Villas-Boas on Sporting v Porto in Cup: if we beat AVS, of course | OneFootball

It became known on Thursday that if Sporting defeats AVS, they will have a guaranteed spot in the Portuguese Cup semi-finals against Porto. After the draw, André Villas-Boas anticipated the possible classic, even though the Lions still have a challenge ahead.

"Yes, two more classics at a decisive moment in both teams’ calendars. The draw set up Porto - Sporting, may it also be the continuation of this magnificent spectacle that is the Portuguese Cup this season, with many surprises," said the president of the Dragons.

When reminded that the green and whites still have to get through the quarter-finals, Villas-Boas responded: "Exactly, Sporting still has to beat Aves, pardon me, assuming Sporting wins their match against Aves. If that game happens, it will be in a week that also features a Benfica - Porto. We will also have a surprise in the final, with a match to be played between Fafe and Torreense, and may it be well contested and bring more value and that novelty to Jamor."

It’s worth remembering that the quarter-final match against AVS was postponed to February, after a formal request from the Lions was accepted by the FPF. The main reason is the high number of absences affecting the Alvalade squad, thus allowing time to recover key players. At the same time, television broadcast is another decisive factor, with both clubs negotiating with the Portuguese Football Federation and the broadcasters (RTP or SportTV) for the final date of the match.

The journey of the team coached by Rui Borges in the cup began with a hard-fought victory over Paços de Ferreira, 3-2, in the third round. This was followed by a comfortable win at Alvalade against Marinhense (3-0) and, already in the round of 16, the Lions secured qualification in dramatic fashion, eliminating Santa Clara 3-2 after extra time.

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