The visitors looked set to gain a cushion in the table after a fine start, but they had no reply to the hosts' equaliser.

Sporting scored with the first shot of the game just four minutes in, with Viktor Gyokeres cutting inside from the left to tee up Trincao, who fired a first-time shot past Anatolii Trubin from just outside the box.

Angel Di Maria sent a long-range curler wide, while Rui Silva stretched out an arm brilliantly to stop Akturkoglu, who tried to round the goalkeeper in a one-on-one.

Pote was then denied a goal in the 38th minute. Gyokeres's drive was kept out by Trubin, but he fouled his marker trying to keep the ball alive, and Pote's powerful effort into the near post was disallowed.

Akturkoglu got his equaliser in the 63rd minute, turning in from close range after Vangelis Pavlidis had sat down two Sporting defenders as he danced his way to the byline.

Pavlidis then struck the foot of the right post with his first-time strike from inside the box, but neither side was able to clinch a late winner that would tip the title race in its favour.

There was still late drama to be had after the final whistle as the two sides clashed, and Ricardo Esgaio, who was an unused substitute, was shown a straight red card for dissent.

The sides remain level at the top of the table, both on 79 points, and should they both win next weekend, Sporting will take the title on its head-to-head record over Benfica, after winning the reverse fixture 1-0.