Benfica qualified for the quarter-finals of the Portuguese Cup in football this Tuesday, winning 2-0 in Varzim, triumphant with goals from Grimaldo and Enzo Fernández.
Against the team that knocked out Sporting in the previous round, the debut of the first division teams in this edition of the competition, Benfica took the lead early on, in the fourth minute, through Spaniard Grimaldo, collecting a direct free-kick , with Enzo Fernández, recently crowned world champion for Argentina, extending the advantage, at 78.
With this triumph, Benfica joined Famalicão, who today expelled Leixões from the II Liga in the next stage of the competition, with the ‘incarnates’ traveling to the derby winner in the minhoto of the quarter-finals between Sporting de Braga and Vitória. the Guimaras.
The ‘incarnates’, without Rafa in the options, due to injury, presented themselves in this challenge with Enzo Fernández as the big news in the ‘eleven’, complementing the bets on Lucas Veríssimo, Morato, David Neres or Draxler, and they couldn’t have better entry into the game very early on the scoreboard.
In what was the first shot of any danger near the goals just after three minutes, Gonçalo Ramos won a foul, and Grimaldo, in the respective free-kick, was excellent, taking advantage of a small hole in the barrier to make the 1- . 0.
The opponent’s early disadvantage shocked Varzim’s confidence, who found it difficult to react in the counter-attack, having to commit to defensive missions despite pressure from the ‘eagles’, and had another ‘scare’ soon after, then Grimaldo, in a sprint, got a deflection towards goal, which cleared central Bonila atop the goal line.
The locals’ first dangerous approach to the Benfica goal came nearly half an hour into the game, with a header from Rúben Gonçalves going over the top, and a shot from João Vasco soon after, but it didn’t affect half time. half of the goalkeeper Vlachodimos nets.
This is because most of the action took place in the Varzinista area, with Benfica in control of events, but with some difficulty pushing through the northerners’ dense defensive barrier, with Morato and Gonçalo Ramos pushing for two chances, but without a goal to undo. the 1-0 at halftime.
On the way back from halftime, the two technicians made adjustments to the teams, with Roger Schmidt removing David Neres to launch João Mário, and, in Varzim, Tiago Margarido undoing the three-central scheme, removing Bruno Bernardo and Onyeka and launching Hélder Barbosa . and Rui Areias.
The moves had more effect on the Northerners, who returned to the challenge with greater speed, spent more time playing in the opposite area, and outlined some threats in shots from João Vasco and Hélder Barbosa.
A setback for Benfica at this stage, with an injured Grimaldo, along with Rafa (sprained foot) and Musa and Gilberto (flu syndrome), under the attention of the Lisbon clinical department, who have the city’s derby with Sporting on Sunday , for the championship.
Indifferent, the poveiros maintained their enthusiasm and in the 65th minute forced Vlachodimos to make one of the defenses of the night, deflecting a cross shot from Rui Areias, in the Liga 3 team’s best chance so far.
The first reaction of the ‘incarnated’ in this second half happened already after 70 minutes, in a shot from Gonçalo Ramos, a little over the top, at a stage when the poveira team started to show some physical weaknesses.
Benfica took advantage of this, creating an imbalance in the ‘alvi-negra’ defense in the 78th minute, with Chiquinho serving Enzo Fernández, so the Argentinian shot goalkeeper Ricardo without a chance to make it 2-0 against Varzim who was still trying to score. comment.
A shot from Rui Areias, which came close to Benfica’s goalpost, left the local fans sighing, but without curtailing the calm management that put Benfica to the end of its lead.
Source: DN
