Benfica regained the advantage over FC Porto in the play-off of the roller hockey championship semi-finals, once again showing the superiority they had already shown in the first game, this time with a categorical 7-3 victory. With Rui Costa at the Fidelidade Pavilion, the goals scored by Nuno Resende’s team were celebrated to the sound of the chant “and Benfica are champions”.
A game played in a festive atmosphere in the stands, still to the sound of the 38th title, but with Benfica totally focused on the game, with great efficiency in defending, completely annulling FC Porto’s initiatives, and also attacking , with Roberto di Benedetto and Pablo Alvarez in particular highlight in this chapter.
A game that began with a controversial blue card to Rafa that gave Lucas Ordoñez the first opportunity of the game, but, in the free-kick, Malián canceled out the shot by the experienced Argentine. Soon after, Benfica opened the scoring, with an accurate shot by Pablo Álvarez who scored twice, in the next minute, with a mid-range shot.
In two periods, Benfica already won by 2-0 and FC Porto kept their hands tied, easily losing the ball, in the face of pressure from Benfica, which ended up reaching 3-0, in the 12th minute, with Gonçalo Pinto anticipating up to Reinaldo Garcia. Five more minutes and another goal for the reds, following another shot by Pablo Alvarez, with Telmo Pinto, unhappy, deflecting into his own nets.
An expressive result in the 17th minute that provoked a new wave of celebration in the stands, with the supporters, facing Rui Costa, chanting «and Benfica is champion». Until the break, FC Porto still tried to reduce the difference, but continued to find it difficult to aim at Pedro Henriques’ goal.
FC Porto still believed, but Benfica was once again devastating
The second half started again with Benfica on top and a foul by Rafa on Diogo Rafael dictated a penalty for the reds, but Maliá twice saved Carlos Nicolía’s shot, as the penalty was retaken.
A stimulus for FC Porto that grew in the game and ended up reducing the difference, 16 minutes from the end, following a foul by Lucas Ordoñez on Ezequiel Mena, which earned the Argentine a blue card and a direct live that Gonçalo Alves converted in FC Porto’s first goal.
Ball in the center and another goal for FC Porto, with the young Diogo Barata taking advantage of a loose ball to shoot for the count. In a flash, FC Porto was back in the discussion of the result, fifteen minutes from the end, at a time when there were eight fouls for each side.
Two volleyed goals that made FC Porto believe and Ricardo Ares’ team took a risk in an attempt to reach a goal difference, but it was Benfica who scored again, nine minutes from the end, with Gonçalo Pinto recovering a ball that had been returned by the post to beat Malián again. Soon after, FC Porto reached ten fouls and gave Benfica a direct free-kick. Pablo Alvarez dispensed with the direct shot, preferred to face Malián and made it 6-2. It was done.
Benfica still reached 7-2, with Lucas Ordoñez adding his name to the list of scorers five minutes from time. FC Porto even reduced, in the last minute, with a goal from Xavi Barroso, but there was no time for more.
Benfica thus recovers the advantage in the play-offs before the fourth game, which is scheduled for 20:00 on Thursday. In the first three games, whoever scored first ended up winning, but we’ll see. Benfica will go on to the final if they win, FC Porto can postpone everything for a fifth game at Luz.
Semi-final play-off results:
First game: Benfica-FC Porto, 5-0
Second game: FC Porto-Benfica, 5-2
Third game: Benfica-FC Porto, 7-3
Fourth game: FC Porto-Benfica, Thursday (20:00)
2023-05-28 13:50:57
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