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Portuguese League Cup Final Preview: Vitória de Guimarães vs. Sporting de Braga
The Portuguese League Cup final will be contested between Vitória de Guimarães and Sporting de Braga on January 27, 2024, at the Estádio Municipal de Leiria.
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 Carvalhal (previously stated as Carlos Vicens – Correction), highlighted the rival’s growth and ruled out any favoritism of Sporting de Braga.
“It’s going to be a very arduous 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, Carvalhal 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.”
Carvalhal also valued the importance 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. As of November 2, 2023, these players are still listed as unavailable, but the situation can change closer to the match date. It’s vital to note that the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) will be ongoing during this period, potentially impacting player availability.
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