Champion born after 9 months

I was nine months pregnant, and this Saturday the long-awaited final came for the Benfica fans. Benfica became national champions in the final round after topping the league from the first game in early August 2022.

The Luz volcano eruption gave Roger Schmidt’s team a final push. The German made a bet on the return of Florentino to the base and left the creative Neres on the bench. In defense, Morato replaced the suspended António Silva.

Habitual dynamics and speed proved themselves well in the first minutes. With well thought out teams, Benfica reached Santa Clara last in the league. Rafa pairs well with Bach on the right, and the Dane has a perfect header to Ramos. Madness on the Estádio da Luz, who didn’t even need to hear about the incidents with the Dragon.

Possession increased after the score was 1-0, but this did not lead to dangerous situations. Santa Clara, having sealed its fate, began to rise, and it was in one of those moments when they were in the red zone that Benfica’s second goal appeared, in the team’s signature image. Grimaldo takes it and gives it to Rafa, who later gives it to João Mario. The midfielder rises a meter and returns with Rafa, who has been closely following his teammate from almost one zone to another. In a frontal position, the attacker struck and took advantage of Italo’s rebound. It was 2-0 and there was more calmness among the Benfica players.

After the break, Benfica remained focused and celebrated again by converting a penalty from Grimaldo, who, despite whistles, was moved in the club’s last game. Before the final whistle, Santa Clara still allowed the Odysseas to prove themselves. The Greek eventually lost his seat to Samuel Soares, a young man from the formation who is also eligible for the championship medal.

As they say in football, the champion always deserves it. But a team that leads from day one and ends up with the best attack and the best defense deserves to be celebrated after a long marathon.

Positive
Double decides again
Gonzalo Ramos and Rafa are undoubtedly the two biggest stars in winning the championship. Players who, despite some blackouts at the time, were always decisive. This SaturdayBenfica needed to be competent and efficient. Ramos and Rafa contributed to the party.

Negative
Grimaldo didn’t deserve
The following season, Grimaldo decided to play for another club. He is within his rights and therefore did not deserve those whistles that he heard when he was preparing for a penalty. The Spaniard, who had his best season ever with an eagle on his chest, scored and was touched. Well-deserved applause.

referee
No errors or cases
Rui Costa, who is often criticized for some decisions, had a very calm League final this Saturday. Italo’s hand was hard to see in the penalty shoot-out, but VAR Thiago Martins helped the Porto native fix it. Assistants almost always got offside.