Benfica v Sporting: Jorge Faustino and Marco Ferreira pick favourite | OneFootball

João Pinheiro is expected to be the referee for the Benfica – Sporting match, scheduled for next Friday at 8:15 pm, at Estádio da Luz. According to Jorge Faustino and Marco Ferreira, the Portuguese international referee is in pole position to officiate the eternal derby, which could be decisive for the title race.

"All international referees are eligible, but if we look at the management that has been done, I see four possible referees, three of whom had Segunda Liga matches this round: João Gonçalves, Luís Godinho, and António Nobre. João Pinheiro also took on the role of fourth official in the Segunda Liga," Jorge Faustino begins by stating.

"António Nobre did not have a particularly happy refereeing performance this weekend, João Gonçalves has already officiated a classic this season, and Luís Godinho refereed the Portuguese Cup final. It might be too soon to appoint him. I would bet on João Pinheiro, who is in great form, having officiated two Champions League matches and a World Cup qualifying match just this month," Jorge Faustino concludes.

Marco Ferreira also agrees with his colleague’s opinion: "There is no other alternative for this match. It should be João Pinheiro, even though this Refereeing Council has been appointing 'new' international referees for the most important games. The importance of the match, the negative performances of some referees, and the tense atmosphere don’t leave much room to take risks again."

The Benfica – Sporting match is scheduled for next Friday, November 4, at 8:15 pm, at Estádio da Luz. The eternal derby, part of the 13th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, will be broadcast on BTV and is essential for the aspirations of José Mourinho’s team – which will count on an important return – in the title race, as they are three points behind Sporting and six behind Porto.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.