Summary
Ricardo Horta scored two goals in the first 15 minutes, Lagerbielke doubled before the break, but Nacional reacted with two goals in five minutes. See the match summary here
Sporting de Braga beat Nacional 4-2 this Sunday and qualified for the round of 16 of the Portuguese Cup, in a game they almost always commanded, but in which they gave the islanders a ‘scare’.
Ricardo Horta (10 and 15, this one from a penalty), Lagerbielke (44) and Victor Gómez (87) scored the goals for the Minho team, while Miguel Baeza (54) and Chucho Ramírez (59) scored for the islanders, relaunching a game that was thought to have been resolved at half-time.
Sporting de Braga started the match much better and opened the scoring after Victor Gómez’s escape on the right: Fran Navarro simulated without touching the ball and Ricardo Horta, after tipping the ball over the defender, shot to count.
Soon after, the penalty arrived, after a handball from José Gomes in the area, which the Braga captain converted (15) — eighth goal in all competitions this season.
A shot from outside the area by José Gomes for a difficult defense by Bellaarouch (36) was the best that a stray Nacional did in the first half and it would be Sporting de Braga who increased the advantage, through Lagerbielke, again with Ricardo Horta in the play: the Portuguese international took a corner from the left and the Swedish international, almost without jumping, scored the Arsenal players’ third.
With qualification practically guaranteed, Carlos Vicens opted to rest Ricardo Horta, thinking about Thursday’s Europa League game, in Glasgow, against Rangers, and very early on Sporting de Braga could have scored the fourth goal, but Victor Gómez, in an excellent position, shot slightly wide (52).
Nacional then had a great reaction and, in five minutes, scored two goals, first by Miguel Baeza, after a good play by Nourani, who with Valiier, entered at half-time, and then by Chucho Ramírez, taking advantage of the low speed of Vítor Carvalho (59).
Bellaarouch prevented Nacional from equalizing, in the 83rd minute, with a great save from Paulinho Bóia’s shot, but, in the 87th minute, the goal arrived that finally brought relief to the stands, with Victor Gómez, heading in, ahead of Vallier, after Lelo’s corner from the right.
