Benfica-Sporting. The ‘derbis derby’ can give title

On Saturday, all the paths will give to the Estádio da Luz. The ‘Incarnate’ enclosure is the stage of the game of all decisions in this edition of the Portuguese Football Championship, in a derby between Benfica and Sporting, tied ahead, with 78 points.

It was a scenario on the table for several months and confirmed-with greater or lesser difficulty, after the last weekend games-that the duel between the two ‘eternal’ Lisbon rivals can determine the national champion.

Last Saturday, Benfica had to suffer to triumph in the stronghold of Estoril Praia, 2-1, the same result that Sporting has achieved at home, before Gil Vicente, but epicly, in a twist in the last few minutes.

The ‘roosters’ advanced in the penalty score on 26 minutes, but Sporting operated the turnaround at 81, by Maxi Araújo, and at 90+3, by Eduardo Quaresma, which allowed to maintain the slight advantage of ‘lions’, despite the punctual equality.

This advantage is due to two factors: the first is direct confrontation, as Sporting won the first lap match 1-0, and the second is the difference in scored and conceded goals, with Rui Borges’s team to have +59 and Benfica +56.

Thus, a draw in the derby would serve the sportinguistas more, who, despite postponing everything for the last journey, would maintain the same advantage and could get two champions in the reception to Vitória de Guimarães, simply making an identical result to Benfica, visiting Sporting Braga in the farewell of the championship.

A tangential victory of Benfica, by a goal, will also leave the delivery of the title to the 34th and last round, but in this scenario, the ‘eagles’ would only need to go to Braga to draw to be champion, due to the advantage of three points obtained.

Otherwise, any result gives champion. In case of triumph, Sporting will celebrate in the stronghold of the biggest rival a two -time championship that has escaped it for over 70 years, while a Benfica victory for two or more goals decides in favor of the ‘eagles’, because it would be advantageous in the direct confrontation between the two Lisbon emblems.

All scenarios are possible and are on the table, which will also lead to a huge security operation for a possible title party in Lisbon.

Marquês de Pombal Square in the capital is the usual epicenter of both Benfica and Sporting parties. Given the indecision of the title, which can go both sides, there will be extra efforts to avoid celebration problems.

The parallel of twenty years ago

In the face of all this, it is allowed to consider this meeting as the ‘derbis’ derby’, taking into account what is in dispute, something that in recent decades can only have parallel in 2004/05, but then, in an intense struggle between four teams by the trophy.

This season also reserved a derby between Benfica and Sporting for the 33rd and penultimate round, to which the two sets arrived in the lead of the table, with 61 points, ahead of FC Porto, with 58, and Sporting de Braga, with 57.

This time, Luisão was the hero ‘incarnated’ in a homemade triumph by 1-0, decided on 83 minutes, who left Benfica, under the guidance of Italian Giovanni Cheattoni, a small step of the title, guaranteed with a 1-1 draw at Bessa stadium.

The biggest doubt

Now, only in a fight for two, we will see what Saturday reserves for the fans of the Lisbon rivals, and no results can satisfy both sides.

In recent weeks, the management of footballers at risk of punishment has been done by the two coaches, allowing them to reach the derby at maximum strength and without absence of figure due to suspension, thus not perspecting surprises in the ‘onzes’.

On the side of Benfica, Florentino and Di María drove punishment with AVS and Carreras against Estoril Praia, while at Sporting, Diomande was suspended against Gil Vicente, in a duel where Hjulmand was used alternate and avoided yellow.

The biggest question is the title of Di María in the ‘eagles’, since he did not even leave the bank on a visit to the mulberry, and may be the only news of Bruno Lage in the starting lineup, to the detriment of Swiss Amdouni, the usual alternate.

Trubin will be the owner of the goal, behind a defensive quartet composed by Tomás Araújo, António Silva, Otamendi and Carreras. In the ‘myolo’ will be Florentino, Kökçü and Aursnes, with Di María then being able to accompany Aktürkoglu and Pavlidis in the attack.

Sporting can be presented with Eduardo Quaresma, Diomande and Gonçalo Inácio at the head of guardian Rui Silva, Geny Catamo and Maxi Araújo in Alas, Debute and Hjulmand in the middle and Trincão, Pedro Gonçalves and Gyökeres in an offensive trident.

However, Bruno Lage and Rui Borges can reserve some surprise in their teams, also in order to try to fool the opponent in the strategy for the game, in view of the relevance of the same for the final accounts of the Portuguese Championship.

Everything will be clearer just before 6 pm on Saturday, a date of starting a meeting that promises to stay for the history of the Derbis, which will have a new chapter in two weeks, in a final of the Portuguese Cup that has not happened since 1996.