Portuguese Abroad goals round-up: Vitinha making his mark at Marseille; Jota helps Liverpool to victory; Vidigal shining with Stoke; Marçal-Madivadua opens Leicester account | OneFootball

With all the major leagues in Europe now up and running, Portugal’s foreign-based contingent are inevitably beginning to make their mark across the continent. One of the more pleasing stories comes from France, as former Braga striker Vitinha made it two goals in two Ligue 1 matches at Marseille.

Portuguese goalscorers continue to make their mark in English football, led by Diogo Jota helping Liverpool beat Bournemouth at Anfield. In the Championship, André Vidigal is enjoying a bright start with Stoke after scoring a winner against Watford, while there was a first-ever professional goal for Portugal under-20 international Wanya Marçal-Madivadua with Leicester City.

Former Braga striker Vitinha struggled to make an impression at Marseille during the second half of last season, having made the winter switch to France. Vitinha received criticism from the local media as well as some of the club’s former players for his lack of impact, leading many to question how significant a role he would play this term after the arrival of high-profile forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Under new boss Marcelino, Vitinha was given a start on the opening week of the French league season, as the Spanish boss looked to balance domestic duties with a tricky Champions League qualifier against Greeks Panathinaikos. Vitinha responded by scoring in a 2-1 win over Reims on matchday one, but was dropped to the bench in midweek as Marseille were beaten on penalties by Panathinaikos to end their CL hopes.

Vitinha had come off the bench to score his penalty in the shootout defeat, but would again have to settle for a place among the substitutes as Marseille looked to bounce back on Friday away a Metz. With his team trailing 2-1, Vitinha was introduced in the 75th minute and five minutes later levelled the scoring with a drilled finish to earn his team a point.

“It was a difficult match, adding to the Champions League match which was very long,” Vitinha told Prime Video after the 2-2 draw. “Physically, it was difficult for the team, we will continue to work. The team will continue to work, and me too, and it will be better in the future.”

Jota off the mark in Liverpool win

Diogo Jota has his first goal of the new season for Liverpool and it was a vital strike at a crucial time in the Reds’ 3-1 win over Bournemouth. Liverpool had new recruit Alexis Mac Allister sent off just before the hour mark while they led 2-1, but Jota extended the advantage just a few minutes later to prevent what could have been an uneasy final half hour.

Jota was in strong goalscoring form in pre-season and his goal at Anfield came on a day which saw fellow forward Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz also find the net. The former Porto man was asked about the fact all three frontmen got their name on the scoresheet, with Jota responding: “Yeah, we’ve known each other well for a while.

“And we know we have people on the bench that can come on and make the difference, so while we are on the pitch we give absolutely everything. We all know we have the quality to make that impact in games. Firstly for the team everyone showed up today; we know throughout the season we need everyone so let’s stick together.

“Being down to 10 men and it’s still early on in the season. Everyone reacted very well, trying to help each other, even though we know we are not still at our best physically. But a great effort from everyone and very happy to get these three points.”

Championship: Marçal-Madivadua breaks duct as Vidigal continues to flourish

A special moment in England this weekend saw Portugal under-20 international Wanya Marçal-Madivadua scored his first goal in professional football for Leicester City in the Championship. England-born Marçal has been with the Foxes since he was a child, but has had to be patient in waiting for opportunities as the club unsuccessfully battled relegation from the Premier League last year.

His first goal arrived on Saturday in a 2-1 victory over Cardiff City at Leicester’s King Power Stadium. Marçal opened the scoring ten minutes before the break with a clinical finish, and was delighted to have found the net when speaking to the club’s media after the game.

“When I saw the corner coming in, I knew there were going to be a few rebounds. So I just thought stay on my toes and the ball might land to me. I hit it sweetly. I don’t get those often so it’s a bit of a collector’s item, but I hit it sweetly and it went into the top corner.

“I’ve been here for about eight years and I’ve always dreamed of scoring in the King Power in front of the fans, so when it went in I was obviously ecstatic. It’s very very special, it’s what I’ve been working towards my whole career. Now that I’m getting opportunities to prove myself in front of the fans, the manager and all my teammates – it’s a great experience.

“It’s hard and it’s a big step-up from under 21s football. Obviously you’re playing in packed stadiums every week, the intensity is much quicker, much sharper. But I think I’m getting used to it and I just build from here.”

Similarly on a high in the midlands of England is Stoke City forward André Vidigal, who has made a huge impact at the club since his summer arrival from Marítimo. Vidigal has four goals in four matches in all competitions, with the latest of his three Championship goals coming as the winner in Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Watford.

The rest: Gonçalo Gregório up and running in Romania

Lisbon-native Gonçalo Gregório is also settling into new surroundings, having joined Romanian giants Dinamo Bucharest from Leiria in the summer. The 28-year-old has already endeared himself to his new supporters by scoring his first goal for Dinamo in Saturday’s 3-2 win at Voluntari in Liga I.

Poland is often a hot spot for Portuguese goals and this season’s Ekstraklasa appears set to continue the trend. Former Santa Clara midfielder Nené got the only goal of the game as Jagiellonia Białystok won 1-0 at Ruch Chorzów, while Leonardo Rocha’s winner was even more dramatic – in the 96th minute to give Radomiak Radom a 3-2 home victory against Warta Poznan.

Finally, former Portugal youth international left-back Jorginho is a new arrival at Finnish club Ilves, and he got on the scoresheet this weekend in their 3-0 romp at Oulu, while in Slovenian champions Olimpija, led by Portuguese coach Joao Henriques, won a remarkable nine-goal thriller 5-4 at Aluminij, with Rui Pedro opening the scoring.

@SeanGillen9