Porto keep the pressure on Benfica with win over Braga

(Reuters) - FC Porto kept the pressure on Portuguese leaders Benfica with a 1-0 win over Sporting Braga on Thursday, Cristian Tello's second-half goal giving the visitors the win. Both sides entered the game on the back of five consecutive league wins and there was nothing to separate them in a tight first half that saw Porto dominate possession but fail to make it count. Spaniard Tello, who scored a hat-trick against Sporting last week, had the best of the chances and Braga goalkeeper Matheus did well to keep out his curling long-range effort from the right. Tello then finished the half with two excellent chances in a minute, first firing across the face of goal, then shooting narrowly over after good approach work by Jackson Martínez. Jackson then suffered what appeared to be a muscle pull early in the second half and had to go off, making him a doubt for Tuesday's Champions League clash with Basle. The Colombian's replacement, Aboubakar, had a big part to play in Porto's goal, sliding Tello through to finish crisply with his right foot with less than 20 minutes to play. Braga could muster no real response and Porto closed out the win to move within a point of leaders Benfica, who have a tricky game at Arouca on Sunday. (Reporting by Simon Curtis; Editing by Peter Rutherford)