Sport Lisboa e Benfica 2 (3) Sporting CP 2 (4)

Sport Lisboa e Benfica v Sporting CP

April 2nd, 2024

Estádio da Luz
Taça de Portugal Semi final 2nd leg

The Warm Up

"If you are first you are first, if you are second you are nothing," so said Bill Shankly and he knew one or two things about the beautiful game. Has there been a bigger week for the two Lisboa giants in their history? Probably but that would put a pin in the importance bubble of this blog post so let's pretend there hasn't. Two dérbi's in a week, two season defining dérbi's, two games of monumental magnitude for those who care. Some will say that it's just 22 men chasing a ball around a pitch and I say to those people - teach me to accept your words of wisdom as I pretend I'm an ostrich like Franco Israel but instead of trying to take flight to punch clear from a corner and miss, I'm going to simply bury my head in the sand and pretend it's not happening until I have to face my fears. It shouldn't matter. It's just a game. We're all taught from a young age that when you get into a fight there's no shame in running but that doesn't work when there's 11 men opposite trying to give you a bloody nose and a stadium full of baying masses encouraging their men to go in for the kill. It's potentially going to provide the answer to the question of who'd win in a fight between a lion and an eagle. 

It's been one hell of a season so far but Sporting do have the appearance of a goods train which has been hurtling full speed and some of the back carriages are dangerously balanced on two wheels waiting to derail the entire operation. It could end in tragedy, then again it could correct everything and point the train back straight. Come Saturday night Amorim straightens his driver's cap and tugs on the string and toots triumphantly. My nerves may be utterly shot by that point. You'll find me in a straight jacket gently rocking back and forth humming the tune to É dia de jogo in a padded cell. I'd sing it but regular readers will know my Portuguese is quite frankly dog shite and that's understating the fact to put it mildly. 

For now it's the Taça de Portugal semi final second leg, the first of which finished 2-1 in Sporting's favour so they'll know a draw will be enough to advance to the next round but Amorim doesn't play for draws let's be fair. For the neighbours the defeat kick started a terrible few days which saw them next on the end of a 5-0 drubbing by Porto. Glasgow Rangers followed and had them on the rocks but they dusted themselves down to snatch a 2-2 draw, since when they've won four on the spin. There's an argument to be made that semi finals should just be one leg especially when players are being pushed to their physical and mental limits all in the name of money and moreover when Sporting have won 2-1 but that's by the by for now. Money talks and bullshit walks and all the things that go in between. Also we lost to Braga in a one legged semi which we'd most likely have won over two legs. So... You know. It's swings and roundabouts really. 

In the most simplistic of terms all we need to do is to avoid defeat, qualify for the final and take the perceived momentum of victory into Saturday's game which is the age old clichéd six pointer. Win that and we go four points clear with a game in hand. In the word of one Alexander Meercat Esquire 'Simples.' Lose and we're two points behind pinning our hopes on winning that game in hand and the Clássico and having to beat an inform Vitória to boot and then hope we don't finish level on points and see the title lost on an inferior head to head record. If offered a defeat in the Taça and a win Saturday I'm sure most fans would be like me and take it without little thought or due consideration. To be fair I sold my soul to the devil for the title win before we'd kicked a ball against Braga. It's the only title that matters. 

I failed to mention it in Friday nights roundup but I was impressed by the officiating. Any use of VAR was negligible and the only thing stopping the game unusually was Sporting players going to ground after every challenge. If we want to watch clock management we'll watch the NFL thank you. Those who tune into derbies are like those people of old who went to see the Gladiators in Rome. They're looking for the glory that comes with victory. They're at points brutal to watch and probably the worst games of the season in regards to the quality of product on offer. Perhaps we wheel Adán out with a sword, let him hack off a few limbs and shout to the baying masses 'Are you not entertained?' and the Sportinguista’s all chant 'Spaniard, Spaniard' over and over in unison. Chances are we'll be watching a game which is bitty and niggly and we'll see VAR used in its worst capacity because those poor bastards in the studio drawing the lines will know that someone will be trying to earn a euro or two post game as they claw at the decisions made desperately trying to tear them apart. Who'd be a match official? Who'd be Franco Israel when idiots like me compare his defending at corners to being akin to an ostrich flapping and trying to take flight only to realise they can't fly. OK so he's not an ostrich and neither is he Peter Pan despite his youthful appearance, he's just a bang average Uruguayan who happens to be incredibly tall and at school was last to be picked at lunchtime and always shoved in goal by virtue of a. Being the last picked and b. His height. I'd genuinely have more faith if they brought Max back in between the sticks which is really saying something. I'm rambling. Shhhhhh.

