The 18th edition of the League Cup, which reintroduces a format last seen in the 2020/21 season due to the covid-19 pandemic, will take place in Leiria from Tuesday to Saturday, between the usual favorites, without a group stage this time.
The constraints of a busy schedule have led the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP) to prepare an extraordinary format, featuring the six best teams in the 2023/24 Primeira Liga and the two best in the second tier.
As expected, Sporting, Benfica, FC Porto and Sporting de Braga, the top four teams from last season, will host the final four, which will take place for the fifth consecutive year at the Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa de Leiria. They secured their place by beating Nacional (3-1), Santa Clara (3-0), Moreirense (2-0) and Vitória de Guimarães (2-1) respectively.
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With the group stage omitted, the usual contenders gathered in Leiria, led by Benfica, who lifted the League Cup seven times, closely followed by reigning champions Sporting, who took home the trophy four times, as well as the last two winners – their rivals Sporting de Braga, crowned champions for the third time last season, and FC Porto, their predecessor.
Sporting won back-to-back League Cup titles in 2016/17 and 2017/18, as well as 2020/21 and 2021/22, while Benfica have not triumphed in the competition for eight editions, having last won the title in 2015/16.
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The first semi-final of the 18th edition will feature the seventh meeting between Sporting and FC Porto in the competition, with a favorable record for the ‘Lions’, who won twice against the victory of the ‘Dragons’ in the 2022/23 final, also held in Leiria.
The thrilling clash between the ‘Greens and Whites’ and the ‘Blues and Whites’ ended in a draw on three occasions, with two penalties going to the Lisbon side, including the deciding match in 2018/19 which was held in Braga.
In the other semi-final, Benfica and Sporting de Braga faced each other four times in the competition – three times to challenge for a place in the final – with a slight advantage going to Minho’s team, with one win each and two draws, one of which favored the ‘arsenalistas’ during the penalty lottery.
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