The stage was set for a thrilling showdown at Pavilhão João Rocha as Benfica, the only team to defeat the champion in the regular season, faced off against their arch-rivals in the first round of the 2nd phase of the Placard Andebol 1 Championship.
Recent history weighed heavily
Just a week ago, these two teams clashed in the Portuguese Cup quarterfinals, with the home team emerging victorious 41-36. This time around, the outcome was similar – a 34-30 win for the home side.
The momentum began to swing in their favor towards the end of the first half, but it wasn’t until the second half that they truly took control. A 4-0 run sealed the deal, capping off a 6-1 streak that put the visitors in a hole they couldn’t climb out of. At one point, Benfica trailed by 8 points, 30-22, despite Gustavo Capdeville’s impressive 15 saves in goal.
Standings shakeout
The home team, led by coach Ricardo Costa, remains at the top of Group A with 35 points, tied with FC Porto, who beat Marítimo 29-36 the night before. Benfica sits in third with 31 points, followed by the Madeira team with 27.
To see how the game went down,
- check out the highlights