At the Estádio da Luz, Benfica defeated Braga 1-0 to go to the Portuguese Cup semi-finals thanks to a goal in the first half from in-form Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis. After dominating much of the game under Bruno Lage’s leadership, the Eagles will now play fourth-tier Tirsense in the round of four.
Early on, Benfica dictated play with their slick offensive moves and pressed Braga high, setting the pace. Their perseverance paid off in the 27th minute when Casper Tengstedt pounced on a misdirected ball from Paulo Oliveira of Braga. Orkun Kökçü quickly took it from the forward and located Pavlidis. Goalie Lukas Hornicek had no chance as the Greek international fired a strong shot from right inside the box.
Benfica está nas meias-finais da Taça, onde vai defrontar o Tirsense. pic.twitter.com/cZTHmIW9xW
— B24 (@B24PT) February 26, 2025
Due in great part to Hornicek’s valiant efforts in between the posts, Braga managed to contain the damage despite their defensive shortcomings. To keep his team in the game, the Czech goalie produced a string of outstanding saves that prevented more goals from Tengstedt and Kerem Aktürkoglu. However, Benfica’s defense successfully neutralized Carlos Carvalhal’s team’s offensive threats, and they were unable to generate clear-cut opportunities.
Braga played a more disciplined game in the second half, but they lacked the creativity to overcome a determined Benfica defense. Goalie Samuel Soares was mostly unaffected by the visitors’ increased possession of the ball after the half, as the Eagles played well and won by a slim margin.
11 goals in his last 10 games.
♨️ Vangelis Pavlidis ♨️ pic.twitter.com/U5xlvyTdXf
— FIFA Club World Cup (@FIFACWC) February 26, 2025
Now that they have won seven of their past eight games across all competitions, Bruno Lage’s team will feel confident going into next week’s pivotal Champions League matchup against Barcelona. The formidable task of facing one of Portugal’s top teams now faces FC Tirsense, who achieved history by becoming the first fourth-tier team to advance to the semi-finals.
As the season draws to a close, Benfica will enter the semi-final as the clear favorites, but for the time being, their attention will be on sustaining their excellent domestic and European play.
