FC Porto lose 2-3 to Benfica at the Dragão, out of the Portuguese Cup | OneFootball

Benfica defeated FC Porto 3-2 and secured a place in the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup. Three goals scored in the first half and the ability to withstand Porto's pressure in the second half were enough for the Eagles to prevail at the Dragão Arena.

At four minutes, with the game still lacking clear opportunities, Benfica took advantage of the first chance. João Rodrigues finished a classy play by Roberto di Benedetto, who, after surpassing two opponents, created space in the area, unbalanced Xavi Malián, and provided the final pass to his teammate, who just tapped it in for 1-0.

The Eagles gained momentum, and three minutes later, Zé Miranda extended the lead to 2-0, benefiting from FC Porto's defensive weaknesses that allowed him to shoot unopposed from the center, leaving Malián powerless.

The match threatened to be decided in favor of Benfica, but FC Porto reacted immediately after the restart. Gonçalo Alves reduced the deficit with a long-distance shot that beat Conti Acevedo, halting the Eagles' momentum.

What followed was a series of interventions by the goalkeepers: Xavi Malián denied a strong shot from Zé Miranda, while Conti Acevedo prevented the equalizer on the opposite side by deflecting it to the base of the goal – with his helmet. Still, it was the Porto goalkeeper who came out on top by saving a penalty from João Rodrigues shortly after.

Almost at halftime, after Benfica had reached their eighth foul early, Nil Roca gave the team a boost by making it 1-3, finishing a quick counterattack with a numerical advantage.

The second half began with a more dangerous FC Porto. After both teams hit the posts, Benfica committed their tenth foul, and Carlo di Benedetto reduced the gap again for the Dragons – who then had a penalty, but Conti Acevedo once more denied Gonçalo Alves' shot.

The blues and whites did not reach the equalizer and gradually lost intensity, accumulating fouls until they reached the tenth with 13 minutes remaining, which resulted in a direct free kick for Benfica. Zé Miranda did not convert, and the classic remained open until the final whistle. Four shots hitting the posts were the closest Paulo Freitas' team came to forcing extra time.

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