Despite heavy rotation of the team ahead of next Monday’s crunch Clássico against Porto, Sporting were expected to overcome AVS, rock bottom of the Primeira Liga, without too much fuss in the Portuguese Cup quarter-final at Alvalade tonight.
And things were going to plan for coach of the Lisbon outfit Rui Borges as the hosts went ahead in the first half through an excellent Luís Guilherme goal and doubled their lead shortly after the break via a Paulo Vitor own goal.
But a triple substitution by AVS coach João Henriques paid off with the visitors earning two penalties converted by the excellent Pedro Lima and Nenê to send the match into extra time.
Borges was forced to bring on the big guns he had hoped to rest, and one of them, Geny Catamo, prevented the tie going to a penalty shootout with a tremendous strike just three minutes before the 120 minutes were up.
Sporting will play Porto over two legs for a place in the season-ending showpiece final at Jamor.
☑ RESUMO
— VSPORTS (@vsports_pt) February 5, 2026
Taça de Portugal (Quartos de Final) | Sporting 3-2 AVS#TacadePortugal #VSPORTSTACAPORTUGALBETCLIC #EPOCA2526 #QuartosDeFinal #SCPAVS #SCP #AVS
Todos os vídeos 👉 https://t.co/34ZVZwWR6Q pic.twitter.com/tN6YlgzlT3
Portuguese Cup semi-final first leg: Fafe 1-1 Torreense
The opposition for either Porto or Sporting in the final will be a team from outside the top flight. Third-tier Fafe and second-tier Torreense have enjoyed outstanding Taça de Portugal campaigns this season and they met in the first leg of the semi-final last night in Fafe.
The hosts, who have dumped three top-flight teams out of the Cup – Moreirense, Arouca and Braga – took the lead in the 43rd minute through João Oliveira, but had goalkeeper João Gonçalo sent off ten minutes into the second half.
Torreense quickly made the man advantage count, equalising through Manuel Pozo and that’s the way it finished. All to play for in the second leg in Torres Vedras on 22 April.
