Benfica secured a dominant 6–1 victory over AD Valongo in the opening match of the Elite Cup quarterfinals on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at the Pavilhão Desportivo Municipal de Santo Tirso. Despite conceding an early goal, the defending champions surged ahead through a flurry of first-half strikes and second-half tallies from Nil Roca, booking their place in the tournament semifinals.
Early Deficit Overturned in Santo Tirso
The tournament opener began with open play as both sides traded early chances without a cautious feeling-out period, according to reporting from A Bola. AD Valongo struck first at the 7-minute mark when Rui Silva opened the scoring to put his side ahead. Valongo threatened to extend their lead on several counterattacks against a temporarily disorganized Benfica defense.
Hóquei em Patins: O SL Benfica venceu a AD Valongo por 6-1, nos quartos de final da Elite Cup. Nil Roca (2), João Rodrigues, Gonçalo Pinto, Viti e Zé Miranda marcaram os golos. #HóqueiBenfica
The defending cup holders answered before the break. João Rodrigues leveled the score at 1–1 in the 19th minute by redirecting a shot from Roberto Di Benedetto. The momentum shifted entirely in the final minutes of the first half. Gonçalo Pinto put Benfica ahead in the 23rd minute by pouncing on a rebound from a Zé Miranda shot, and Viti added another just a minute later to give the Eagles a comfortable 3–1 cushion at halftime.
Second-Half Scoring Seals Semifinal Berth
Benfica maintained their offensive pressure after the intermission, putting the result beyond doubt within eight minutes of the restart. Nil Roca took control of the match by scoring twice, netting in the 27th and 31st minutes to push the advantage to 5–1. Zé Miranda capped the scoring in the 36th minute with a firm strike to establish the final 6–1 scoreline.
Head coach Edu Castro managed squad rotation carefully given the physical toll on players returning from international duty at the World Championship in Asunción, Paraguay. The victory keeps Benfica on track to defend their tournament crown and potentially extend their record number of Elite Cup titles.
Semifinal Schedule and Next Opponent
With the quarterfinal victory secured, Benfica advances to face the winner of the match between OC Barcelos and HC Braga. The semifinal encounter is scheduled for Saturday, October 31, 2026, at 18:00 local time, returning to the Pavilhão Desportivo Municipal de Santo Tirso.
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