Captain of the Warriors scored both goals in plays in which he appeared in the right place, revealing insight; defense did well in most of the match and Bruma always gives some perfume
Matthew (4) – Without much need to intervene in the first half, the SC Braga goalkeeper had more work to do in the second half. In the first two of the Lions’ goals, he had no chance, in the third one there is the idea that he could have scored more and in the fourth, the Lions’ striker appears completely isolated and had no chance of defending.
João Ferreira (5) – Another confident performance from the Braga defender, being the center back on the right, in the three formation set up by Carlos Carvalhal. Very focused and confident in his defensive actions and still with quality when coming out from behind.
Paulo Oliveira (5) – Good game from the Portuguese central defender who didn’t compromise on anything, demonstrating his usual consistency when defending. But, in stoppage time he lost the duel with Gyokeres which later resulted in Harder’s second goal.
Niakate (5) – Excellent especially when calm, which doesn’t always happen, which he demonstrated throughout the 90 minutes. Serene and confident, having done practically everything right, despite the team having conceded four goals.
Roger Fernandes (5) – He didn’t have his usual style, as he didn’t venture much into the attack, staying on the right corridor, closing when the lions tried to leave the center of the field and following first Maxi Araújo and then Geny Catamo. A brutal effort from the winger who ended up leaving after 60 minutes.
Vítor Carvalho (5) – Involved in several physical duels, in which he came out on top most of the time. It was a clash with Gyokeres and Maxi Araújo winning the moves, giving dimension to the warriors’ midfield. More dull in the second half and giving space for shots from outside.
João Moutinho (5) – Always in the right place, he cut some potentially dangerous balls, due to his intelligence in filling spaces. Much more focused on defensive tasks and giving the team the right balance. It lost strength over time.
Gabri Martínez (5) – Concentrated on his role, that is, preventing Quenda from making a difference in the lions’ attack. The Spanish winger was impeccable in his role and even went up the field whenever possible, being involved in the Warriors’ first goal, as he went to the far post to look for a ball that seemed lost.
Figure: Ricardo Horta (grade 6)
Excellent sense of positioning and opportunity to open the scoring at Pedreira. He received the ball in the middle of Sporting’s area, dominated and then had the coolness to dodge defenders and goalkeepers who were trying to cover the goal. The Portuguese international also scored the second, making the match 2-0, at the time, in a move in which he ran a lot and then was composed in front of Franco Israel, with some luck in the mix, to put the ball in the back of the net. A gala display like the captain of the Minho warriors had long sought.
Mist (5) – He was the first to create any danger in the match, with a cross shot that forced Franco Israel to show attention. With the ball at his feet, it is clear that he is a different player, but he lost steam as the minutes passed and also his influence on the match.
El Ouazzani (5) – In his usual record, being a fighter and a tireless worker on the attack front of the Minho team. He was important in the aerial game in some offensive moves, but he couldn’t get close to the goal.
Roberto Fernandez (5) – It entered a phase in which SC Braga ventured very little in attack and, therefore, did not have much of the ball.
Victor Gomez (5) – Launched to better close the lions’ left corridor and that’s what he tried to do, but not always effective in his actions, giving away some corners.
Gharbi (-) – No time for anything.
