Allianz League Cup: Boavista 2-0 Portimonense
Portimonense failed to progress to the group phase of the competition following a clear-cut defeat at fellow top division side Boavista.
Manager Paulo Sérgio’s team selection seemed to demonstrate a lack of ambition with no less than six regular starters – Fabrício, Lucas, Anderson, Luquinha, Beto and Pedro Sá – left on the bench.
As a result, there was little cohesion on the pitch, allowing 17-year-old debutant Tiago Morais to give Boavista an early lead. An otherwise uneventful encounter finally saw a raft of substitutions with five of the six ‘rested’ Portimonense players joining the action between the 62nd and 72nd minutes, only for Morais to immediately double the home advantage – game over.
It can only be hoped that Sérgio will have a better idea as to his first 11 by this Sunday afternoon when the Algarveans kick off the 2021/22 Bwin league season at Vitória de Guimarães.
The future of top scorer Beto is still uncertain, a latest €15 million offer from a German Bundesliga club breaking down over fee payment modalities.
Elsewhere, former Portimonense player Lumor, who left for Sporting Lisbon for €2.5 million in January 2018 only to spend the following two years on loan in Turkey (Göztepe) and Spain (Mallorca), has concluded a permanent move to Aris Thessaloniki in Greece.
By SKIP BANDELE
