Sporting Lisbon secured a place in the Portugal Cup final following a 0-0 draw against Porto in the second leg of the semifinals on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The result allowed the Lisbon-based club to advance with a 1-0 aggregate score after their previous first-leg victory.
The match at Porto’s home ground remained scoreless throughout, but high tension defined the closing stages of the second half. Colombian forward Luis Javier Suarez, who started for Sporting, became the center of a controversial officiating decision during the final minutes of play.
In the 86th minute, Suarez attempted to control the ball during an offensive drive before being struck by Porto’s Alan Varela. The Argentine defender’s high-impact challenge targeted Suarez’s right ankle, prompting immediate intervention from the medical staff as reported by eltiempo.com.
The referee issued a straight red card to Varela following the incident, forcing Porto to play the remainder of the match with 10 men. Although the challenge caused significant concern regarding the Colombian striker’s physical condition, medical evaluations confirmed he avoided a serious injury.
The expulsion shifted the momentum in the final minutes, preventing Porto from finding the goal needed to level the aggregate score. Sporting maintained their defensive structure to preserve the draw and confirm their progression to the championship match.
According to eltiempo.com, the match concluded with increased friction between both squads following the violent foul on Suarez. Sporting Lisbon now awaits their opponent for the final, while Porto exits the competition following the narrow aggregate defeat.
