Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - Soult ya yi tafiya zuwa kudu a ranar 30 ga Janairu 1809, yana nufin Portugal. Bayan an kori shi a ƙoƙarinsa na farko don ƙetare Kogin Minho a tsakiyar watan Fabrairu, sojojinsa sun yi tafiya zuwa Ourense kuma suka haye gada a can. Soult ta sojan doki ya murkushe wani brigade na Mutanen Espanya a La Trepa a ranar 6 ga Maris kuma II Corps ya shiga Portugal a ranar 9. A Yaƙin Braga
a ranar 20 ga Maris, Faransawa sun kori sojojin Fotigal da ke kunshe da wasu sojoji da 'yan bindiga 22,000. Yaƙin farko na Porto a ranar 29 ga wata nasara ce ta Faransa da aka yi alama ta mummunar asarar rayukan Fotigal. Amma duk da cewa an kafa shi a Porto, Soult ya sami hanyoyin sadarwa ta hanyar dakarun Portugal na yau da kullun da ba na yau da kullun ba a karkashin Janar Francisco Silveira kuma ba shi da masaniya game da inda Lapisse yake.