Lions beat arch-rivals in the ‘black’, after finding themselves winning by two sets to zero
Everything tied in the national championship final! Sporting was forced to beat Benfica to keep the league discussion open and that’s exactly what they did, defeating the four-time national champions by 3-2 (25-22), (25-23), (23-25), (23 -25) and (15-11).
After a tight start (10-10), it was the Reds who took their first lead (11-15). However, the lions were undeterred and tied in the final stretch (19-19), which continued until 21-21. Then, Sporting managed to win three consecutive points and closed the first half at the second opportunity they had.
Rocked by their superiority on the scoreboard, the Alvalade club entered the second match brilliantly (12-6), but the four-time national champions staged a great comeback to draw 17-17. However, the team coached by João Coelho raised their level again and even managed a 2-0 lead in this duel.
The Eagles beat their arch-rivals after four quarters. Next match played on April 25th
But the story of the next two partials would change. The Eagles were leading 8-3 in the third, but allowed a home recovery and were two points away from closing the match with 3-0 (23-23). However, the Benfica fans did not let the advantage slip away and made it 2-1 in sets.
In the fourth, Sporting came back to two points from victory (23-22), in a set in which they were losing by three (13-16), but once again, Marcel Matz’s team reacted very well. With three consecutive points, he pushed the game to black.
Liga Una Final – Calendar
Benfica-Sporting: 3-1 (25-22), (21-25), (27-25) and (25-17)
Sporting-Benfica: 3-2 (25-22), (25-23), (23-25), (23-25) and (15-11)
Benfica-Sporting 28/4 at 6.30pm
Sporting-Benfica* 1/5 at 7pm
Benfica-Sporting* 4/5 at 7pm
And in a true demonstration of mental strength, João Coelho’s pupils did not let themselves be shaken by losing a two sets to zero lead. On the contrary, with a 3-0 lead at the start of the fifth match, they remained focused on finding a draw in the tie.
On the other hand, the Eagles tried to react and managed to close the gap to one (7-6), but once again Sporting found answers against their arch-rivals (12-7). At the first opportunity he had, he closed the match (15-11) and tied the tie that decides the winner of the national league.
The third match of this final will be played next Sunday, April 28th, starting at 6:30 pm.
