2017–18 LigaPro
# 2017–18 LigaPro

The 2017–18 LigaPro (also known as Ledman LigaPro for sponsorship reasons) was the 28th season of Portuguese football's second-tier league, and the fourth season under the current LigaPro title. A total of 20 teams competed in this division, including reserve sides from top-flight Primeira Liga teams.

## Teams

A total of 20 teams contested the league, including 16 sides from the 2016–17 season, two teams relegated from the 2016–17 Primeira Liga and two promoted from the 2016–17 Campeonato de Portugal.

### Stadia and locations

| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | 2016–17 finish |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Académica | Coimbra | Estádio Cidade de Coimbra | 29,622 | 6th |
| Académico de Viseu | Viseu | Estádio do Fontelo | 7,744 | 17th |
| Arouca | Arouca | Estádio Municipal de Arouca | 5,000 | 17th (PL) |
| Benfica B | Seixal | Caixa Futebol Campus | 2,720 | 4th |
| Braga B | Braga | Estádio 1º de Maio | 28,000 | 7th |
| Cova da Piedade | Cova da Piedade | Estádio Municipal José Martins Vieira | 3,000 | 16th |
| Famalicão | Vila Nova de Famalicão | Estádio Municipal 22 de Junho | 5,300 | 15th |
| Gil Vicente | Barcelos | Estádio Cidade de Barcelos | 12,046 | 13th |
| Leixões | Matosinhos | Estádio do Mar | 9,766 | 18th |
| Nacional | Funchal | Estádio da Madeira | 5,200 | 18th (PL) |
| Oliveirense | Oliveira de Azeméis | Estádio Municipal de Aveiro | 32,830 | 2nd (CP) |
| Penafiel | Penafiel | Estádio Municipal 25 de Abril | 5,320 | 5th |
| Porto B | Vila Nova de Gaia | Estádio Municipal Jorge Sampaio | 8,270 | 12th |
| Real | Queluz | Complexo Desportivo do Real SC | 2,415 | 1st (CP) |
| Santa Clara | Ponta Delgada | Estádio de São Miguel | 13,277 | 10th |
| Sporting CP B | Alcochete | CGD Stadium Aurélio Pereira | 1,180 | 14th |
| Sporting da Covilhã | Covilhã | Estádio Municipal José dos Santos Pinto | 2,055 | 8th |
| União da Madeira | Funchal | Centro Desportivo da Madeira | 2,300 | 3rd |
| Varzim | Póvoa de Varzim | Estádio do Varzim SC | 7,280 | 9th |
| Vitória de Guimarães B | Guimarães | Estádio D. Afonso Henriques | 30,000 | 11th |

### Personnel and sponsors

| Team | Head coach | Kit manufacturer | Sponsors |
| - | - | - | - |
| Académica | Ricardo Soares | Lacatoni | EFAPEL |
| Académico de Viseu | Francisco Chaló | Macron | Palácio do Gelo |
| Arouca | Miguel Leal | Joma | Construções Carlos Pinho |
| Benfica B | Hélder Cristóvão | Adidas | Emirates |
| Braga B | João Aroso | Lacatoni | |
| Cova da Piedade | João Barbosa | Lacatoni | |
| Famalicão | Dito | Lacatoni | Porminho |
| Gil Vicente | Álvaro Magalhães | Macron | Barcelos / Crédito Agrícola |
| Leixões | Kenedy | Luanvi | Câmara Municipal de Matosinhos |
| Nacional | Costinha | Hummel | Santander Totta |
| Oliveirense | Pedro Miguel | Rakso | Simoldes |
| Penafiel | António Conceição | Macron | Restradas |
| Porto B | José Tavares | New Balance | |
| Real SC | Filipe Martins | Claw | Junta de Freguesia de Queluz |
| Santa Clara | Carlos Pinto | Nike | Açoreana Seguros |
| Sporting CP B | Luís Martins | Macron | NOS |
| Sporting da Covilhã | José Augusto | Lacatoni | Natura / MB Hotels |
| União da Madeira | José Viterbo | Lacatoni | Museu CR7 |
| Varzim | João Eusébio | Stadio | Carnes São José |
| Vitória de Guimarães B | Vítor Campelos | Macron | |

### Coaching changes

| Team | Outgoing head coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming head coach | Date of appointment |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Académica | Costinha | Mutual Consent | 22 May 2017 | Pre-season | Ivo Vieira | 29 May 2017 |
| Académica | Ivo Vieira | Signed by Estoril | 13 November 2017 | 6th | Ricardo Soares | 14 November 2017 |
| Académica | Ricardo Soares | Mutual Consent | 31 March 2018 | 5th | Quim Machado | 1 April 2018 |

