FC Porto reach Portuguese Cup semi-finals after toughest run yet | OneFootball

FC Porto secured a place in the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup after the most demanding run among the semi-finalists, highlighted by their victory over rivals Benfica in the previous round, 1-0, a result decided by a Bednarek header.

The tie that grants access to Jamor will, however, be a new test for the Dragons: they face the national double champions and current holders of the cup, Sporting, in a challenging two-legged contest.

The first match will take place at Estádio José Alvalade next Tuesday, while the second leg will be held at the Dragão on April 21, 22, or 23.

FC Porto's Path to the Semi-Finals

To reach the semi-finals, FC Porto had to overcome four opponents of increasing difficulty, starting by eliminating two teams from the Campeonato de Portugal – Celoricense and Sintrense – before knocking out top-tier sides Famalicão and Benfica.

In the third round, the stage at which Primeira Liga clubs enter, Celoricense was the first victim of the Porto side, defeated 4-0 in a match where Farioli fielded almost his full starting lineup. However, it was Samu, coming off the bench, who stood out with a hat-trick in just 10 minutes.

The trip to Estádio Municipal de Barcelos, used as a temporary home by the Celorico de Basto team, was the only away match for the blue and whites; the remaining three rounds were played at home.

Next came Sintrense – an opponent FC Porto faced for the third time in the Cup in five years – who once again posed no difficulties, being comfortably beaten 3-0.

Victories over Famalicão and Benfica

In the round of 16, Famalicão arrived at Estádio do Dragão as a more formidable opponent, but FC Porto prevailed with a convincing 4-1 win.

William Gomes opened the scoring in the sixth minute, Justin de Haas equalized in the 13th, before Froholdt, substitute Samu in the 79th, and Pepê in the 89th ensured Porto's progression in the competition.

The draw set up a classic against Benfica in the quarter-finals – last season's beaten finalists – a match played on January 14, the biggest clash of the competition so far.

Jan Bednarek put Porto ahead with a header in the 15th minute, allowing them to dominate the first half and build a more comfortable position on the scoreboard.

In the second half, the Eagles increased the pressure and created several chances, including a glaring miss by Pavlidis in the 90+1st minute, but Farioli's side managed to hold on to their narrow lead until the final whistle.

FC Porto, holders of 20 Portuguese Cups, have conceded just one goal in the competition and scored 12, with Samu as top scorer with four goals, followed by Bednarek with two.

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