Porto will face Tondela in the Portuguese Cup final on May 12 after making good the result of the first leg (1-2) and winning again, with a goal from Spaniard Toni Martínez, against Sporting from Lisboa who did not take advantage of their chances to turn around a complicated tie after their defeat in the first game.
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Tied for titles, seventeen each in second position behind Benfica (sum twenty-six), Porto and Sporting had ninety minutes to decide which team was left out of the fight for a trophy that the ‘dragons’ won last time in 2020 and the ‘lions’ in 2019.
Sergio Conçeicao’s team had the presence of a player who perhaps was not expected. Pepe, suspended 23 days on Tuesday for kicking a Sporting director at the end of a league classic in February, was able to play after a court accepted the precautionary action filed by his club so that the punishment remains suspended until the Court of Arbitration for Sport makes a decision on the appeal.
Pepe, with the precautionary
With Pepe in the center of defence, Porto enjoyed a key man in their scheme to defend the valuable 1-2 they achieved in the first leg. Sporting could not speculate on the result, they had to go all out and came out onto the pitch with the trident made up of Pablo Sarabia, Paulinho and Pedro Gonçalves.
His need and his desire came together in a visually effective binomial but not very efficient on the scoreboard. And it is that Sporting dominated almost all the sections of the first part, but did not take advantage of any of their chances. A goal in the opening 45 minutes would have changed the movie.
Neither Miguel Ugarte, nor Sarabia, who had a goal disallowed for offside, nor Pedro Porro were able to score the necessary goal to face the second half alive and not depend on a miracle. Opposite Porto endured the downpour and only had one chance at Zaidu’s boots, who from the edge of the area signed a shot that went wide, grazing the post.
Sporting without a goal
After the resumption the script of the film did not change. Sporting went for the goal again and Porto, comfortable with their situation, simply dedicated themselves to playing with the good result of the first leg in the hope of propping up their rival in some isolated play.
As expected, Sporting came out of the locker room with force, but their dominance was diluted little by little like a sugar cube. Still, he had an opportunity to get ahead on the scoreboard before handing over control to his rival.
Porto point
He had it in the boots of Matheus Nunes, who found a good intervention by Agustín Marchesin. Porto soon woke up and Fabio Vieira responded, forcing Antonio Adán to work hard. Just like Vitinha, who also met the Spanish goalkeeper twice.
Exhausted, Sporting couldn’t take it anymore. When he was able to generate uncertainty in Porto, he was not able to take advantage of his opportunities. In addition, Adam was beginning to become the figure of the duel. A bad sign.
That’s why the goal of Conçeicao’s men was not crazy. He reached the end. It was celebrated by Toni Martínez, who entered the pitch in the 81st minute to score in the 82nd minute. What Sporting did not achieve in almost an entire game, the Spaniard did in just sixty seconds. He took advantage of an assist from Pepe to control the ball inside the area and beat Adán. There was no more. Enough for Porto, who will play their thirty-second final.