2011 Taça da Liga final explained

2011 Taça da Liga final
Event:2010–11 Taça da Liga
Team1:Paços de Ferreira
Team1score:1
Team2:Benfica
Team2score:2
Date:23 April 2011
Stadium:Estádio Cidade de Coimbra
City:Coimbra
Man Of The Match1a:José Moreira
Referee:Pedro Proença
Attendance:26,222
Previous:2010
Next:2012

The 2011 Taça da Liga final was the fourth final of the Taça da Liga tournament in Portugal, a competition involving the top 32 clubs in the Portuguese football league system, the Primeira Liga and the Liga de Honra teams. The final was contested on 23 April 2011 by Benfica and Paços de Ferreira and was played at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra in Coimbra. This was the first time that the final was played at this stadium since the past three editions were at the Estádio Algarve in Faro. This was the third consecutive final appearance for Benfica and the first ever for Paços de Ferreira.

Background

Benfica went into the match as the Taça da Liga title holder, having won the previous two finals, in 2009 and 2010, while this was the first ever Paços de Ferreira appearance in the decisive game. Both teams started at difference stages in the competition — Paços de Ferreira in the second round, as part of the six last teams from the previous Primeira Liga and two promoted teams from last year's Liga de Honra, and Benfica in the third round, comprising the faction of the top eight Primeira Liga teams from the last season. After overcoming Leixões in a two-legged fixture, following an away draw and a home victory, Paços de Ferreira topped Group C, composed by the two Minho rivals, Braga and Vitória de Guimarães, as well as Arouca. Benfica won Group B, which included Marítimo, Desportivo das Aves and Olhanense. The two teams won their respective groups with the perfect score of three victories out of three matches. In the semi-finals, Benfica hosted and won over Lisbon rivals Sporting CP, with a late winner coming in the last moments of stoppage time, after being one goal down during the first half. Paços de Ferreira played at Nacional's stadium and won an entertaining match that ended in a 4–3 result, controlling the scoreline during much part of the second half due to an early two-goal advantage.

Route to the final

See also: 2010–11 Taça da Liga. Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).

Paços de FerreiraRoundBenfica
OpponentResultStadiumFirst roundOpponentResultStadium
ByeBye
OpponentResultStadiumSecond roundOpponentResultStadium
Leixões1–1 (A)Estádio do MarFirst legBye
2–1 (H)Mata RealSecond leg
OpponentResultStadiumThird roundOpponentResultStadium
Arouca3–2 (A)Estádio Municipal de AroucaMatchday 1Marítimo2–0 (H)Estádio da Luz
Braga3–2 (A)Estádio Municipal de BragaMatchday 2Olhanense3–2 (H)Estádio da Luz
Vitória de Guimarães2–1 (H)Mata RealMatchday 3Desportivo das Aves4–0 (A)Estádio do Aves
Group C winners
width=175 Teamwidth=20 width=20 width=20 width=20 width=20 width=20 width=20 width=20
Paços de Ferreira330085+39
Braga320194+56
Vitória de Guimarães310235−23
Arouca300328−60
Final standingsGroup B winners
width=175 Teamwidth=20 width=20 width=20 width=20 width=20 width=20 width=20 width=20
Benfica330092+79
Marítimo32013306
Desportivo das Aves310248−43
Olhanense300347−30
OpponentResultStadiumKnockout phaseOpponentResultStadium
Nacional4–3 (A)Estádio da MadeiraSemi-finalsSporting CP2–1 (H)Estádio da Luz

Match

Details

PAÇOS DE FERREIRA:
width=25!width=25
GK1
RB15 Baiano
CB5
CB2
LB7
DM8
CM16
CM10
RW81 Manuel José (c)
LW31
CF19
Substitutes:
GK45 António Filipe
LB13 Bura
RB96
CM11
CM17 Nuno Santos
FW21 Pádraig Amond
FW24
Manager:
Rui Vitória
BENFICA:
width=25!width=25
GK1 José Moreira
RB14
CB4 Luisão (c)
CB33 Jardel
LB18
DM6 Javi García
RM17
LM11 Franco Jara
CM10
FW30
FW7 Óscar Cardozo
Substitutes:
GK12
LB25
CB27 Sidnei
DM2
CM16
FW19 Weldon
FW31
Manager:
Jorge Jesus

External links