Benfica became four-time national women’s football champions this Saturday, defeating Racing Power 2-1 in Seixal in the 22nd and final round of the league.
In a sold-out game of 2,700, captain Carol Costa scored the Eagles’ goals in the 39th and 90+1 minutes, converting a penalty to break Lucia Lobato’s 85th-minute tie that threatened Benfica’s title restoration. .
The Eagles entered the field with a two-point lead over rivals Sporting and, realizing that they were counting only on themselves to win the title, did what they had to do in order not to depend on the result of the Leonin team. , which eventually won (2-0) away to Damaiense, and this result did not stop Benfica from celebrating after the end of the game.
Relying only on themselves to become champions, Benfica took control of the game from the first whistle, creating several opportunities to open the scoring. In moments of high pressure, the performance of goalkeeper Michaeli Bihin helped Racing Power.
Kika Nararet with dangerous strikes in the third and 20th minutes and Chandra Davidson in the 30th minute took aim at the opponent’s goal, but could not defeat the Cameroonian, who only allowed the Eagles to shoot from the penalty mark to reach the goal before the break.
Before captain Carol Costa converted the penalty in the 39th minute, causing the first “explosion” of joy in Seixal, referee Sara Alves, who had pointed out Babi’s foul on Andrea Faria, confirmed her original decision by reviewing the bet indicated by the video referee (VAR). .
When the match restarted in the 46th minute, Benfica again celebrated a move that saw Chandra Davidson put the ball into the goal, but the move was disallowed for offside by a Reds player after Sara Alves consulted VAR.
At a disadvantage on the scoreboard and with nothing to lose, Racing Power began to gain momentum and in one of these moments, in the 66th minute, they took advantage of a free kick in the front zone, which just did not lead to a goal. goal because Gerda Konst shot past the left post of Lena Pauwels’ goal.
After a warning, Racing Power scored through Lucia Lobato in the 85th minute. After a free kick very far from the penalty area, the defenders found themselves at the far post and equalized the score, which threatened to win the national title.
It didn’t take long for the Eagles to react, and after a foul by Lucia Alves in the penalty area, the hosts were awarded a penalty, which brought them back to the scoreboard. In the 90+1 minute, Carol Costa took charge and scored twice in the game, giving Benfica fans victory and a fourth title.