The final had intense moments, the penalty shootout reached 14 attempts, after Benfica’s triumph against Sporting, the fair play: Bruno Lage comforted Francisco Trincão before going to greet his players, Trubin also went to hug the Portuguese international after saving his penalty, Viktor Gyökeres left clinging to the left-footed player after passing the medal ceremony with a noticeable “Fuck off” in the television images after pass the stage set up behind one of the goals at the Doutor Magalhães Pessoa Stadium, in Leiria. Once again, the lions saw a decision escape without a title.
In what was the first final for Rui Borges, who has only four meetings in charge of “high risk” Sporting since December 29th (Benfica in Alvalade in the Championship, V. Guimarães in Minho also counting for the Championship, FC Porto in Leiria in the League Cup semi-finals, Benfica again in Leiria in the League Cup decision), the green and white team confirmed in the worst way that there are no two without three.
Right away, Sporting lost their third consecutive final, after falling in the Portuguese Cup and Super Cup finals to FC Porto in extra time and now losing on penalties to Benfica in the League Cup. Afterwards, this was the third League Cup final lost by the Lions after a penalty shoot-out, something that had happened before with V. Setúbal (3-2, 2008) and Benfica (3-2, 2009). Finally, this was also the third penalty shoot-out lost by the green and white team against the reds, as happened in the 2005 Portuguese Cup and the 2009 League Cup.
Again, it wasn’t for Viktor Gyökeres. Despite not having achieved a performance with as much “weight” as had happened against FC Porto, also due to the merit of the red and black defenders, the Swede scored again from the penalty spot and contributes with goals in ten of the 12 matches played against Benfica or Porto. In total, and since arriving at Alvalade in the summer of 2023, the striker has 75 goals in 80 games, and after being the top scorer in the 2024 calendar year with 62 goals, he is having a start to 2025 that is not far behind with five goals in the three meetings held this year.
“We couldn’t win and we have to congratulate Benfica for that. Sporting’s history is to win trophies but on penalties we know it’s always 50/50. Now you need to recover. We will focus on the game against Rio Ave and the Championship, as we want to win that title”, Sporting’s captain, Morten Hjulmand, summed up at the end of the match to SIC, who led the green and white team at the moment when the lions made a kind of hall of honor for the red players on their way to the podium.
PUB • CONTINUE READING BELOW
