The 2020 Taça de Portugal final was the final match of the 2019–20 Taça de Portugal, which decided the winner of the 80th season of the Taça de Portugal. It was played at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra in Coimbra, between Benfica and Porto.
It was the 37th final for Benfica in the competition's history after they won the 2017 final, while Porto returned a year later to dispute its 31st final of the Portuguese Cup, after they lost the 2019 final to Sporting CP.
The defending champions were Sporting CP, however, they were knocked out in the third round by third-tier side Alverca.
The final was originally scheduled to take place on 24 May 2020 at the Estádio Nacional venue in Oeiras. However, on 12 March, the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) announced that it would be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, following the recommendations of the government. On 28 April, the Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa reunited with the presidents of the "Big Three" clubs in Portugal (Benfica, Sporting CP, and Porto), the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, and the president of the Liga Portuguesa de Futebol Profissional, to discuss the conditions of the return of football competitions in Portugal. Two days later, with the consent of the Ministry of Health, Costa approved the return of the final, with the match being played behind closed doors.
On 2 July, it was announced that the final would be played on 1 August at the Estádio Cidade de Coimbra in Coimbra, behind closed doors. The match marked the fifth time the final was played outside of the Estadio Nacional which traditionally held the occasion every year since the 1983 final was played at Porto's former ground, the Estádio das Antas. The match also became the fourth final played at Coimbra after the city had hosted it last time 83 years ago at the Campo do Arnado.
Route to the final BenficaRoundPortoOpponentResult2019–20 Taça de PortugalOpponentResultCova da Piedade4–0 (A)Third roundSC Coimbrões5–0 (A)Vizela2–1 (A)Fourth roundVitória de Setúbal4–0 (H)Braga2–1 (H)Fifth roundSanta Clara1–0 (H)Rio Ave3–2 (H)Quarter-finalsVarzim2–1 (H)Famalicão3–2 (H)Semi-finalsAcadémico de Viseu1–1 (A)1–1 (A)3–0 (H) Note: H = home fixture, A = away fixture
Match Details
GK 99 Odysseas VlachodimosRB 34 André AlmeidaCB 6 Rúben Dias CB 33 Jardel (c) LB 71 Nuno TavaresRW 21 Pizzi CM 28 Julian Weigl CM 8 GabrielLW 11 Franco Cervi CF 19 Chiquinho CF 14 Haris Seferovic Substitutes:GK 1 Mile SvilarDF 84 Tomás TavaresDF 97 FerroMF 27 Rafa Silva MF 49 Adel Taarabt MF 61 Florentino LuísFW 20 Dyego Sousa FW 73 Jota FW 95 Carlos Vinícius Manager: Nélson Veríssimo GK 31 Diogo CostaRB 18 Wilson ManafáCB 19 Chancel MbembaCB 3 PepeLB 13 Alex Telles CM 25 Otávio CM 22 Danilo Pereira (c)CM 16 Mateus Uribe RW 17 Jesús Corona CF 11 Moussa MaregaLW 7 Luis Díaz Substitutes:GK 32 Agustín MarchesínDF 4 Diogo Leite MF 8 Romário BaróMF 15 Mamadou Loum MF 27 Sérgio Oliveira MF 57 João MárioMF 77 Vítor Ferreira FW 9 Vincent AboubakarFW 29 Francisco SoaresManager: Sérgio Conceição
Man of the Match: Chancel Mbemba (Porto) Fair Player of the Match: Danilo Pereira (Porto)
Assistant referees: Rui Tavares Paulo Soares Fourth official: Manuel Mota Video assistant referee: Hugo Miguel Assistant video assistant referees: António Godinho Nuno AlmeidaMatch rules 90 minutes 30 minutes of extra time if necessary Penalty shoot-out if scores still level Nine named substitutes Maximum of five substitutions, with a sixth allowed in extra time
Notes
See also O Clássico 2019–20 S.L. Benfica season 2019–20 FC Porto season 2020 Taça da Liga final
References