Sporting CP 0-1 Benfica: Pavlidis scored winner as Benfica claimed Super Cup🏆

At the Estádio Algarve, Benfica defeated Sporting 0-1 with a goal from Pavlidis, winning the Super Cup!

Match Report

After a minute's silence in memory of Diogo Jota and André Silva , Pavlidis kicked off the derby.

In a very intense start to the game, in which Benfica had more of the ball, Sporting , through Pedro Gonçalves, put the ball in the back of the net, but, at the moment of the pass, Harder was in an offside position (6') . Good reading by the red defense condemned the Dane to the offside trap.

The derby was electric and relentless . Far from the goal, but fiercely contested in midfield. In the stands, the Benfica fans did their part and, like the ball, didn't stop for a second.

In the 18th minute, Pavlidis broke through from the right and put the ball into the box, but Barreiro couldn't deflect it cleanly. He was close...

The game unfolded in the Lions' midfield , leaving Sporting to try to counterattack—a strategy that wasn't working. This was because the Reds' good positioning , combined with effective high pressing, solved any potential problems Sporting created.

However, when the opponents managed to break through the web set up in the middle, the Eagles' defense showed its presence . An example of this was António Silva's excellent tackle, already inside the area, on Harder's attempt (28').

In the 31st minute, Pavlidis accelerated through the center , passed between two opponents, but, at the edge of the area, on the third, he was disarmed – a good initiative from the Greek. In response, Geny Catamo, on the right side of the Lions' attack, shot over (34').

António Silva , in the 37th minute, played another important role, getting ahead of an opponent, getting the ball and launching the team into attack.

In the following minute, a good attacking design for the Reds: the ball went from left to right, with Richard Ríos simulating and leaving it to Dedic , who shot across goal, at the mercy of a lucky deflection... which did not occur (39').

On the opposite side, again on the right of their attack, Geny Catamo put the ball into the area; it was hit with great force and ended up going out (40').

Already in the period of compensation, Aursnes, in skill, won the ball on the right side of the Benfica attack , crossed into the area, but Rui Silva tied the ball (45'+2').

Seconds later, Fábio Veríssimo blew the half-time whistle, and the teams went to the stands with the score still 0-0.

It was time for rest for the athletes, but not for the fans, who, taking advantage of the flags provided by the organizers, unfurled them throughout the Algarve Stadium , painting the air red and white. And how beautiful is red and white...

The same players returned from the locker room ; there were no changes in the Lisbon teams.

Harder, on the left side of his attack, took the first shot of the second half, which was easily controlled by Trubin (48') . Trincão, in the following minute, also tried to target the Ukrainian goalkeeper, but António Silva pressed the ball, and it was easy for the goalkeeper.

The one who didn't need more than one try was Pavlidis, who, in the 50th minute, opened the scoring , causing the red volcano in the Algarve to erupt. In Portugal. All over the world.

In midfield, Richard Ríos broke through on the left, the ball reached the Greek international, who passed it to Dahl. Dahl entered the box and attempted a cross, but it was blocked. The ball fell to the Greek forward, who, from the edge of the box, shot for 0-1.

The score was broken and the scoreboard only failed to return to normal 9 minutes later because Rui Silva made a brilliant save from a shot by... Pavlidis. In a forward position, the number 14 , served by Barreiro, shot hard and well, but the goalkeeper deflected it for a corner (59').

Within the last half hour, Barreiro accelerated down the right, left Maxi Araújo behind , crossed to the edge of the box, where neither Aktürkoğlu nor Pavlidis managed to shoot. Barrenechea managed to get the ball, but it went wide (65') .

In the 70th minute, Dedic 's fight for a ball that seemed lost and which led to a corner earned him a huge ovation from his new fans.

Five minutes later, a great save by Trubin from Trincão's shot , on the left side of Sporting's attack (75').

At a disadvantage, Sporting approached the Reds' box , but the Eagles controlled their opponents' every move. When they did manage to shoot, Trubin would settle the score, as in the 78th minute, when he held onto a ball headed by Pedro Gonçaves, who was in a dangerous position. 

Bruno Lage's first changes came in the 80th minute, with Florentino and Prestianni coming on for Barrenechea and Aktürkoğlu .

In the stands, the Benfica fans were cheering intensely . For several minutes, all that could be heard was "allez, força SLB" at the Algarve Stadium – a chant that carried through the team . António Silva proved this with a providential block on Luis Suárez's shot (83').

With Sporting balanced in attack, Benfica launched a counterattack . In the 84th minute, Prestianni took a dangerous shot , but saw the ball deflected for a corner.

The author of the red goal, Pavlidis, in the 88th minute, gave his place to Henrique Araújo , being effusively acclaimed, the same happening with Dedic, replaced by Tiago Gouveia.

With the narrow advantage, the clock seemed to slow down. The six minutes of added time were lived with great intensity . On the field, the players gave their all for every ball. Off the field, a powerful "I love Benfica!" echoed.

There was still time for João Veloso to come on, replacing Barreiro (90'+8').

With seconds to go (90'+9'), Prestianni won a corner, on the left side, and further catalyzed Benfica's fervor , which reached its apotheosis when the referee blew the whistle for the end of the match (0-1): Benfica won the 10th Super Cup in its history.

Line-ups

Sporting CP XI: Rui Silva, Francisco Trincão, Pedro Gonçalves, Hidemasa Morita, Maxi Araújo, Morten Hjulmand, Geny Catamo, Gonçalo Inácio, Ousmane Diomande, Iván Fresneda, Conrad Harder

Subs: Ricardo Esgaio, Jeremiah St. Juste, Giorgi Kochorashvili, Luis Suárez, João Virgínia, Eduardo Quaresma, Zeno Debast, João Simões, Geovany Quenda

Benfica XI: Otamendi, Fredrik Aursnes, Vangelis Pavlidis, Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Leandro Barreiro, Amar Dedic, Anatoliy Trubin, Samuel Dahl, Enzo Barrenechea, Richard Ríos, António Silva

Subs: Florentino, Tiago Gouveia, Samuel Soares, Henrique Araújo, Rafa Obrador, Andreas Schjelderup, João Veloso, Gianluca Prestianni, Gonçalo Oliveira