The money markets

Benfica 13/10 = 43.47% probability chance of winning
Sporting 19/10 = 34 48% probability chance of winning 

First Half

Sporting will attack left to right in the opening 45

5 Sporting just shading the opening 5. Nuno Santos finally has his game boots on by the looks of things and looks like he's turned up ready to actually contribute. So far his every touch is met with a cacophony of boos and whistles from the home fans which I'm fitness to them pretty much sums up how I've felt about his performances too so far this season

6 So close to 1-0. Gyökeres volley into the ground bounces up and I think struck Hjulmand unawares and just cleared the bar

8 Rafa loses his marker but fires into the side net. Looked offside on the replay

9 The home crowd are going delirious as they had the ball in the net as Sporting calmly stood watching the match official who'd already blown for offside. Sporting’s offside line holding for now but just a couple of warning signs in the last two or three minutes to remain switched on. The pendulum has swung

15 Sporting clinging on as Benfica clip the bar through Tengstedt. Israel raced off his line and was too easily lobbed there

18 Sporting firmly on the back foot as Israel makes a great save at the back post to keep the scores at 0-0. Di María it was with the effort

22 Hjulmand tries low from 20 yards but cannot find a way through a crowded penalty area

25 Israel smartly off his line to collect a loose ball from a corner

27 Trincão drives a shot low from 24 yards. It's on target but was never troubling the keeper from that angle and distance

28 There's just been a lull the last couple of minutes from the stands as if the self belief of the partisan home crowd is waning

31 Paulinho with his first acting credit of the night as he gets chopped in the centre circle. I'd actually forgotten he was playing. Well he's not exactly playing he's acting as per, but you know what I mean. I'd like to nudge him in the supermarket with a trolley and see if I got the same reaction. Maybe he'll end up in one of those insurance adverts once his career ends. Cue the voice over man "Have you been involved in a work accident that wasn't hour fault?"

33 Superb tackle from Coates on the edge of the box. Tengstedt looked like he'd run into the side of a mountain and just bounced off 

34 Neves goes down clutching his face and referee just waves his appeal away. He's a lot to learn. Most interesting thing about his game is he looks like an eight year old with his shirt neatly tucked into his shorts like his mum dressed him before he went out. Fiver says he's washed behind the ears and that he's got clean pants on

37 Twice in the last three minutes Benfica players have gone down feigning injury and the referee insinuates a dive - well no foul. Hjulmand rightly asking the question why neither has been booked for simulation. Good job kids are in bed rather than be shown to try win an advantage by blatantly cheating

43 Coates picks the pocket of Tengstedt who surprise, surprise throws himself to the floor inside the area

+3 shown

+3 Di María shown the yellow for kicking the ball away

Half time

Benfica 0 (1) Sporting CP 0 (2)

I wonder if we'll see a change on the right for Sporting second half. Edwards was taken off unfairly I thought in the first league game here when he'd combined well with Gyökeres for the opener. Christ, their players and fans have an engrained sense of entitlement.

It looks like the Hjulmand miss early doors was owing to the keeper getting a touch which knocks the ball onto the Dane's head and over the bar. To be fair he didn't know much about it.

So I'm going to be honest and say the half time score is really Benfica 0 Uruguay 0 because Israel and Coates have both been head and shoulders above anyone else on the pitch and just like every time Esgaio has a great half I'm writing it down just for prosperity with Israel. That's the best half I've seen him have. Apart from the lob he's been faultless tonight.

Sporting have held on. At the moment that's all they need to do. The longer it stays 0-0 the more the gaps will appear at the back. I'd haul Paulinho off. Reis is out warming at half time with St Juste and Geny so we may have some instant changes with Saturday's second Dérbi in mind.

Second half

You have to hope if this finished 1-0 it goes straight to penalties and not additional time as it goes 2150 hours and we've still not kicked off again. Reis, St Juste and Geny come on as expected to replace Esgaio, Nuno Santos and Diomande.

Sporting get us underway

46 Geny fires low from 10 yards wide right, saved by the keeper. He's beaten Paulinho's entire contribution to the game in under 60 seconds

46 GOAL Did someone say Benfica 0 Sporting CP 1? Oh fuck yes they did. Hey ladiessssss. Hjulmand unmarked lifts the ball into the top right hand corner. What's Portuguese for 'is this a library?' as the home fans are silenced

48 Inácio shown the yellow for a foul on the edge of the D. Concedes a free kick in a dangerous position

50 Di María after long deliberation smashes the ball into the Sporting wall. That must have taken two minutes from the time of the original foul

52 GOAL Benfica 1 Sporting CP 1 as Otamendi heads unmarked into the far post. That was far too easy. It looked like Gyökeres was behind him. Where was St Juste?

