FC Porto and Vitória SC will play this Wednesday for the only remaining "ticket" to the long-awaited Portuguese Cup final, which is already scheduled for May 26th, at the Estádio Nacional do Jamor. The Dragons will face the team from Guimarães with an advantage, thanks to the victory achieved in Guimarães two weeks ago. Pepê scored right at the start of the second half, the goal that sealed the final result, but which was not enough to decide the tie.

Whoever wins this "tie-breaker", it is worth remembering, will play the national football championship with Sporting, who, in the other semi-final, left behind their eternal rival, Benfica, with an aggregate score of 4-3.

The Vitória SC-FC Porto match will take place at the Estádio do Dragão, will be refereed by Artur Soares Dias, a judge from the Porto Football Association, and you can follow it, from 8:00 pm (Continental Portugal time), on Desporto ao Minuto.

Coaches in direct speech

Sérgio Conceição

Expectations: It is another match between two teams that know each other well. All matches are different, not only because the players have different days, but also because there may be changes. At Vitória SC, unfortunately, João Mendes cannot be present. Diogo Costa was also injured. There are situations that change, the matches are different, between teams that, structurally, do not change much. In the strategy, there will be nuances to surprise the opponent.

Iván Jaime, Jorge Sánchez, Franco and Toni Martínez out: If I think that there is a group of players who need more physical work, others who need finishing... These are situations in which there is nothing to say. I can decide that these players do specific work. That's it. For me, there is something very important that needs to be said. To play at FC Porto, it is not enough to have a contract. It is very important that people understand that. Something more is needed.

Portuguese Cup to save the season: Tomorrow, we have the possibility of having another passage. In the last five editions of the Cup, we went to the Cup four times. It is important to reinforce that we are fighting for titles. Tomorrow, we have to be competent to overcome a difficult team, such as Vitória SC, well-trained, with experienced players. It is our job, it is not to save anything.

Álvaro Pacheco

Expectations: The teams are very motivated to be in the final. We are losing at half-time. We have to get out of our comfort zone, to have great courage to take on the match. We have to show that we want to be in the final. We have to create a dent.

Surprising FC Porto: Of course I would like to have the entire squad available, but we have to be able to train and create a winning mentality throughout the squad, so that when for some reason there are players who cannot contribute, there are others fully prepared to join the starting eleven

João Mendes injured: He was having an extraordinary season, with intelligence, "perfume" and decision-making ability, but the Vitória squad has players with this character, capable of performing and helping the team. Since he is not available, we have to motivate these players to make history.

Latest results

FC Porto: W-L-W-W-D

Vitória SC: W-W-L-W-D

Latest starting elevens

FC Porto: Diogo Costa; Jorge Sánchez, Otávio Ataíde, Zé Pedro, Wendell; Nico González, Marko Grujic, Pepê; Francisco Conceição, Iván Jaime and Evanilson.

Vitória SC: Bruno Varela; Bruno Gaspar, Tomás Ribeiro, Toni Borevkovic, Jorge Fernandes, Afonso Freitas; Tomás Handel, João Mendes, Tiago Silva; Jota Silva and Kaio César.

Absences

FC Porto: Diogo Costa, Iván Marcano, Fábio Cardoso, Zaidu Sanusi (injured) and Evanilson (suspended).

Vitória SC: Ricardo Mangas, João Mendes, Telmo Arcanjo (injured), Jorge Fernandes and Manu Silva (suspended).

[News updated at 2:17 pm]

Read also: FC Porto dismisses Iván Jaime, Jorge Sánchez, Franco and Toni Martínez (Portuguese version)