FC Porto tied 0-0 with Sporting Lisbon at Estádio do Dragão in the second leg of the semi-finals and saw their run in this season’s Portuguese Cup come to an end due to the defeat conceded in Alvalade (0-1).

Francesco Farioli sent in Thiago Silva, Pablo Rosario, Gabri Veiga and William Gomes in the starting eleven, and the Dominican midfielder was the first to be booked in the classic (22 mins), even after Gonçalo Inácio had kicked William Gomes and Hjulmand had violently struck the blue and white number 13, but Miguel Nogueira waved both incidents away.

Sporting Lisbon’s captain was only shown his first yellow card in the 34th minute, before Gabri Veiga saw a shot aimed at goal strike Debast’s arm (43 mins). After signalling that he was consulting the VAR, the referee made no call and Pablo Rosario fired in a powerful shot from the edge of the box, but the ball flew over the bar and the score remained 0-0 at half-time.

In the second half, the Dragons came out pressing harder and Alan Varela added an attacking edge by threatening the goal shortly after replacing Thiago Silva (57 mins). Victor Froholdt tested Rui Silva’s reflexes in the 64th minute, and three more substitutes came off the bench at a time when the shot count was heavily in Porto’s favour (12-1): Rodrigo Mora, Pepê and Terem Moffi replaced Gabri Veiga, Oskar Pietuszewski and Deniz Gül.

Alberto Costa was replaced by Seko Fofana in the 78th minute; Jakub Kiwior saw a cross skim past the far post (84 min); Alan Varela was shown a straight red card following a challenge on Luís Suárez (89 min); and Diogo Costa saved Sporting Lisbon’s first (and only) chance in the 92nd minute, whilst his side had a man advantage. In the dying moments of a one-sided classic, Rui Silva saved a header from Terem Moffi on the touch line, and Victor Froholdt headed over in the rebound, so the scoreline remained goalless until the final whistle.