João Pinheiro faces tense night at the Luz, Benfica fury clear | OneFootball

João Pinheiro was once again at the center of controversy at the Estádio da Luz. The referee of the match between Benfica and Braga, which ended in a 2-2 draw, went through several moments of intense pressure from the Reds' players throughout the game.

The decisions made by the Portuguese referee sparked strong protests on the pitch, leading several Benfica players to repeatedly surround João Pinheiro during different stages of the match on Matchday 33 of the Liga Portugal Betclic.

Fredrik Aursnes was one of the most active players in the protests. Although António Silva wore the captain's armband against the Minho side, it was the Norwegian midfielder who approached the referee most often to ask for explanations regarding some controversial incidents.

The tension rose especially in decisive moments of the match, on a night marked by heavy complaints from the team coached by José Mourinho, who ended up losing important ground in the battle for second place in the league.

There were also moments of nerves and outrage in the stands - especially around Rui Costa - due to the various disputed decisions over the 90 minutes.

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