Sporting CP has completed a remarkable season with a dramatic win over Benfica in the Taça de Portugal final. This secured the domestic double (called “dobradinha” in Portuguese) and the first cup win since 2019. After winning the Primeira Liga title just days earlier, Rui Borges side showed once again why they’re the team of the moment. Thanks to a last-minute equaliser from Viktor Gyökeres (90+11′) and a dominant extra-time performance that Benfica couldn’t match, Sporting has won the “dobradinha” this year!
Benfica Strong Early, but wasteful in Front of Goal
The final, played in front of a packed Estádio Nacional, started with Benfica on the front foot. Determined to get revenge after narrowly missing the league title, the Eagles dominated the first half. Chances from Pavlidis (20’) and Bruma (28’) were among the best, but a combination of poor finishing and sharp goalkeeping from Rui Silva kept the scoreline at 0:0 heading into halftime.
Just two minutes into the second half, Orkun Kökçü gave Benfica the lead with a stunning strike from 25 metres. Moments later, Bruma thought he had doubled the lead, only for the goal to be ruled out by VAR due to a foul in the buildup by Carreras.
Gyökeres late equalizer and Sporting win
The disallowed goal seemed to wake up Sporting in this dramatic Lisbon derby. The momentum slowly shifted and even if Benfica had chances to win the game, they missed out to do so. Then came the turning point: in the 11th minute of stoppage time, Gyökeres made a powerful run into the box and was brought down by Renato Sanches who had only recently come on. The Swedish striker stepped up and scored from penalty which sent the game to extra time.
With Benfica still processing the late equaliser, Sporting struck quickly in extra time. A perfectly placed cross from Trincão found Harder, who headed home in the 99th minute to make it 2:1. Despite Benfica’s late push including a near-miss from Di María in the 117th minute, it wasn’t enough. In stoppage time of extra time, Trincão sealed the victory with a cool finish and made it a 3:1 win for Sporting. Now, the Sporting party in Lisbon can be continued with one more trophy and the “dobradinha” this year!
Photos from photographer Maciej Rogowski: Ball Raw Media
