FC Porto stamped their passport to the long-awaited Portuguese Cup final early on Wednesday evening, thanks to a 3-1 triumph at home to Vitória SC, which followed the 0-1 win they had already secured in Guimarães exactly two weeks ago. The Dragons still had a valiant 'scare', as the Guimarães team managed to take the lead in the second minute, through Afonso Freitas. However, they turned it around, 'hitching a ride' on goals from Mehdi Taremi and Francisco Conceição, who settled the tie once and for all.

What a 'suffocation' is this?

After the mathematical guarantee that the national championship title would no longer be possible, the pressure that fell on the Dragão stadium was palpable, and resulted in a broken game, of complete 'suffocation', with the feeling that anything could happen at any moment.

And, in the second minute, it did happen. After a throw-in by Jota Silva, FC Porto's defense had a collective 'nap', and let Nélson Oliveira assist, with his head, for Afonso Freitas' goal, who only had to push it into the goal guarded by Cláudio Ramos.

The tie was tied, and Sérgio Conceição's men were forced to work for their lives. They immediately settled in the opponent's midfield, and, in the 11th minute, they rehearsed the first dangerous move, when Wenderson Galeno 'danced' from the left wing to the center and shot low, into the hands of Charles Silva.

The dominance was clear, and, in the 25th minute, it translated into a goal. Charles Silva brought down Francisco Conceição, committing a penalty that everyone saw... except Artur Soares Dias, who had to resort to VAR to point to the 11-meter mark, from where Mehdi Taremi shot to score.

Even before the whistle for half-time, Pepe had everything to consummate the 'somersault' on the scoreboard, but, completely loose in the heart of the penalty area, he headed for a 'giant' save by Charles Silva. However, on the whistle for half-time, the Brazilian could do nothing to deflect Francisco Conceição's accurate shot.

From 'scare to scare', to the final relief

FC Porto returned from the locker room noticeably calmer, and finally managed to impose some control on the game. However, the first chance of the second half belonged to Vitória SC. More precisely, to Tiago Silva, who, with a rebound in the middle, almost surprised Cláudio Ramos.

A move that gave encouragement to the Guimarães team, who, little by little, began to re-enter the game. In the 59th minute, Kaio César threatened the goal, with a header, but the night really belonged to the Dragons, who 'killed' the tie, in the 76th minute, when Romário Baró launched Pepê for the goal of tranquility.

With no further changes to the scoreboard, FC Porto will meet Sporting, in the Portuguese Cup final, on May 26, at the Estádio Nacional, in Jamor, where they will have the last chance to avoid saying goodbye to the 2023/24 season without a single trophy won.

Moment of the game: With the Dragão 'on fire', at risk of also losing the possibility of playing in the Portuguese Cup final, Francisco Conceição was not affected, and, on the verge of the whistle for half-time, 'fired' for the 2-1, which allowed FC Porto to face the second half with another tranquility.

Lineups

FC Porto: Cláudio Ramos; João Mário, Otávio Ataíde, Pepe, Wendell; Nico González, Alan Varela, Pepê; Francisco Conceição, Wenderson Galeno and Mehdi Taremi.

Vitória SC: Charles Silva; Bruno Gaspar, Manu Silva, Toni Borevkovic, Jorge Fernandes, Afonso Freitas; Tomás Handel, Nuno Santos, Thiago Silva; Jota Silva and Nélson Oliveira.

Preview

FC Porto and Vitória SC will play, this Wednesday, at the Dragão stadium, what is the second and last 'ticket' for the long-awaited Portuguese Cup final, where Sporting is already, which, it is recalled, left Benfica behind, by an aggregate score of 3-4.

The Dragons are currently in the lead in the tie, as a result of the triumph achieved at the Estádio D. Afonso Henriques, in Guimarães, exactly two weeks ago, by 0-1, 'hitching a ride' on a precise shot by Pepê.

However, since then, Sérgio Conceição's men have not known the 'taste' of triumph, as they drew with Famalicão and lost... to the Guimarães team, also at home, by 1-2, on the 28th round of the I League.

FC Porto-Vitória SC will be refereed by Artur Soares Dias, a judge from the Porto Football Association, and you can follow it, from 8:15 pm (Continental Portugal time), on Desporto ao Minuto.

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