Sporting beats Benfica and wins the Portuguese Cup title
Kökçü opens the scoring for Benfica, but Gyökeres equalizes in the last minute from the penalty spot. In extra time, Harder turns the game around for Sporting and Trincão extends the lead
They’re champions! Sporting beat Benfica in a comeback this Sunday and took home the Portuguese Cup trophy. Kökçü opened the scoring and kept the score 1-0 until the last minute, when Gyökeres equalized from the penalty spot. In extra time, Harder turned the game around and Trincão made it 3-1.
Benfica controlled the game from the first half, but went into the break with the score at 0-0. The pressure continued at the start of the second half. An all-Turkish goal put Benfica ahead. Early in the second half, Aktürkoğlu found Kökçü, who finished to open the scoring in Lisbon.
The better team in the game, Benfica saw Sporting open up more in search of an equalizer, but without much danger, and managed to hold on to the result until the last minute, when Renato Sanches brought down Gyökeres in the penalty area. The Swede made it all even with a penalty kick.
The turnaround came in extra time. Trincão crossed the ball into the box for Harder to score the winner. Benfica failed to react and, again in the last minute, Sporting scored, this time through Trincão to make it 3-1.
The season was dominated by Sporting. The last duel between the rivals, valid for the 33rd round of the Portuguese Championship, could decide the title if one of the two teams came out on top. The game ended in a 1-1 draw. In the following round, Sporting beat Vitória de Guimarães 2-0 and took the trophy. Benfica, away from home, drew with Braga.
The teams had already played in another final before. In the Portuguese League Cup, Benfica and Sporting faced each other in Leiria to decide the champion. Gyökeres, Sporting’s big name this season, scored the only goal of the game.
Porto have won the Portuguese Cup in four of the last five seasons. In 2020/21, Braga broke the Dragons’ run. Sporting, 18 times champions, had not won since the 2018/19 season, while Benfica have not lifted the trophy since 2016/17.
