Porto pull off stunning comeback to beat Sporting in seven-goal Super Taça thriller

Sporting 3-4 FC Porto

FC Porto came back from a three-goal first half deficit to defeat Sporting 4-3 in this season’s Super Taça final, held in Aveiro.

The Lions raced to a 3-0 lead within the first half-hour of the game with goals from Gonçalo Inácio, Pedro Gonçalves and Geovany Quenda, spelling danger for a Porto side seemingly sinking without trace.

After Galeno pulled a goal back, however, the Dragons were able to conjure up a comeback with two goals in as many minutes, prior to Iván Jaime’s extra-time winner.

In the build-up to the encounter, there was no shortage of new faces at the back for Sporting in Vladan Kovačevic and Zeno Debast’s official debuts, up against the keen-to-impress Danny Namaso and Gonçalo Borges in attack for Vitor Bruno’s Porto.

Debast and Namaso came head-to-head early on with the English-born striker dispossessing the Belgian centre back before taking his chip at goal over the crossbar inside two minutes.

The Lions’ response was purposeful and clinical with a corner straight from the training ground, resulting in the opener in the 3rd minute through Gonçalo Ináçio.

Sporting followed up with a second goal after Viktor Gyökeres, in his first of many marauding runs down the channel, stormed the final third and pulled back a pass for Pedro Gonçalves to tuck home.

With 15 minutes on the clock, Sporting could and should’ve been out of sight with a third goal after an Otávio mistake led to a quick counter, concluding itself with a header nodded over by Gyökeres in a prime position.

In the form of provider, the Swede proved to be unstoppable as Gyökeres, again, caused havoc down the left before assisting Quenda for his debut goal, volleying into the back of the net.

The goals kept coming in a frenetic clash as Debast struggled to handle a ball over the top, slicing a clearance and setting Galeno through on goal, with the winger making no mistake and reducing Sporting’s lead to 3-1. 

Rúben Amorim’s men readied a response in the second half but it was somewhat lost in a more physical dispute between the two rivals.

FC Porto’s switch-up was brutal, however, being the first to introduce substitutes on the hour-mark and landing their just reward with a second goal through Nico Gonzalez, volleying in inside the box.

No less than a minute later, Galeno was on hand to send the Dragons into a state of euphoria as Stephen Eustáquio’s cross was turned in by the Brazilian at the back-post, completing the comeback at 3-3. 

With four minutes of normal time left to go, the game was almost turned in its head after second-half substitute Fran Navarro followed up a big Kovačevic save with a goal ruled out for offside.

At 3-3, the two giants took matters into extra time where a wickedly-deflected Iván Jaime strike betrayed Kovačevic to take Porto ahead for the first time in the game, as the Spaniard made it 4-3. Vitor Bruno’s side held onto their precious lead, conquering a 24th Supertaça title.

By Patrick Ribeiro

Sporting XI: Vladan Kovačević - Gonçalo Ináçio (Iván Fresneda, 101’), Zeno Debast (Ousmane Diomande, 90’), Eduardo Quaresma - Geny Catamo, Morten Hjulmand (Rodrigo Ribeiro, 103’), Hidemasa Morita, Geovany Quenda - Pedro Gonçalves (Mateus Fernandes, 101’), Francisco Trincão (Marcus Edwards, 83’), Viktor Gyökeres

FC Porto XI: Diogo Costa - Martim Fernandes, Otávio, Zé Pedro, João Mário (Iván Jaime, 63’) - Alan Varela, Marko Grujic (Stephen Eustáquio, 63’), Nico Gonzalez (Vasco Sousa, 75’) - Galeno, Gonçalo Borges (Fran Navarro, 83’), Danny Namaso (David Carmo, 104’)