He Benfica earned a spot in the quarterfinals of Portuguese Cup after losing 3-2 to Sporting Bragawhich fell by the wayside despite a brilliant performance by Uruguayan Rodrigo Zalazar, who scored a ‘double’.
Brazilian attacker Arthur Cabral, with a goal and an assist, signed his best performance with the red shirt and contributed to the victory of the eagles in the round of 16 against the opponent who eliminated them in the quarterfinals of the previous edition , when Braga was the losing finalist.
Spaniard Víctor Gómez gave the first sign of danger in this wonderful round of 16 match with a low shot that forced Benfica’s goalkeeper, Ukrainian Trubin, to make a superb save. But on the corner kick after that shot, Braga took the lead through Albacete-born Uruguayan Rodrigo Zalazar, whose shot in the 8th minute deflected off João Mário and tricked Trubin.
As the match drew to a close, and when Braga seemed to be in control, Benfica turned the score around. First it was Rafa, at 42. In a quick move by the Lisbon team, Turkish midfielder Kökçu found the Portuguese winger isolated, who made no mistake against Braga goalkeeper Lukas Hornicek.
This is the third game in a row that Rafa has scored, who has been Benfica’s best player this season. Soon after, in the 45th minute, the Estadio da Luz erupted in joy once again when Arthur Cabral got away from a rival defender and sent the ball between the legs of the Czech goalkeeper for the rebound. A goal that the South American attacker celebrated wildly, leaping into the stands and embracing the Portuguese champions’ supporters.
Furthermore, this is the fifth goal of the team’s ‘ugly duckling’, where he has not fully adapted after his arrival last summer from Fiorentina to occupy the attacking position that until then was for Gonçalo Ramos (PSG).
The second half started like the first, with a goal – and a double – from Rodrigo Zalazar. The Uruguayan received the ball outside the area and, with a powerful and unstoppable shot, restored parity in the confrontation. It was a double that should have suited the Uruguayan midfielder very well, as it allowed him to surely turn the page on his mistake that ended with the only goal of Benfica’s recent victory over Braga.
Zalazar came close to a hat trick on several occasions, but was denied by Trubin. However, Cabral was determined to steal the Uruguayan’s limelight and, in the 70th minute, he assisted Norwegian Aursnes with a backheel, scoring the third and qualifying Benfica for the quarterfinals.
In addition to the ‘eagles’, the next round of the Portuguese Cup will feature the presence of Sporting and Porto, who beat Tondela and Estoril, respectively, 4-0 on Tuesday.
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.
