense will host Sporting Braga at the Parque Moreira de Cónegos on Monday in another round of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga campaign The home side have endured a difficult run of results over the last two months and have now dropped to 11th in the table with 23 points from 19 matches They were beaten 1-0 by Arouca in their last match and could have no major complaints about the result after managing just one shot on target throughout the contest Os verdes e brancos will be looking to shake off their latest results and get their campaign back on track when they play this week Sporting Braga, meanwhile, are enjoying a strong run of form in the league and are now pushing for the Champions League spots. They coasted to a 3-0 victory over Boavista in their last Primeira Liga outing before beating Serie A outfit Lazio 1-0 in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday The visitors sit fourth in the Primeira Liga with 37 points and will be looking to extend their winning streak when they play on Monday Moreirense have lost two of their last three matches and are winless in their last seven They have however been quite solid on home turf this season losing one of nine in the league and will be hopeful of a positive result on Monday Braga have won four of their last five matches after winning just two of their previous seven They have won their last five away league outings and should extend that streak next week Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Under 2.5 goals (Four of the hosts' last five matches have produced fewer than 2.5 goals) Tip 3 - Both teams to score: NO (Both sides have found the back of the net in just two of the visitors' last six matches) Your perspective matters!Start the conversation Moreirense host Porto at the Parque Moreira de Conegos on Sunday in the fourth round of the Taca de Portugal The hosts beat third-tier Uniao Santarem 2-1 in the previous round Bernardo Martins and summer signing Guilherme Schetinne got on the scoresheet in either half to help Moreirense overturn an early deficit. Porto, meanwhile, headed into the international break off consecutive defeats, against Lazio and rivals Benfica Porto cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Sintrense last time out in the third round of the cup competition The Taca de Portugal holders beat Sporting 2-1 in the final last season Moreirense's latest result ended run of consecutive defeats are on a run of back-to-back losses after going undefeated in eight games found joy in this fixture over the years and should win this one as they seek a successful title defence Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Eight of Porto's last 10 matches have produced more than 2.5 goals.) Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No (Both sides have scored in one of their last five matchups.) Moreirense will host Benfica at the Parque Moreira de Cónegos on Friday in another round of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga campaign The home side have enjoyed a largely positive start to their league season and now sit seventh in the league table with six points from three games after winning their first two games of the campaign They suffered their first defeat of the new season last weekend, losing 3-1 to Sporting Braga and perhaps deserved more from the game but were guilty of wasteful finishing kicked off their season away at Famalicao and lost 2-0 but have now picked themselves up and have begun their push for the league title They picked up a narrow but largely deserved 1-0 victory over Estrela Amadora last time out with Orkun Kokcu scoring the sole goal of the game less than 20 minutes after kick-off The visitors sit sixth in the league table with six points from an obtainable nine and will be looking to pick up a third consecutive win this weekend Moreirense's latest result ended a six-game winning streak in league action and they will be looking to bounce back here They have lost just one of their last seven home matches and will be hopeful of a positive result Benfica are on a run of back-to-back victories after winning just one of their previous four league games They have been the superior side in this fixture historically and should come out on top in this match Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Under 2.5 goals (Six of the last eight matches between the two teams have produced fewer than 2.5 goals) Tip 3 - Both teams to score: NO (Both sides have found the back of the net in just one of the visitors' last six league matches)