Sporting will close the first round of the futsal league at the top, after having drawn a draw (1-1) in the derby against Benfica in Luz for the 11th round. The division of points kept the two rivals level in the standings (29 points), but the “lions” have the advantage in the ratio of goals scored and conceded – +43 for Sporting, +42 for Benfica.
It was, as almost always, a derby balanced and intense and for almost the entire game it seemed like the first goalless draw in the history of this rivalry would happen. But, with 6m37s to go, Benfica, who was better in the game, finally took the lead, with a goal from Russian Ivan Chishkala, off a pass from Afonso Jesus. With the result, Benfica would take the isolated lead of the championship.
At a disadvantage, “Leonine” coach Nuno Dias ordered the team to attack the last minutes in a 5×4 offensive. Sporting saved themselves from conceding a few goals through lost ball and, with 29 seconds left, they had their great chance to equalize. Afonso Jesus committed a foul inside the area on Wesley, the referee awarded a penalty, and, when the penalty was converted, Taynan scored the equalizer.
Already very beaten in these things, Nuno Dias considered that the draw shows well what happened in the game. “It reflects a lot of balance. In the first half Sporting were slightly better, in the second half Benfica were slightly better. A draw might end up being the fairest result. It was a derby balanced and competitive”, highlighted the “Leonine” coach, who gave high praise to Cassiano Klein, Brazilian coach who arrived at futsal from Benfica this season: “He is a great coach and an excellent person. I hope everything goes well for him, he’s making Benfica play well and I hope he’s successful, except against Sporting.”
Playing his first classic, Klein returned the praise to Sporting’s coach, but regretted the goal conceded in the last seconds of the game: “It was a fascinating feeling, an incredible game. They managed to play a great game, so did we, but the competition is in Nuno is a coach that I admire a lot, it’s a great rivalry, but we have to respect great professionals, a goal in the last minute, but they are scars to learn for the future.”
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