## Season summary

### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Nacional (C, P) | 38 | 19 | 14 | 5 | 72 | 45 | +27 | 71 | Promotion to the Primeira Liga |
| 2 | Santa Clara (P) | 38 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 55 | 40 | +15 | 66 | Promotion to the Primeira Liga |
| 3 | Académico de Viseu | 38 | 17 | 13 | 8 | 50 | 40 | +10 | 64 | |
| 4 | Académica | 38 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 59 | 40 | +19 | 63 | |
| 5 | Penafiel | 38 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 55 | 43 | +12 | 62 | |
| 6 | Arouca | 38 | 16 | 11 | 11 | 42 | 37 | +5 | 59 | |
| 7 | Porto B | 38 | 18 | 4 | 16 | 50 | 55 | −5 | 58 | Ineligible for promotion |
| 8 | Leixões | 38 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 50 | 43 | +7 | 56 | |
| 9 | Cova da Piedade | 38 | 14 | 9 | 15 | 42 | 45 | −3 | 51 | |
| 10 | Varzim | 38 | 13 | 11 | 14 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 50 | |
| 11 | Vitória de Guimarães B | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 44 | 49 | −5 | 50 | Ineligible for promotion |
| 12 | Oliveirense | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 45 | 47 | −2 | 49 | |
| 13 | Benfica B | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 54 | 60 | −6 | 49 | Ineligible for promotion |
| 14 | Famalicão | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 46 | 49 | −3 | 48 | |
| 15 | Sporting da Covilhã | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 32 | 41 | −9 | 47 | |
| 16 | Braga B | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 44 | 48 | −4 | 44 | Ineligible for promotion |
| 17 | União da Madeira (R) | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 44 | 53 | −9 | 44 | Relegation to the Campeonato de Portugal |
| 18 | Sporting CP B (R) | 38 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 46 | 65 | −19 | 42 | Relegation to the Campeonato de Portugal |
| 19 | Gil Vicente (R) | 38 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 29 | 45 | −16 | 36 | Relegation to the Campeonato de Portugal |
| 20 | Real (R) | 38 | 8 | 8 | 22 | 47 | 61 | −14 | 32 | Relegation to the Campeonato de Portugal |

## Season statistics

### Top goalscorers

    As of 14 May 2018

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Ricardo Gomes | Nacional | 21 |
| 2 | Carlos Vinícius | Real | 19 |
| 3 | Thiago Santana | Santa Clara | 15 |
| 4 | Heriberto Tavares | Benfica B | 14 |
| 5 | Murilo | Nacional | 13 |
| 6 | Dieguinho | Cova da Piedade | 12 |
| 6 | Fábio Abreu | Penafiel | 12 |
| 8 | Cléo | Cova da Piedade | 11 |
| 8 | Donald Djoussé | Académica | 11 |
| 8 | Fernando | Santa Clara | 11 |
| 8 | Sandro Lima | Académico Viseu | 11 |
| 8 | Brayan Riascos | Oliveirense | 11 |
| 8 | Gustavo Costa | Penafiel | 11 |
| 8 | Luther Singh | Braga B | 11 |

**Hat-tricks**

| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Carlos Vinícius | Real | Leixões | 4–1 (H) | 6 August 2017 |
| Gelson Dala | Sporting B | Santa Clara | 4–3 (H) | 30 September 2017 |
| Fábio Abreu | Penafiel | Sporting B | 4–1 (H) | 21 October 2017 |
| Luan Santos | União da Madeira | Académico Viseu | 5–3 (H) | 3 December 2017 |
| João Félix | Benfica B | Famalicão | 5–0 (H) | 30 January 2018 |
| Sandro Lima | Académico Viseu | Benfica B | 5–1 (A) | 11 February 2018 |

**Hat-tricks**

**Note**

(H) – Home ; (A) – Away

### Top assists

    As of 14 May 2018

| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Galeno | Porto B | 9 |
| 2 | Feliz | Famalicão | 8 |
| 3 | Avto | Académico de Viseu | 7 |
| 3 | Alexandre Ludovic | Penafiel | 7 |
| 5 | Barnes Osei | Arouca | 6 |
| 5 | Hugo Firmino | Cova da Piedade | 6 |
| 5 | João Reis | Santa Clara | 6 |

### Scoring

    As of 14 May 2018
* First goal of the season:
   * Bilel Aouacheria, for Sporting da Covilhã vs Sporting B (6 August 2017)
* Biggest home win:
   * Famalicão 6–0 Sporting B (25 November 2017)
   * Nacional 6–0 Porto B (7 March 2018)
* Biggest away win:
   * Nacional 0–4 Real (7 October 2017)
   * Benfica B 1–5 Académico Viseu (11 February 2018)
   * Benfica B 0–4 Académica (9 March 2018)
   * União da Madeira 0–4 Benfica B (14 March 2018)
   * Porto B 0–4 Braga B (29 April 2018)
* Highest scoring match: 9 goals
   * Braga B 5–4 Nacional (1 October 2017)
* Biggest winning margin: 6 goals
   * Famalicão 6–0 Sporting B (25 November 2017)
   * Nacional 6–0 Porto B (7 March 2018)
* Most goals scored in a match by a team: 6 goals
   * Famalicão 6–0 Sporting B (25 November 2017)
   * Nacional 6–0 Porto B (7 March 2018)

## Awards

### Monthly awards

**Liga Portugal**

| Month | Player of the Month | Player of the Month |
| - | - | - |
| Month | Name | Club |
| August | Fede Varela | Porto B |
| September | Galeno | Porto B |
| October/November | Rui Costa | Famalicão |
| December | Rui Costa | Famalicão |
| January | Chiquinho | Académica |
| February | Carlos Vinícius | Real |
| March | Ricardo Gomes | Nacional |
| April | Ricardo Gomes | Nacional |

### Annual awards

**Liga Portugal**

**Player of the Season**

The Player of the Season was awarded to Ricardo Gomes (Nacional).

**Liga Portugal**

**Manager of the Season**

The Manager of the Season was awarded to Costinha (Nacional).

**Liga Portugal**

**Goalkeeper of the Season**

The Goalkeeper of the Season was awarded to Ricardo Ribeiro (Académica).

**Liga Portugal**

**Young Player of the Year**

The Young Player of the Year was awarded to Artur Abreu (Vitória de Guimarães B).

**Liga Portugal**

**Club Fair-Play Prize**

The Club Fair-Play Prize was awarded to Benfica B.

**Liga Portugal**

**Player Fair-Play Prize**

The Player Fair-Play Prize was awarded to Casillas (Porto).

