Benfica v Sporting referee: Faustino and 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 being done, I see four possible referees, three of whom had Second League games this round: João Gonçalves, Luís Godinho, and António Nobre. João Pinheiro took on the role of fourth official also in the Second League," Jorge Faustino begins to state.

"António Nobre did not have a very successful refereeing this weekend, João Gonçalves has already officiated a classic this season, and Luís Godinho did the Portuguese Cup final. It might be too soon to appoint him. I would bet on João Pinheiro, who is in great form, having had two Champions League games 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 game. It should be João Pinheiro, despite this Refereeing Council appointing 'new' international referees for the most important games. The importance of the game, the negative performances of some referees, and the tense atmosphere leave little 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 crucial for José Mourinho's team's aspirations - which will have an important return - in the title race, being three points behind the lions and six behind Porto.

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