FC Porto draw 3-3 with Benfica, delaying under-19 title decider | OneFootball

FC Porto came within seconds of securing the national under-19 title, a trophy they have not won since 2018/19. Hosting Benfica in Pedroso, and after Rio Ave had lost 3-2 in Leiria, Sérgio Ferreira’s team knew that a win would be enough to start the celebrations, but the objective slipped away very close to the final whistle, as the Eagles made it 3-3.

The drama was reserved for the second half, with Benfica taking the lead first through a penalty converted by Mauro Furtado, a decision that sparked strong protests from FC Porto in the 66th minute.

The Benfica centre-back kept his nerve from the spot and put the Eagles ahead, but the young Dragons’ response was immediate: José Afonso equalised in the 71st minute, Duarte Cunha completed the comeback in the 77th, and Anha Candé, who had provided the assist for 2-1, scored the third in the 80th.

FC Porto came close to making it 4-1, but it was Benfica who scored next, in the 86th minute, again from a penalty that put the Dragons on edge. Assistant coach Silvestre Varela was sent off, and Mauro Furtado once again showed his composure to make it 3-2 and breathe new life into the match.

In the last of the five added minutes, following a corner, Nilson Semedo turned the ball into the back of the net and rescued a draw for the Reds, who therefore remain ten points behind FC Porto in third place.

The final whistle came immediately afterwards, with tempers already running high.

With three rounds remaining, FC Porto lead by nine points over second-placed Sporting, meaning they need just one point to confirm the title. In the next round, Sérgio Ferreira’s side travel to face União de Leiria.

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