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| Sunday, 27 April 2014 22:41 |
Benfica bandwagon rolls on, Porto nightmare completeFC Porto 0-0 Benfica (Benfica win on penalties) Benfica booked their place in the Taça da Liga final against Rio Ave (the same two clubs will also meet in the Portuguese Cup final) after the Eagles won a penalty shoot-out against Porto at the end of a goalless draw at the Estádio do Dragão.
Jorge Jesus selected a second-string team ahead of Thursday's decisive Europa League semi-final second leg against Juventus and Porto completely dominated a one-sided first half. The Dragons missed a string of clear chances, with Jackson Martínez the chief culprit. And when Benfica's Steven Vitória was sent off on the half-hour mark for bringing down Jackson Martínez as the last defender, it appeared just a matter of time before Porto would make the breakthrough. Curiously, 10-man Benfica defended far more solidly then when they had a full team on the pitch, and the disappointing hosts faded after the interval, failing to create any clear-cut chances. In the ensuing penalty shoot-out Garay smashed his spot-kick onto the bar, Jackson completed a miserable afternoon by skying his effort horribly over the bar, André Gomes and Maicon had their shots brilliantly saved by Fabiano and Oblak respectively, and it was left to the unfortunate Fernando to miss the penalty that dictated a triumph for Benfica. It is the culmination of a nightmare season for Porto, who for the second time within a fortnight failed to get the better of their arch rivals despite playing with a numerical advantage for an hour of each match. In stark contrast, one week after clinching the championship title, Benfica's fans are still in dreamland as the Lisbon club continue their pursuit of what would be a historic four-trophy haul. FC Porto: Benfica: |
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