Sporting CP to Face Famalicão in League Cup Final Four

The upcoming matchups for the League Cup Final Four have been finalized, setting up an anticipated clash between Sporting CP and Famalicão. The tournament progression follows a series of decisive quarterfinal encounters that determined the remaining contenders for the trophy.

Famalicão secured their place in the latter stages of the competition following a match against Sporting de Braga that sparked intense debate regarding officiating decisions. During the early minutes of the encounter, with the score tied at zero, a corner kick by Ricardo Horta led to a header by Bright Arrey-Mbi that appeared to strike the arm of defender Marcos Peña inside the penalty area.

Neither the match referee, João Gonçalves, nor the video assistant referee team pointed to the spot, allowing play to continue. The incident prompted strong criticism from Sporting de Braga officials regarding the officiating standard.

In a message published on social media, Braga communications director Alexandre Carvalho voiced his frustration over the play. "Another match, another glaring error, once again to the detriment of the same team. In what world is this not a penalty?" Carvalho wrote, addressing the decision that preceded the club's exit from the tournament.

Meanwhile, the other side of the bracket saw Benfica secure a convincing 4-1 victory over Gil Vicente at the Estádio da Luz. Goals from Lukebakio, who scored twice, alongside contributions from Sudakov and Jhon Durán, sealed the win for Benfica despite a brief response from Gil Vicente via Lausen.

Following that victory, Benfica manager Marco Silva expressed satisfaction with his team's performance, describing the result as a fair outcome. Gil Vicente manager Luís Pinto similarly acknowledged the fairness of the result while noting that his players exerted maximum effort to remain competitive throughout the match.

With the quarterfinals concluded, the tournament schedule is now locked in. Benfica will face FC Porto in their respective semifinal fixture, while Sporting CP prepares to take on Famalicão as the competition advances toward its climax.