Mbemba goal extends FC Porto’s Primeira Liga table lead

Chancel Mbemba found the back of the net with FC Porto seeing off Pacos de Ferreira at the Estadio Capital do Movel on Monday night.

Sergio Conceicao’s men resumed the league on a bad note with a 2-1 defeat at Famalicao but bounced back with 1-0 and 4-0 victories against Maritimo and Boavista respectively in between a goalless draw with Desportivo Aves.

The Dragons wasted no time in getting the job done on Monday with Mbemba blasting home a loose ball that fell to his path from a corner kick in just the seventh minute of the match.

The DR Congo defender played the entire 90 minutes for the ninth game in a row, making three clearances and winning six of his 10 total duels. He also had 43 touches on the ball and made 28 accurate passes at 82%.

Mbemba did receive a yellow card for a foul in the 55th minute of the tie likewise another African in Moussa Marega in the 73rd minute.

⚽7′ GOLO! / GOAL! / ¡GOL!

🔵⚪FC Paços de Ferreira 0-1 FC Porto#FCPorto #FCPFFCP #FCPJogamosJuntos pic.twitter.com/BVfeCQagsB

— FC Porto (@FCPorto) June 29, 2020

The Mali Striker has eight Primeira Liga goals and six assists this season, scoring a brace and providing an assist in the recent triumph over Boavista.

Mbemba has now scored two goals this season having netted in a 1-1 draw with Rio Ave on March 7 before the league went on suspension.

The 25-year old has played 22 times in the top-flight this season and 36 in all competitions, amassing a total of 2,761 minutes.

Mbemba’s career began in Belgium with Anderlecht where he played between 2013 and 2015, making 77 competitive appearances before moving to Newcastle United, playing 59 times that included relegation to the Championship in his maiden season and getting immediate promotion back to the Premier League.

At international level, Mbema has been capped 45 times by DR Congo, scoring three goals. He was an unused substitute during the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations but did feature at the 2015, 2017 and 2019 tournaments in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Egypt respectively.

Porto’s victory means they are now seven points clear of reigning champions Benfica who lost 2-0 at Maritmo in Monday night’s other match. The 28-time Portuguese champions will next host Belenenses at the Estadio do Dragao on July 5.