FC Porto stun Braga with classy comeback and 11 cracking goals | OneFootball

FC Porto were trailing 4-1 in Minho just moments before half-time, but managed to complete a comeback and eventually cruised to an emphatic 11-4 win over HC Braga in the 25th and penultimate round of the regular season of the National Roller Hockey Championship. Carlo Di Benedetto scored four goals and, alongside Gonçalo Alves – who netted a hat-trick – was the standout figure in the comeback by the two-time champions, who now have 60 points in second place, five more than Sporting, who have played one game fewer.

The Dragons started better, with Carlo Di Benedetto hitting the crossbar straight from the opening play, but it was the hosts who opened the scoring through Gonçalo Neto (11m). Edu Lamas responded immediately, but Diogo Fernandes prevented the equaliser, which eventually came in the 16th minute through a mid-range strike from Ezequiel Mena (1-1). In the final five minutes of the first half, HC Braga scored three times – Pedro Mendes and a brace from Guilherme Guimarães put the home side 4-1 ahead – but Gonçalo Alves still pulled one back before the break, converting at the second attempt from a penalty after hitting the post with his first shot (4-2, 24m).

After the interval, Porto came back at a high tempo and cut the deficit to a single goal with Ezequiel Mena’s second, in the very first minute, before Rafa restored parity on the half-hour mark (4-4). The game remained evenly balanced at the Pavilhão das Goladas until Gonçalo Alves settled it with a powerful shot. The captain, showing his usual determination, made it 5-4 in the 40th minute and gave FC Porto their first lead, before grabbing his second and extending the advantage to 6-4 (42m), after Xavi Malián had saved the direct free hit awarded for the tenth foul. Pol Manrubia also scored in the 44th minute, before Carlo Di Benedetto wrapped up the scoring with four goals in the final four minutes to give the win even more emphatic proportions (11-4).

The regular season of the National Championship ends with a home match against CH Carvalhos, scheduled for 6pm on Saturday at the Dragão Arena (Porto Canal).

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