FC Porto had to fight hard to qualify to the quarter finals of the Portuguese Cup. This Tuesday, early evening, at Choupana, the title holders of the competition, needed to go to extra time to confirm the victory over Nacional da Madeira, 4-2. With six changes in comparison to the team that beat Famalicão, in the previous matchday of Liga NOS, Luis Díaz was the one opening the scoreboard at Estádio da Madeira. The home team responded in the first-half, turned the score around in the second, and the triplet holders were only able to tie it again 88 minutes in. In extra time, the inevitable Sérgio Oliveira and Mehdi Taremi, along with Diogo Costa, were decisive to help the blue and whites remain in the competition, and now the team will wait to see who wins the match opposing Gil Vicente and Académico de Viseu.

FC Porto went in looking for the goal and, even before minute five, Sérgio Oliveira had already made the first shot of the match. In the following corner-kick, the top scorer of the Dragons in 2020/21 almost scored an Olympic goal, denied by the post. The third and fourth blue and white opportunities also came from the feet of the number 27, but didn’t scare Nacional. 20 minutes in, Nanu crossed with his left foot, Toni Martínez went for it and the shot came out near Riccardo’s right post. One minute later, Nanu again used his left foot for another cross. Luis Díaz escaped his marker to receive it and, after an excellent movement from Mehdi Taremi, found space to show all his quality, scoring the first of the afternoon in the archipelago of Madeira. The response came soon after and the team led by Luis Freire tied in the only opportunity they had in the first-half. Riascos took off on the right wing, crossed low to Rochez and the forward was effective against the blue and white centre defenders. On a pitch that was starting to become unplayable, and facing the wind, the next opportunity was made in Olival: a free-kick on the right for FC Porto, Tecatito Corona passed short for Diogo Leite and the left-handed central defender shot from distance and hit the top bar with violence. Before the break, Corona used his magic to pass to Luis Díaz with his heel inside the area, but the Colombian was unable to follow up and the shot went outside.

With more than a dozen shots from the national champions against one for the home team, the teams switched sides and returned from the locker room for the second-half. The trend of the first-half continued for the second, with FC Porto playing in the opposing midfield and constantly looking for the goal in numerous initiatives. However, and in the second shot of the match, Nacional made it 2-1. Gorré passed to Riascos and the Colombian scored in a powerful shot. Shortly after, Rui Correia stopped Toni Martínez from reaching the ball just outside the area and was shown his second yellow card in the match. From here, and one more man on the pitch, the Dragons risked everything. Sérgio Conceição sent in Otávio and Zaidu to replace Marko Grujic and Malang Sarr and the opportunities continued to come. After João Mário and Marega replaced Nanu and Toni Martínez, the Iranian-Malian duo almost made it count. But the secret weapon of the blue and white attack was still on the bench. Twenty seconds after replacing Diogo Leite, and on the first time he touched the ball, Evanilson tied the match close to the end. On the next play, Nacional shot at the angle from the midfield and forced the number 99 to a great save. In stoppage time, Mehdi Taremi was pushed from the back in the area, but António Nobre ignored it. Called by Vasco Santos to watch the footage, the referee from Leiria kept his decision and chose to not signal the penalty.

The match continued to extra time tied 2-2 and with FC Porto with one more man on the pitch. Try to go for another one, Evanilson shot with power to warm Riccardo’s gloves. The victory came from a play made in Olival. On the right, Otávio took a corner-kick and placed the ball just outside the area, with Sérgio Oliveira shooting in a volley that gave no chances to save it. Before the teams changed sides again, Sérgio Conceição replaced Luis Díaz for Loum to reinforce the defence, as Pepe remained as the centre defender after Diogo Leite was substituted. In the second-half of extra time, and after offering a goal to Evanilson, Taremi only had to push it in for the fourth goal and seal the 15th victory for the Dragons in the last 16 matches. In such an exciting match, there was still time for the referee to signal a penalty for Nacional in the final moments, as Loum handed the ball. But Diogo Costa was committed to not concede any more goals and saved Vincent Thill’s shot.