He Benfica won this Sunday 0-1 match Sporting Bragawith a goal from Casper Tengstedt in the first moments of the match and became the provisional leader of the Portuguese League, waiting for the result of Monday’s classic between Sporting and Porto.
The first of the two classics of this 14th round of the Portuguese League did not last long at the score of zero, as Benfica opened it in the third minute. The ‘eagles’ took advantage of Uruguayan Rodrigo Zalazar’s loss of the ball and, in a supersonic play, left Tengstedt isolated in front of Braga’s goalkeeper, Matheus, to score the only goal of the game.
On the side of the local team, Álvaro Djaló was the most displeased with the early absence. The Spanish winger had Braga’s best chances, including a cannon shot that forced the Benfica goalkeeper, the Ukrainian Trubin, to fly. For its part, Benfica was surgical and created dangerous situations whenever it got close to the opposing goal.
The one who came closest to scoring in the first half was Argentine Ángel Di María, but his arcing shot hit the crossbar. ‘Fideo’ stood up again with a free kick that almost led to a goal for his compatriot Nicolás Otamendi. The Braga goalkeeper stopped Rosario’s powerful shot, but the ball bounced off Otamendi and hit the post.
Zalazar, who was involved in Benfica’s goal and was substituted due to a tactical decision after half an hour of play, did not have such a happy night. The match continued with Sporting de Braga at full throttle, putting Benfica on the ropes, barely leaving their field.
The top scorer in the Portuguese League, the Congolese Simon Banza, threatened Trubin after a good combination with Djaló and in extra time he came very close to the equalizer, which was missed thanks to a wonderful save of Ukrainian with his foot.
As the match drew to a close, Braga put all their efforts into the game and brought on players such as Valencian Abel Ruiz and Portuguese Rony Lopes, but it was not enough to prevent Benfica from returning to Lisbon with three points. The ‘eagles’ now lead the Portuguese league with 33 points, two more than Sporting and Porto, which ended matchday number 14 this Monday. Braga, meanwhile, remains fourth, with 29.
Also this Sunday, Canarian Héctor Hernández’s Chaves fell 1-3 against Casa Pia, leaving them in a very precarious position, at the bottom of the standings, while Famalicão and Estoril drew 1-1.
Moreirense continued to amaze, beating Portimonense 5-2 with three goals in the last ten minutes. The team, who were promoted to the top flight this season, are sixth and have not lost in the championship since September.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