54 GOAL Benfica 1 Sporting CP 2. Geny toe poked the ball into the centre, keeper parried it straight to Paulinho who went obrigado and tapped it in. Before Benfica scored I was about to write remember they still need to score twice … and now thankfully as I actually wrote it, they do again.

59 Everything good is coming from the right through Geny. So that's what Amorim does at half time, he reads my posts on his tablet.

62 Gyökeres goes on the charge and ghosts past three defenders and smacks the right post from 20 yards

63 GOAL Benfica 2 Sporting CP 2 Rafa taps in unmarked at the far post. That's awful defending twice from exactly the same position

65 Bragança replaced by Morita

70 Israel tips a curling effort long range effort around the post

73 Rafa falls theatrically again in the box. Getting quite embarrassing now all these amateur dramatics. "This isn't the West End darlings. In fact it's so am dram sweeties it's more school play level okay yah" fwar fwar *snorts. Do that last quote back in a posh accent

73 Benfica are leaving acres of space at the back now as they search for the equaliser. Gyökeres just fails to capitalise as he charges forward once more

76 Israel booked for time wasting as he prepares to take a free kick for a foul on Geny

77 Trincão takes aim from 25 yards but sends his shot sailing past the post. That all came from Gyökeres charging from the half way line into space again

78 I think there's another goal to come in this game but I'd not put money in which net it falls

83 Tame shot from Gyökeres straight at the keeper

83 How have Sporting not scored there! Paulinho played into space struck hard and low from 12 yards but superb save one handed low to the keepers right

84 That's the end of his night as he's replaced by Edwards. Fair play to Amorim for going like for like when many coaches would have put on another defender. Attack the best form of defence. Maybe he read my criticism of when he did the opposite and yanked Edwards off…let it go Frozen boy

85 There's that ball into the far post unmarked again. Thankfully Gouveia had a first touch like a trampoline

87 Edwards on the charge left his marker all ends up but just over ran the ball trying to beat the second man. Sporting aren't playing for a draw

87 Israel just has to be careful as he eeks out an extra few seconds having already been booked for time wasting

89 All sorts of confusion at the back for Sporting but the ball finally goes out for a goal kick

+6 shown

+1 Neves takes a chunk out of Edwards. Free kick wide right. Sporting aren't rushing to bring men forward. Yellow shown to Edwards for more time wasting. Gyökeres heads wide for a goal kick

+2 Let's hope lightning doesn't strike twice given how late they scored in the corresponding league fixture. It's already gone 2240 hours. I don't need to see anymore of this game thank you

+3 Gyökeres has his shirt pulled and goes flat on his arse. Again Sporting in no hurry to take the free kick

+4 Corner Benfica. They've just shown one of the female Benfica fans in tears - Despair. Keeper has come up - Desperation

+5 Another dive from a Benfica player. I've not seen a side try to cheat as much as this one does

+6 They've just shown another close up of the girl in tears. She's going to get some stick tomorrow from her mates. I'm trying to be as nice as I can because I don't want karma to bite me on the arse and leave me in tears after the weekend

Full time

Benfica 2 Sporting CP 2

The Final Word

I've got goosebumps and the hairs on my arm and neck are stood up. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't a win on the night but it was good enough to book a final spot on aggregate. As Benfica staff and players remonstrate with the referee Sporting players have gone over to the away fans in attendance who unsurprisingly are in fine fettle deep in the throws of over joyous celebration.

I'm glad I wrote down that Israel had a good opening 45 because I'll not be writing it again after that half. Geny had a massive impact with the space which opened up after half time as did Gyökeres. Paulinho is turning into the new Bas Dost as his moves his season's goal tally on. I doubt he touched the ball more than a dozen times in shades of the Dutch goal machine but as long as he keeps finding the net I'm not complaining however if he doesn't then be warned.

Man of the match - Could only be Coates. I don't know how tall he is but with performances like this he grows a half inch every ten minutes played and must walk off close on 7ft. Of all the players that could be lost either this summer or the next it's worth noting that the loss of Coates whenever that may be could be the very biggest. He's the glue that binds this side together, the heartbeat that pumps Sporting forward, the calm head Rudyard Kipling wrote about when all around are losing there's. He's a man fucking mountain. Get in there lads!