Braga vs Vitória: League Cup Final – Coaches Demand Fight

Sporting de Braga and Vitória de Guimarães face each other this Saturday, at 8 pm, at the Dr. Magalhães Pessoa Stadium, in Leiria, in the final of the 19th edition of the League Cup. For the first time, Minho’s two rivals are face to face in a decisive game of a national trophy, in an edition marked by the successive eliminations of the big three — FC Porto, Sporting and Benfica.

The meeting, led by Hélder Malheiro, will award the symbolically designated title of “winter champion”, in a year in which the championship leader at half-time, FC Porto, was left out after falling to Vitória.

Carlos Vicens (42 years old) and Luís Pinto (36) are looking to win the first title of their respective careers. This Saturday’s final will put a new name on the League Cup list, succeeding Benfica, the record holder with eight wins.

It will be only the second final between clubs from the Braga association, after Moreirense’s victory over Sporting de Braga in 2016/17. Lisbon maintains the largest number of “regional duels”, with three derbies between Benfica and Sporting.

Namely, referee Hélder Malheiro (AF Lisbon) is equipped with a camera on his shirt (Bodycam).

The experienced João Moutinho and Grillitsch will occupy the ‘core’ of the field, while the attack of the ‘arsenalistas’ will be under the responsibility of Zalazar, Pau Víctor and Ricardo Horta.

On the Guimarães side, Luís Pinto only replaces winger Oumar Camara with Telmo Arcanjo, who should occupy the offensive right side, in a line with Beni Mukendi and Noah Saviolo, behind striker Nélson Oliveira.

The remaining Victorian structure remains, with Charles in goal, the deepest quartet with Strata, Miguel Nóbrega, Rodrigo Abascal and João Mendes, protected by the more defensive midfielders Diogo Sousa and Gonçalo Nogueira.

Alioune Ndoye, ‘hero’ of the semi-final against Sporting, by scoring the two goals that defeated the two-time national champions, in stoppage time, returns to the bench, which today also includes the returning Gustavo Silva, after injury.

Sporting de Braga is looking for its fourth League Cup, after triumphs in 2012/13, 2019/20 and 2023/24, in its sixth final (2016/17 and 2020/21), while Vitória de Guimarães is making its debut in the decisive match, in search of its third national trophy, trying to add this title to the 1988 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira and the Cup of Portugal from 2012/13.

In addition to finding Benfica’s successor, the record holder for titles in the competition, with eight, the 19th edition of the League Cup will debut the achievements of one of the two coaches, Carlos Vicens or Luís Pinto, aged 42 and 36, respectively, and may also crown the seventh different winner of the competition, if Vitória de Guimarães wins.

Braga are looking for their fourth trophy; Vitória debuts in finals

Sporting de Braga reaches its sixth League Cup final and is looking to win the trophy for the fourth time, repeating the victories of 2012/13, 2019/20 and 2023/24.

Vitória de Guimarães debuts in a final of the competition and is trying to win the third national title in its history, after the 1988 Super Cup and the 2012/13 Portuguese Cup. A Victorian triumph would make the club the seventh different winner of the competition.

After the 3–1 victory over Benfica in the semi-finals, Braga’s coach, Carlos Vicens, highlighted the rival’s growth and ruled out any favoritism of Sporting de Braga.

“It’s going to be a very difficult game. Vitória has a positive dynamic, it’s a team that doesn’t give up, is supportive and hard-working. It’s going to play its cards close to winning.”

Photo: Paulo Novais – Lusa

The Spanish coach wants a Braga capable of taking over the match and asks for a lot of personality to “impose the game and react to adversity with character and high energy.”

Regarding Braga’s superior experience and recent past, Vicens is adamant: “None of that counts. The final starts 0-0. We have to earn the right to win through effort and competitiveness.”

With one less day of rest compared to Vitória, the coach admitted that physical management can have an impact and states that “the first half hour will tell us a lot about energy levels.”

Vicens also valued the significance of a final without the big three, saying that it also depends on the media treatment given to the match.

Braga has four confirmed casualties: Bellaarouch, Niakaté (serving Mali in CAN), Sandro Vidigal and El Ouazzani.

Luís Pinto, coach of Vitória de Guimarães at the press conference in anticipation of today’s match, wants to use the emotion of the derby to boost his team and highlights the symbolic dimension of the 161st Minho derby in national competitions — the first to decide a title — and wants the team to take advantage of the emotional atmosphere.

“We know this game is special. We don’t want to move away from that feeling. We want to take the emotion and play with it. We will participate in the most historic derby between the two teams.”

Photo: Paulo Novais – Lusa

The coach highlighted the “belief as identity” shown in the comebacks over FC Porto and Sporting, but warned that this is not enough and states that “We cannot be stuck with what we did in the semi-final. It will be a different game and we have to run a lot, with the ball and without the ball.”

Luís Pinto believes that Victorian fans will be in the majority in Leiria and will have a direct influence on the team’s performance. “The support in the semi-final was incredible. Even though we lost until the end, we always listened to them. They can help us again.”

Regarding the eventual starting role of Alioune Ndoye, hero of the semi-final with two goals, the coach did not open the game: “if it makes sense to be a starter, it will be. If it makes sense to come from the bench to stir things up, it will come from the bench. The five substitutions allow us to play differently.”

In the physical chapter, Diogo Sousa has recovered, Gustavo Silva remains in doubt and Óscar Rivas is certain to be out.