Sporting routs Benfica 8-2 to level Portuguese futsal championship final
Sporting demolished Benfica 8-2 at Pavilhão João Rocha on Tuesday, bouncing back from a 2-1 loss in Game 1 to tie the Portuguese futsal championship playoff final at one win apiece.
Match overview
Sporting overwhelmed city rivals Benfica in Game 2 of the Liga Placard playoff final, winning 8-2 at their home pavilion. The result cancelled out Benfica's 2-1 victory in the first leg at Pavilhão da Luz, levelling the best-of-five series at one game each. It was the most emphatic margin in eight derbies between the two sides this season.
How the game unfolded
Benfica struck first through Arthur, who converted a direct free kick in the fifth minute. Sporting responded relentlessly: Bruno Pinto equalised at the ninth minute after missing a clear chance two minutes earlier, then put the hosts ahead at the quarter‑hour mark with his 56th goal of the campaign. The green-and-whites dominated possession and created waves of chances, hitting the post at 20 minutes before the interval.
The second half turned into a procession. Zicky Té opened the floodgates with a composed finish at 22 minutes, and Tomás Paçó doubled the lead a minute later. Pauleta made it 5-1 at the 31st, Wesley added a sixth at the 33rd, and even a Jacaré consolation for Benfica in the 34th minute failed to stem the tide. Alex Merlim and Diogo Santos rounded off the scoring at 35 and 36 minutes respectively, inflicting Benfica's heaviest defeat of the season.
Coach's reaction
Sporting head coach Nuno Dias credited his players for sharpening their finishing after a wasteful first leg.
A win like this only gives one win, not two or three. It was an excellent exhibition, but we are level. We both still need two victories.
Dias also noted the home crowd's role, while insisting that the technical work is done by the team itself when they face the goalkeeper one-on-one.
Off-field notes
Before kick-off, a minute of silence for 17-year-old player Jaque Mendes Indi, who died in a traffic accident, was disrupted by fans from both sets. The noise was reportedly louder among the Benfica travelling support. On the court, Benfica were without defender André Coelho, whose absence left gaps Sporting exploited ruthlessly.
What's next
Game 3 shifts back to Benfica's Pavilhão da Luz, with both teams requiring two more wins to claim the title. Sporting's European champion pedigree and their return to clinical finishing have reset the series, but the captain João Matos had earlier reminded his side that another defeat would make the task very difficult.
