This is an election moment in the season. The teams are on point, the ideas are worked on and with elite athletes, the games are pure class. The second semi-final of the Final-Four between Benfica and OC Barcelos was a new chapter of good play.
After everything was tied in regulation time and extra time, penalties had to be met by FC Porto’s opponents in this Sunday’s Portuguese Cup final. OC Barcelos won and the home pavilion almost exploded.
Alvarinho equalized in the first half @FPP
The match started very open and even too fast. The players bet on wanting to score early, but the goalkeepers were not willing to do so. Benfica, nevertheless, managed to be more effective in taking advantage of the offensive balance of the Minho team to open the scoring through Nil Roca with a shot from the middle of the street.
Surprises and insistences
Nuno Resende’s men appeared with a different menu than usual and Barcelos were surprised by mid-range and became uncomfortable. But Rui Neto’s team returned to its initial stance, after Alvarinho’s goal from a direct free kick.
The northern team seemed more comfortable, but Benfica never gave up a shot and celebrated a goal towards the end of the first half, but the video review system alerted the referee and the shot was disallowed.
Despite all the confusion, neither team lost the clear ideas they had for the match. The Eagles seemed to be increasingly adapted to the style and managed to get back in front of the scoreboard, in the second half, using the same strategy: mid-range.
Municipal de Barcelos experienced another emblematic game @FPP
The result forced OC Barcelos to take risks, but they never lost their organization and scored the equalizer six minutes from the end through Miguel Rocha. The insistence paid off and in extra time no one was able to reverse the challenge. In penalties, OC Barcelos was more accurate and the Cathedral he was even more ecstatic.
The Portuguese Cup final is scheduled for this Sunday, at 4 pm.
