Controversy! Conrad Harder taunts Benfica before Sporting derby | OneFootball

Just minutes before another derby between Sporting and Benfica, a social media post once again stirred the atmosphere, and it did not come from any of the game’s direct protagonists. The name of Conrad Harder emerged unexpectedly and quickly became a talking point among fans.

The Danish forward, currently at Leipzig, returned to scoring after around three months by finding the net in a 3-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt. He came on in the 79th minute and, just two minutes later, sealed the result with a goal that marked his return to form.

But it was what he wrote afterwards that had the biggest impact. “Maybe I like playing against eagles”, he posted, in a direct reference to the German opponent — whose mascot is in fact an eagle — but one that many interpreted as a dig at Benfica, who are also known by that symbol. The reaction was swift, with Zeno Debast commenting on his former teammate’s post.

The connection is not far-fetched. Harder has already faced Benfica several times, totaling four matches against the Reds with two wins, one draw and one defeat. In addition, he scored against the Eagles in last season’s Portuguese Cup final, a match that ended in a 3-1 Sporting victory.

Benfica — who were criticised by Luís Mateus — return to action this Sunday, 19 April, against Sporting. The match, valid for the 30th round of the Liga Portugal Betclic, against Rui Borges’s side, will be played at 6:00 pm at the José Alvalade Stadium.

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