Not even Rúben Amorim’s mid-season departure was enough to spoil Sporting’s most successful season in over 20 years
Sporting CP celebrated a fairytale end to an amazing season on Sunday, winning the Portuguese Cup in the most dramatic fashion with a 3-1 victory over SL Benfica to secure their first domestic double in over 20 years.
After winning the national league in a race that went down to the wire against Benfica, the Lions faced the Eagles at Estádio do Jamor in the final of the Taça de Portugal (Portuguese Cup) in a final that will go down in the history books.
Benfica – looking to ‘save’ their season after only winning the Taça da Liga (League Cup) in January – took the lead after dominating the first half at the 47th minute with a stunning long-range shot from Orkun Kökçü. Just a few minutes later, Pavlidis found a cutting Bruma who bested Rui Silva, but the goal was ruled out after VAR review for an earlier foul by Álvaro Carreras.
And in an instant, what could have been the goal that gave Benfica a decisive lead gave Sporting momentum and deflated Benfica. Sporting slowly started to find themselves, albeit with no practical effects until the ninth minute of injury time, when Sporting’s Swedish star striker Viktor Gyökeres was recklessly fouled by Renato Sanches inside Benfica’s box, giving the Lions a last-minute chance to send the final into extra time. Gyökeres, playing what was likely his last game for Sporting, did not flinch and scored his 54th goal of the season.
The momentum had clearly shifted in extra time, with Sporting taking the lead at the 99th minute with a powerful header from Conrad Harder before Francisco Trincão scored the dagger at the 121st minute, giving the Lions an unsurmountable 3-1 lead with just four minutes to go.
By the time the final whistle came, Sporting’s bench had already been celebrating their comeback victory.
“I was calm the whole time. This team has an incredible spirit — it’s impossible to describe. Yet another example of who they are: they’re the best and they deserve it. I’m a lucky man to have a group like this,” said Sporting coach, Rui Borges, after the match.
Benfica, however, expressed frustration over the refereeing.
“I strongly urge you to look at the incident on the byline, where Belotti is assaulted by two Sporting players: one elbows him, and as if that weren’t enough, there’s a deliberate stamp to the head. And the foul was given against Benfica,” said Benfica president Rui Costa. “No matter the responsibilities we bear – and internally I’ll need to reflect, even with myself – there are things that simply go too far”.
No matter their complaints, the title went to Sporting – a team which lost their beloved coach Rúben Amorim to Manchester United in the middle of the season, replaced by João Pereira – a former player and the coach of Sporting’s U-23 team – who had a dreadful stint in charge of the main team, winning just three of the eight matches he coached, which allowed Benfica to re-enter the title race. However, Rui Borges arrived from Vitória SC in the nick of time, guiding Sporting CP to a domestic double that had eluded them since the 2001/2002 season.
