The president of Benfica complained this Friday about a penalty for signaling in favor of the ‘incarnated’, against Sporting de Braga, and regretted the referee’s lack of judgment in the match of the ‘quarter-finals’ of the Portuguese Football Cup .
After Thursday’s duel, in which Braga won 5-4 in a penalty shootout, after a 1-1 draw at minute 120, the coach considered that Gonçalo Guedes was fouled by Tormena inside the Braga area, at 19 minutes, in a penalty that, had it been awarded, could have made it 2-0 for the ‘incarnated’, who, then, were already winning precisely with a goal from the Portuguese international.
“We started with clear control, with an excellent first half hour, and we were prevented from making it 2-0, in the mixed zone of the Municipal Stadium of Braga.
The leader of the ‘eagles’ also recalled that the referee for this match, Tiago Martins, was the same one who intervened in scoring a penalty against Benfica in the last derby against Sporting (1-1), at the time due to the lack of Antonio Silva on Paulinho.
“[Este] it was the same referee [Tiago Martins] What did you do as a referee? [VAR] in Luz and almost forced the [Artur] Soares Dias scored the penalty against us at Benfica-Sporting, in a bet with almost the same dynamics. And in this, with more intensity, he turned a blind eye, ”he said.
Rui Costa admitted that the expulsion of Bah, with a direct red card in the 31st minute, after a foul on Pizzi, is “very clear”, but said that he “does not understand” the different evaluation of Tiago Martins in the absence of Racic, in the minute 55, after having lamented the lack of intervention of the person in charge of the VAR, Fábio Melo.
“It is inadmissible that they did not call the referee to the VAR. Mr. Fábio Melo is not a virgin in these situations. It is incomprehensible that the same referee and the VAR have two different criteria in the same match”, he referred, considering that Benfica did “everything to continue” in the Portuguese Cup, before concluding: “They didn’t let us”.
Sporting de Braga qualified on Thursday, for the 19th time, for the semifinals of the Portuguese Soccer Cup, beating Benfica 5-4 on penalties, after a 1-1 draw at the end of extra time.
The ‘incarnated’, trophy record holders (26), went ahead through Gonçalo Guedes, after 15 minutes, but were reduced to 10 elements at 31, due to the expulsion of Alexander Bah, shortly before the Libyan Al Musrati restore equality for the minhotos, at 36.
Remaining equal until the end of regulation time and, after extra time, in which Benfica still saw Morato sent off, in the 120th minute, the duel ended up being decided from the mark of the maximum penalty, with the Norwegian Aursnes being the only one miss a kick
In the semifinals, which will be played over two legs, Sporting de Braga will face Nacional, from the II Liga, who eliminated Casa Pia on Thursday, winning 5-2 after extra time.
The other semifinal will face FC Porto, holder of the trophy, against Famalicão, who on Wednesday beat Académico de Viseu and BSAD, respectively.
Source: TSF
