( CNN ) -- Sporting continued their worst start to a season since the Portuguese league was founded in 1933 as they lost 3-1 at home to Benfica , with fans of the Lisbon club further suffering as their city rivals went top of the table . Already knocked out of the Portuguese Cup and the Europa League , Sporting are now 18 points behind Benfica and second-placed FC Porto , who both boast 29 points , and just four points off the bottom of the Primeira Liga . Traditionally one of the big three of the Portuguese game , Sporting have - along with Benfica and Porto - won all but two of the 78 titles in the country 's football history . Yet a club that won its last league title in 2002 , and which last competed in the Champions League three years ago ( when suffering a humiliating 12-1 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich ) , is now in greater danger of suffering the first relegation in its history . Despite leading at the break after a fine Ricky van Wolfswinkel goal , Sporting surrendered in the second half as striker Oscar Cardozo had a hand in all three goals -- forcing two own goals either side of netting an 81st-minute penalty to preserve the Eagles ' unbeaten run . After Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz was sent off for saving a goalbound effort with his hand , Paraguayan Cardozo slid home a cool penalty to spark an exodus for Sporting fans from the Estadio Jose Alvalade . Belgian coach Franky Vercauteren only took charge of Sporting , who won the Cup Winners Cup in the 1960s and lost the Uefa Cup final in their own stadium in 2005 , one month ago -- becoming the club 's seventh coach in just four seasons . `` In the second half , Sporting had great difficulty in keeping up with our game , because we always had a strong and intense style of play , '' Benfica coach Jorge Jesus told his club 's official website . `` We beat a great team , one that will improve . '' While Benfica 's Eagles regained confidence after last week 's Champions League exit , Sporting 's current predicament makes a mockery of the team 's stated ambition upon its founding -- which was to be `` a great club , as great as the greatest in Europe . '' Elsewhere across the continent , Lazio extended their unbeaten league run to five games after drawing 0-0 at Bologna -- a result which left the Rome side , who lost striker Liber Kozak to a late red card , three points behind third-placed Napoli in Serie A . Earlier , Udinese climbed three places to eighth in the table after winning 2-0 at Sampdoria -- as goals from Danilo and Antonio Di Natale took the Udine side just behind AC Milan in Serie A . In the English Premier League , Fulham beat Newcastle United 2-1 at home to end a run of seven games without a win , as Steve Sidwell and Hugo Rodallega scored either side of a dipping Hatem Ben Arfa strike for the visitors .
Sporting 's worst season since the Portuguese league was founded in 1933 continues . The club has won just one game all season, and is currently sitting at a lowly 12th place with only six points from nine games. Fulham beat Newcastle in the Premier League while Lazio are held at Bologna in Italy .