Following Suárez miss, Rui Borges picks Sporting's next taker | OneFootball

Sporting left the derby against Benfica marked by frustration, not only because of the goal conceded in stoppage time, but also because of a moment that could have changed the course of the match: Luis Suárez’s missed penalty in the first half. Even so, Rui Borges has already decided: the next penalty will once again be taken by the striker.

The Colombian forward immediately took responsibility for the mistake: "I share the blame for missing the penalty. But it’s something that will make me stronger. These details, in this case the penalty, can shape the game. I missed, the opponent scored, and everything changed," he said, visibly downcast. Asked who should take future penalties, he was clear: "The coach is the one who will decide that, but I have the confidence and personality to take the next penalty."

At the press conference, Rui Borges came to his striker’s defense. "I didn’t have any words for him because he knows the confidence the team has in him. One moment like that does not define a player," assured the Sporting coach.

This was Suárez’s second missed penalty since arriving at Alvalade from Almería. The first had come against Porto at the Estádio do Dragão, although in that case he scored on the rebound to secure the draw.

With another clash at the Dragão in sight, for the second leg of the Portuguese Cup semi-finals, the question comes up again: who will take a potential penalty? The answer remains the same: it will be Luis Suárez. Despite the recent misses, the numbers support the confidence: since taking over that responsibility from Viktor Gyökeres, he has converted seven of the nine penalties he has taken, with a success rate close to 78%.

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