This Friday, FC Porto beat Desportivo de Chaves away, 4-1, for matchday 18 of Liga NOS, the first of the second turn. Soares was the man of the match as he scored three goals (24m, 42m, and 68m) and assumed an important role in the victory of the Dragons, who are alone in the lea of the championship, now with 46 points.

It wasn’t easy for FC Porto to find the way to the goal defended by António Filipe in the first minutes, but, on the first time they did it, the home goalkeeper stopped Marega from scoring with a great save (23m). But, after that, there was nothing he could do to stop Soares: corner-kick taken by Alex Telles, Marega touched the ball, and Soares pushed it in for the first of the evening (24m).

Chaves did little or nothing to bother Iker Casillas in the first-half, but Luther Singh did force the Spanish goalkeeper to save a shot from outside the area (38m). Desportivo de Chaves aimed for goal, FC Porto actually scored, again with Marega and Soares in the play: two assistances for the Malian, two goals for the Brazilian (42m), scoring in Chaves for the fifth time in three seasons.

The inspirational night Soares was having didn’t stop there and halfway through the second-half the forward scored another goal: Herrera found Corona and the Mexican passed to Soares, who celebrated the first hat-trick in the League (68m). After Bruno Gallo scored from penalty (76m), Fernando Andrade missed the goal, right n front of António Filipe (79m).

But the second attempt was successful. Éder Militão did the best out of Fernando Andrade’s speed and the forward was able to dribble António Filipe, but Nuno André Coelho was the one putting it in, scoring the own goal that set the final score (87m). Unquestionable victory for the national champions, without leaving any question to the fairness of the score.