Benfica crush Sporting in the Portuguese Super Cup

Benfica secured a thumping 5-0 victory over Sporting in the first Lisbon derby of the season, winning the Portuguese Supertaca in the process.

Sporting went into the game with a surprisingly defensive formation, opting to play 3 at the back - though in truth it was often more resemblant of a flat back five.

Benfica, meanwhile, played a team that possessed some strong fire power, with Seferovic and Raul de Tomas playing up front, with Rafa Silva also in the lineup.

And it was Rafa that bagged the first goal for Benfica, coming close to the end of the first half. After a delightful in-swinging ball from Pizzi, Rafa directed the ball across goal on the volley to put Benfica in front.

The next goal came on the hour mark, Pizzi and Rafa Silva switching roles as Rafa won the ball back in Sporting’s box before laying it off to Pizzi, who slotted the ball into the bottom corner of Renan’s goal.

That second goal killed Sporting’s spirit, as Benfica extended their lead further just 5 minutes later. It was left-back Alex Grimaldo that got it, scoring a delightful curling free-kick from the edge of the box. A well-placed strike, Renan got a hand to the ball, but failed to keep it out.

Pizzi got his second on the night with 15 minutes of the game remaining, an excellent first touch helping him break the Sporting back line before he then slotted it into the back of the net.

With just one minute left on the clock, Sporting’s Idrissa Doumbia picked up his second yellow card of the game, making Sporting’s nightmare night even worse, while Chiquinho only piled on further misery in the 90th minute, tapping the ball in from close range to secure a 5-0 victory for Benfica.

Benfica’s victory in the Supertaca follows on from their impressive triumph in the International Champions Cup during pre-season.