The plan was to capture Tuy, Ourense and other Galician towns, which had previously been governed by Theresa and Henry of Burgundy before being confiscated by King Alfonso VII of Leon.

[5] Alfonso VII, being busy in Navarre, had to send a message to the Galician nobles in order that they should take care of formulating an organised defence to stop the Portuguese attacks on their territory.

The duke tried to start a rebellion among the nobles who were unfaithful to Afonso, but reacted quickly and went with his host to Seia, from there expelling both Bermudo and Fernando Pérez de Traba from the territory.

[11][12] However, when Alfonso VII was preparing to launch a counteroffensive against the Portuguese forces, a revolt broke out in his domains led by Count Gonzalo Peláez, who was defeated and imprisoned in the castle of Aguiar.

[20] After the defeat of Celmes, Afonso Henriques began a project of recruitment, donation of lands, granting of town charters, restoration of churches and monasteries and administration of justice.

[16] In 1137, the King of Navarre died and was succeeded on the throne by Garcia Ramírez, who refused to pay allegiance to Alfonso VII and so war broke out between the two.

[7] Afonso returned briefly to Portugal to reinforce his army and then, heading towards the Sil River, the Count of Sarria Rodrigo Vélaz and Fernando Pérez de Traba faced him with their hosts but both were defeated at the Battle of Cerneja.

[7][22] However, informed of the defeat of his vassals at Cerneja and negotiating peace with the King of Navarre, Alfonso quickly went personally to Galicia with a small army and reconquered Tuy, Toroño and Límia.

[7][22][23] He subsequently summoned the Galician nobles and the Archbishop of Santiago de Compostela to pool their treasury and join him on a large-scale military expedition into Portugal.

According to the Chronicle of the Goths [pt], Afonso won and captured the brother of the Leonese monarch, Bermudo Pérez de Traba and other supporters of Alfonso VII.

[27] This solved the problem of Portuguese independence for a very short time, since Afonso proclaimed himself king of Portugal after winning the battle of Ourique against the Almoravids in the same year.