Benfica tried, but the night in Leiria belonged to Braga. At the Dr. Magalhães Pessoa Stadium, this Thursday (7th), the team from Minho was more organized, more intense, and above all, more lethal to win 3-1 in the semi-final of the League Cup, the Allianz Cup, and secure a spot in the final.
From the first minutes, it was clear that Braga had arrived with a well-defined plan. Unbothered by sharing possession, Carlos Vicens' team relied on aggression without the ball and speed to attack the spaces left by Benfica. It worked.
At 19 minutes, Rodrigo Zalazar found Pau Víctor free in the heart of the area. The forward finished with precision, leaving Trubin with no chance, and opened the scoring.
The goal gave even more confidence to the "Warriors of Minho," who began to control the pace of the game. Benfica struggled to impose themselves, hindered by high pressing and well-compact lines. When they tried to accelerate, they stumbled over a lack of creativity and the defensive attentiveness of the opponent.
Braga, on the other hand, always seemed a pass away from causing damage. And they did damage again. At 33 minutes, Zalazar broke free, left Sudakov and Otamendi behind, and struck firmly inside the area to make it 2-0.
The break arrived with almost absolute dominance by Braga and a heavy atmosphere for the red side. Boos accompanied Benfica as they left for the locker rooms, reflecting a first half where the attack was practically nullified and the defense exposed.
At the start of the second half, Benfica tried to change their stance and gained a golden chance at 62 minutes when Paulo Oliveira committed a penalty on Pavlidis. The forward himself took responsibility and converted, bringing Benfica back into the game at 64. The goal brought hope and a brief moment of pressure, but it wasn't enough to change the course of the match.
Once again, Braga knew how to wait. Organized, calm, and aware of what needed to be done, they withstood the adverse moment and were lethal again when the opportunity arose.
At 81 minutes, Ricardo Horta took a free kick from the right, Trubin saved at first, but Lagerbielke appeared free on the rebound to seal the 3-1 and end any comeback.
The victory confirms Braga in the League Cup final and reinforces the image of a team increasingly competitive in decisive games. The opponent in the final will be determined this Thursday (8th), in the clash between Sporting and Vitória de Guimarães.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
