Rodrigo Antunes / Lusa
The first finalist of the Portuguese League Cup has been found and it is Sporting. In a semi-final that was not always played well against Porto, the Lisbon team started the second half very well and made that fact count with the only goal of the match being scored by Gyökeres, in the 56th minute.
Porto started better, but Sporting ended up with more ball and with some good attacking moves.
The Leo team was close to the goal in great individual work by Gyökeres, and then in a shot by Quenda that Cláudio Ramos cleared, after deflecting it off a teammate.
At rest the statistics showed just a framed shotand for the “lions”.
O Sporting started much better in the second halfpressing, attacking all the corridors and canceling Porto’s transitions.
Dangerous moves began to appear and, in the 56th minute, the goal appeared. A somewhat confusing move, the bola cheugo is the Root in the penalty area and he didn’t forgive.
From here on, Porto took the game on, with a lot of mobility in attack, especially due to Rodrigo Mora’s speed and creativity, but without much conviction and Alvalade’s team were blocking the paths to their goal with greater or lesser difficulty.
The first Allianz Cup finalist has been found.
The Game in 5 Facts
1. More Porto in the area
Sporting dictated laws thanks to a very quality start to the second half, but Porto, who started the match well, ended up having more presence in the Lions’ area, in search of a draw and in the face of the Lions’ retreat. The “dragons” finished with 27 actions in the Sporting area, 12 more than the Lisbon team on the opposite side of the field.
2. Lack of inspiration at the finish
This was not a game with a lot of work for the goalkeepers. Sporting scored their goal with just two shots, Porto only scored once and without danger.
3. “Dragon” with more “nerve”
In the end, all things considered, Porto won more individual duels than Sporting, showing more aggression in the different moves. The “blue-and-whites” won 49, ten more than the “green-and-whites”.
4. Little pressure from side to side
This was not a game with teams pressing in high areas, preferring containment and cutting off passing lines. Sporting registered only seven defensive actions in the opposite midfield, the “dragons” did not exceed three.
5. Porto’s bet on the breakthrough pass
Only FC Porto made breakthrough passes, to “tear” the Leonine defense. In total there were five, when they were effective, with Eustaquio, with three, being the main contributor.
Paulo Novais / Lusa
Best of the Field
Leo captain’s “boss” game Morten Hjulmand. Always ready to coordinate all of Sporting’s football, the Danish midfielder was very good at passing, with 41 successes out of 43 (95%), he hit the four long shots he tried and recorded 11 defensive actions, with a clear highlight for four tackles, one of the maximum of the meeting.
Summary
