Porto and Benfica draw, title party delayed after controversial game | OneFootball

FC Porto hosted Benfica on Saturday afternoon in an under-19 Clássico that could prove decisive in the 11th round of the national junior championship and ended in a 3-3 draw, delaying the blue-and-whites’ title celebrations.

In the first half, the match was marked by complete balance between the two teams, with neither side willing to make mistakes given the importance of the clash.

It was already known that, if FC Porto won, they could celebrate the title with three rounds still to play, something their historic rivals were unwilling to allow in a Clássico.

Even so, it took until the second half for the scoreline to change… and it went Benfica’s way. The referee awarded a highly disputed penalty after the ball struck a Porto defender’s arm following a rebound off his leg in the 66th minute.

With composure, under-17 world champion Mauro Furtado made no mistake and put Benfica ahead.

FC Porto’s response was immediate and emphatic, with a true attacking avalanche producing three goals in just eight minutes.

The equaliser came from a burst forward by Anha Candé, who set up José Afonso for 1-1 in the 72nd minute. Five minutes later, the scenario became even more favourable for the Dragons, who went ahead and moved closer to the title thanks to a goal by Duarte Cunha after another assist from forward Anha Candé.

If 2-1 had already brought Porto closer to the trophy, the Dragons’ mini-stadium erupted with a goal from Anha Candé, rewarding a superb performance in which he had already registered two assists, and making it 3-1.

But the match was far from over, and in the 86th minute Benfica were awarded another penalty, although only after some delay in the referee’s decision. Mauro Furtado stepped up and scored his second, cutting the deficit to the narrowest of margins.

Until the final whistle, when nothing seemed to suggest it, Benfica did in fact find the equaliser in the very last play, in epic fashion, through a header by Nilson Semedo after an assist from Jaden Umeh following a corner.

Tempers flared after the final whistle and there were several provocations between members of Benfica’s coaching staff and the fans, which led to the Benfica players being taken away to prevent tensions from escalating near the stands.

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